Chapter Text
Everyday without fail, Soushirou always swings his sword.
No matter the circumstances, whether he’s down with a fever or if he’s being passed on judgment by his relatives, not a day goes by where he has never touched a sword.
His father calls him stubborn-headed, his brother calls him a spitfire - those may be true, but what Soushirou does admit is that he is not a quitter, he can never see himself giving up on this one ability of his that he’s confident in, so that’s why he continues to practise and practise.
The years fly past, he grows up, criticism his brother gets admitted into the Defense Force, criticism, he swings his sword, more criticism and in the blink of an eye, it’s now his 16th summer.
Soushirou has heard of what typical sixteen year old boys will do from scandalised remarks of narrow-minded relatives, that after gaining refuge from school; they toil around, maybe find a summer love and waste their summers away in excitement and freedom and unfinished homework. That’s what Soushirou has heard of anyway.
He himself has never gone to an actual school, nor does he actually have a picture of what a normal sixteen year-old’s summer should look like. His summer has always been more free time to hone his swordsmanship, albeit with more troublesome weather and an increase in annoying factors such as his brother coming home, but that’s not here or there. The point is, Soushirou’s summer has always been unchanging, a permanent fixture with nothing to entice it.
Today as usual, he finds himself swinging the sword in the courtyard.
Sweat sticks to his back, the summer sun beating it with a ferocity that gives him mild dizziness. The wooden sword in his grip is a bit slippery, and he has to sometimes pause to wipe any excessive sweat away.
Rubbing his forehead, Soushirou pants. The tip of his sword rests on the ground, and he does his best not to use it as a support cane of some sorts. He decides to take a short break, seeking shade as he plops down beneath the gingko tree.
With the sun no longer directly atop his head, he’s given reprieve. Soushirou lets out a tired exhale, resting his back on the trunk and closing his eyes. He’s clammy, the fabric of his uniform sticking to his skin while his dry throat demands water.
As he reaches for his bottle of water, one of the dojo’s workers, Kaburagi-san, appears from one of the side corridors.
“Hoshina-sama.” He bows down, “The young master will arrive this evening.”
Soushirou’s fingers freeze around the unopened bottle cap. A flash of irritation crosses his heart. As quick as it comes, it’s gone. He inquires. “My brother is coming back?”
An affirmative nod. “Master requests ya to finish yer day as soon as ya can.”
More annoyance finds itself in Soushirou’s heart. He has never been fond of his brother’s visits back to their family house, considering that he has his own residence already near the military base he works at. Lately, his visits have been getting rarer and rarer, a testament to how busy he is climbing the ranks and fighting kaiju - a reminder to Soushirou just how far apart in leagues they are.
He wishes he can skip it, but a sense of family duty still holds over him. He doesn’t say that to Kaburagi-san. Instead, he nods back. “Tell father notta worry. I’ll be there.”
Kaburagi-san excuses himself. Soushirou watches as his figure disappears around the corner, waiting for him to really be left alone before he can slowly close his eyes and groan in despair.
His training is cut short that afternoon. He loiters around the dojo for a bit longer, occupying himself by watching his fellow swordsmen practise on their own, then he decides to take a very long bath, scrubbing his body raw while also keeping his mind off the impending interaction to come.
His fingertips prudy, Hoshina pads his way through the long dimly-lit corridor. His heavy heart becomes heavier with each step closer to the room, and he keeps a tight grip on himself when he slides the tatami door open, announcing his presence.
The sound of laughter immediately ceases. His brother Souichirou glees. “Soushirou!”
Soushirou ignores him, sitting down at his seat opposite of him. He turns to his father. “I apologise for my lateness.”
His father nods, excusing him and Soushirou turns his attention to the dinner already served in front of him. He tunes out whatever that Souichirou’s saying, barely paying any attention to the conversation he has with their father. He knows if he listens, he’ll be driven up to the wall due to madness.
Eating slowly, he is dividing apart a piece of tuna when Souichirou directly addresses him again. “Soushirou, what are yer plans for the summer?”
Despite his desire to continue ignoring him, he knows there is a limit to it before it transcends into plain rudeness and eventually a scolding from their father. His lips curling into a self-assured smile to hide the grimace he wants to put on, he answers. “Practicing.”
He waits for the judgment. His brother doesn’t disappoint.
“Practicing? That’s so boring, Sou. Are ya doing anythin’ other than that?”
Ya. Bash your skull in. “I think I’ll study more about kaijus.”
Souichirou frowns. “Don’t ya wanna do anything else? How about the beach? Or going to the summer festival? Ah, we can go together. I heard the fireworks this year - “
THUNK.
Soushirou stands up as soon as he puts down his finished bowl of miso soup. “Please excuse me, father, aniki. I’m feeling unwell.”
He doesn’t bother to wait for a reply, already striding his way out. He barely restrains himself from slamming the door shut, catching his brother’s astonished look in a split second before he closes the gap between them with no regret whatsoever. His arms tremble from how hard he’s squeezing his fists and his mind itches with an irritation that he’s unable to scratch.
With no one in sight, he deigns to lower himself by stomping his way to their family dojo. There is no one at this hour meant for relaxation and rest, so Soushirou knows he will not encounter anyone to witness him being so weak-spirited. The slight night breeze only cools his heated head a little bit, and he must work out this frustration building inside him by swinging a sword until his head finally clears itself.
Pushing open the door, he doesn’t hesitate to snatch one of the wooden swords in the corner and begin slashing the air.
“Incessant piece of brother - “ He hisses underneath his breath.
A twist of his wrist, the sword slashing down precisely.
“A know-it-all tryin’ to show damn care - “
Spinning on his heels, he brings the sword to a swift slash.
“Fuckin’ fuck my life - “
Frustration crawls beneath his skin, nestling home and it bothers Soushirou just how his brother’s presence can affect him to this extent. He can never truly escape from the shadow his brother had left behind, and it pisses him off to know that building his identity from scratch has a possibility to come out futile and for his brother to demean him.
The sword slips from his grip, clattering on the padded floor and the notion of it falling apart just like the expectation he has on himself has Soushirou screaming. “DAMN IT ALL!”
“GAME OVER!”
Soushirou freezes.
From behind him, comes the electronic music of a game followed by the same electronic male voice. “START AGAIN?”
Slowly but surely, Soushirou turns his body, the heaviness in his heart replaced by one of dread and quickly-formed shame when he finds himself facing a literal someone who he realises with a terrifying jolt - just witnessed all of that.
Phone horizontal in hand, the boy dressed in a simple white T-shirt with black joggers just … stares at Soushirou. His mouth is gaped open, presumably out of shock. Soushirou can’t exactly see his eyes which are covered by his dyed bangs, but the stare is a bit too strong for him to not notice.
Both indignation and embarrassment take up his mind, but the former wins by a quick showdown as Soushirou snaps out despite himself mentally tearing his hair and his insides dying out of shame. “Who are ya?”
The boy jolts in his seat from where he’s leaning against the wall. He doesn’t look that far from Soushirou’s age. “Ah, well, ” He says, and Soushirou immediately notices his Tokyo accent. “I’m a worker here.”
A Tokyo-breed worker. Soushirou spends his days in the dojo and around it, which means he has memorised all the faces and names of people working here. He will surely notice if this person is among them.
“I’ve never seen ya around.” He shoots it out like an accusation.
The stranger puts up both of his hands, his phone left on his lap and still playing that obnoxious game music. “I’m new. A part-timer.”
That dissipates all hostility Soushirou has towards him as it is replaced by curiosity instead. He has never heard of the dojo allowing part-time workers, and more importantly - as the stranger goes back to his mobile game - someone who Soushirou is sure has no qualifications whatsoever on how to maintain a part of the Hoshina estate.
“What’s yer name?”
“Narumi.”
“What are ya doing here?”
Narumi hums, thumbs swiping ferociously on his screen. “Wi-fi’s strongest here.”
Soushirou has been living here for sixteen years now and he never knows that.
“How do ya even know that?”
“Hunted all the spots. The next best one is at the storage room but it’s too dusty. Worst one is near the second master’s room, the one bar is atrocious.”
Soushirou blinks, not exactly expecting that.
He gives it a thought, and it’s apparent that this Narumi guy must not know that he’s the second master he’s referring to since he’s new and hasn’t addressed him with any formality yet. Which means he will not correlate his outburst right now with him -
“Didn’t expect the Hoshina young master himself to have a potty mouth like that.”
Soushirou is onto him as fast as he can, snatching the phone out of his hands and dangling it up as Narumi yelps in shock. He springs up to his feet, trying to get back the device but Soushirou puts it out of reach, his other hand firmly pressed against his collarbone. Narumi stops, and with this close distance between them, Soushirou can make out what seems to be annoyed magenta-ish irises beneath the long bangs.
“Look. Ya saw nothing, alrite?”
He scrunches his face. “What do ya mean by nothin’?” He mocks, and Soushirou finds his anger fuse has suddenly been lit up once again. “When you were screaming for your brother to go fuck himself?”
Soushirou bristles. “I didn’t say that.”
“Oh, right. Lemme just.” He puts a finger up. “You were saying how you can go fuck yourself.”
That is a far worse implication than before and Soushirou isn’t actually pleased with that. “Do ya want yer game back or not?”
“I was already losing.”
On cue, another blast of “GAME OVER!” comes from the phone behind Soushirou’s back. Narumi looks extremely pleased with himself, a smug grin on his lips as he gauds. “See? Now give me my phone back.”
Soushirou has a sudden strong desire to punch him. He doesn’t act on that. “Not before ya admit ya didn’t see anything that just happened.”
It’s the wrong thing to say as Narumi looks suddenly pissed off. “Come on. I’m not going to yap about it to anyone. Who will even believe me saying the ever composed second young master had a mental breakdown?!”
Too many people. Soushirou’s lips curl, but before he can say anything to that, Narumi lunges towards him in a sudden attempt at getting his phone back.
Soushirou twists his body out of instinct. Bad mistake on his part as he miscalculates Narumi’s burst of speed and the floor slippery with his sweat, causing their feet to tangle with each other’s. He loses balance fast, and his hands fly up to grip Narumi's shirt, yanking him down with him.
For a horrifying second, Soushirou’s mind goes blank. He doesn’t remember the last time he fell, not when he’s constantly grounded and fighting for constant steadiness. He realises in that one short second that he’ll fall on his back and embrace for the pain to come, panic gripping his throat in a vice choke.
In that one short second, Soushirou is spun, scrawny but strong arms around him twisting so that he no longer falls backward but forward instead - and his fall is cushioned by Narumi as he lands on top of him, forehead hitting his sharp collarbone.
His mind rings, pain jolting up to leave lingering fuzziness in his eardrums. As he tries to clear it away, he hears Narumi beneath him groaning in pain and following the clear sound and the rumbling of his chest, he tips his head upwards.
Those atrocious long bangs are swept away during the fall, revealing a pair of bright magenta eyes that blink haphazardly at him. Narumi groans again, barely able to lift himself up to his elbows due to Soushirou’s weight on top of him. He rubs the back of his head. “Ow. That hurts …”
He flicks those eyes toward Soushirou, thus causing him to unexpectedly realise with dread that this Narumi fellow is good-looking.
Chapped lips pouty, a nose with a smooth slope and a defining jaw structure; Narumi is undeniably attractive in a rugged way. There’s a sort of magnetism towards his full looks, and Soushirou can’t help but feast his eyes on the miniscule way his expression changes with the smoothing of his frown, a sign next for him to meet their eyes together.
His eyes are brighter up close, a shade of spring at its fullest. Suddenly, Soushirou feels like his lungs have been punched out of air.
Narumi stares at him too, but with more of a peculiarity, then the trance is broken as he whips around, throwing Hoshina off from the abruptness of it. “My phone!”
Soushirou hasn’t realised Narumi’s phone falling from his grip. He holds back the dread threatening to take him over upon noticing it had sailed a few feet away, caught in the momentum of his fall to cover such a far distance.
Narumi scrambles towards it, holding it precariously in both hands as he kneels, spitting out profanities alike until his phone lights up once again. He lets out a scream of delight, giving it a huge fat kiss that Soushirou watches with a pensive frown.
Still sitting where Narumi has pushed him off, Soushirou feels the feeling of shame crashing over him once again, but now with an extra dose of awkwardness. Narumi is occupied with his thankfully still working phone, so Soushirou takes the opportunity to stand up and put back the practice sword he had vented all of his frustration out on earlier.
His heart screams at him to just leave the room, trying his best to ignore the humiliating spectacle that happened just now, but a tiny part of him is guilty over potentially harassing a worker who is presumably close to his age while also interrupting his rest.
A surge of pettiness rushes over him. His day so far has been far from what he originally envisioned it to be, he can at least afford to put aside any self-reflection on his mistakes. Not looking back, Soushirou walks out of the dojo, closing the door and not daring to look at the other person all while at it.
Letting out an exhausted breath, he mumbles.
“This summer is not off to a good start …”
Souichirou announces that his visit will be lasting for a few weeks, which is celebrated and applauded by nearly everyone except Soushirou that is. Defense Force members are rarely given long holiday breaks, especially during summer when many officers try to fight for a vacation. He barely gives a verbal response to the news, and despite his brother’s clear attempt at trying to converse with him, Soushirou opts to spend more time training and overall avoiding his brother in their large family estate.
It’s only a matter of time before they cross paths once again, no walls or traded barbs between them, Soushirou knows but he likes to believe that won’t happen anytime soon.
He trains until his bones ache, swinging a sword that has always been an extension of his body and ignoring any pointed looks his father gives him whenever they encounter each other, rare as it can be but still more common than a collision with his brother. His father has lowered his attempts of persuading his youngest son not to follow Souichirou’s footsteps, but it lingers there occasionally in his stern expression. No matter how many times the amount of GO matches Soushirou has managed to win from him, it doesn’t lessen the worry his father has for his future.
The summer heat has been creeping up to him lately, muddling his thoughts and concentration. It has never gotten bad to the point of decapitating him, but one afternoon, he is holding a sword in his hands when suddenly, his mind is a blank slate.
Hands trembling, Soushirou tries to swing his sword but finds that he’s unable to. It’s all in his head, the posture, the raise of his arms, the lowering of his knees, the tightening of his muscles and the force needed - but he simply just can’t do it.
Stumbling, he manages to not fully fall on his knees, propping himself up with the sword instead. In the middle of the empty dojo, he pants, sweat dripping down and getting into his eyes.
Pushing himself up, he positions himself and tries to swing the sword again, only to fail once more.
The frustration lodges deep inside his throat, suffocating him as he tries and tries only for his body to not cooperate. The sword is not swung, just staying there disappointedly between his calloused hands and the sight of it even going against him has Soushirou’s vision blurry and his breath hitching in his lungs.
Letting the sword clatter to the floor, he lets himself sink down and hugs his knees. Burying his face in, he stifles the sobs threatening to take him over, letting the dampness of his trousers pressed against his eyelids to cut off any tearworks.
Rubbing his eyes, he turns his head to wipe a strand of hair tickling his eyebrow and in the process catches curious magenta eyes watching him from the very far corner, a blind spot of his.
Fuck .
There’s no game music to fill in the super awkward situation Soushirou has found himself in. It may be the same for Narumi as he comments, tone off-kilter.
“This is the second time. Make it a third and it becomes a habit, Hoshina-sama.”
The sudden formality has Soushirou’s pitiful sorrow replaced with an irritated itch. He sighs, something so unbecoming of him but really, what else is left for him not to display in front of this stranger?
“Drop the formality, please. Yer gonna make me puke.”
The raised eyebrow is obvious even from this far. “I never imagined someone as dignified as you to have a snarky mouth, Hoshina.”
“Has anyone ever pointed out ya lack subordination?” Soushirou shoots back.
“Yep.” Narumi pops the p. “But at least I don’t lack spatial awareness.”
That jabs directly at what is currently happening. Soushirou doesn’t bother to hide the grimace at his bluntness. He’s used to layered words with a deeper meaning behind them, having someone who decides to go against it all of a sudden means he needs more time to adjust to it.
“Aren’t cha supposed to be working right now?”
“I’m taking a short nap. A productive worker needs their rest.”
Considering that Soushirou’s been in this dojo for nearly two hours and has failed spectacularly to notice Narumi’s form snoozing in the corner, he bets his entire right hand that the nap isn’t short at all.
Now that Soushirou has the opportunity to think about it, he wonders why Narumi is even hired to work here in the first place despite his laid-back, definitely lazy attitude. There’s a possibility he simply adopts a far more professional outlook while working, shedding all of it when taking a break, but Soushirou has a feeling that is not quite right. He doesn’t have another possible circumstance he can come up with though.
Yes, that does seem to be the matter at hand.
Reaching for the wooden sword, Soushirou feels the same as the previous time he let it slip from his hands. A state of imbalance, kiltering left and right as he grapples for steadiness. His mind is blank but not clear, as if he’s surrounded by thick fog and can’t find his way out. It’s tough for him to swallow all his resolve and admit to himself that if he tries to swing the sword again - to slash through the murkiness clouding his thoughts, he will only be confronted with failure once again.
Soushirou doesn’t want to know what he’ll do if that fear turns into reality.
An obnoxious sigh interrupts his mulling. He faces Narumi, whose head is leaned against the wall while the rest of his body lays on the hard wooden floor. That position must be uncomfortable for his neck, but he shows no sign of discomfort as he continues to laze around. His head lolls back, exposing the expanse of his pale nape and Soushirou tears his gaze away, fixing it instead on the slits of magenta through swept bangs.
“Why don’t you take a break?”
The genuinity behind it startles him. Soushirou has had enough of suggestions in his life, always clamming up to any divergence on the path he has set himself on. However, this time maybe because of the person offering it being a stranger with no strings attached, he has half a mind deigning to hear him out.
Knowing he has gotten his attention or maybe not, judging by his flippant attitude, Narumi asks. “When was the last time you had one?”
Soushirou can’t find an exact answer for that. Since the day his brother was admitted into the Defense Force, Soushirou has never taken a break. The thought of taking a break had never willingly crossed his mind, not until this moment.
He waits for the inevitable off-hand comment of practicing being useless, but it never comes.
“It’s summer.” Narumi says casually. Even though half of his eyes are covered, they feel intense, almost piercing into his soul. “I doubt you’re an outdoor person, but go outside and swim at the beach, I dunno. Or whatever it is you do when you’re not swinging that sword of yours.”
Struck speechless at the audacity of the suggestion, Soushirou nearly snaps at him. It’s not as if it’s the first time someone has pointed out how he can spend his summer differently, it’s just that it’s not something he needed during those times. Hoshina Soushirou in the previous summers had no qualms whatsoever to stay in and hone his swordsmanship skills, always keeping himself occupied with a fierceness to improve and prove to others. This year’s summer is vastly different, Soushirou is being pressured from all corners and adding to his brother’s ever-growing presence in his life, he thinks cynically, he might really need a break after all.
However, a sudden fearful thought crosses his mind. What if when all is done, he is still unable to swing the sword?
“I can hear you thinking from over here.”
“Didn’t know yer paying that much attention to me.”
Caught off-guard, Narumi splutters. “HAH?!” He rises to his feet in a graceful way that should be illegal with his bad posture.
“Listen, bowl cut - ”
Soushirou raises an eyebrow.
“ - there is no me paying attention to you, okay? You just think too loudly that if someone puts a megaphone next to you, the entire city can hear you!”
All nervousness that has been harbouring inside Soushirou’s mind has miraculously vanished, replaced with good humour. “That’s quite a bad comparison, Narumi-san.”
Spluttering more, Narumi opens his mouth, probably to shoot something nasty back but Soushirou won’t know as the dojo door is suddenly yanked open, cutting his retort.
“Gen!”
Narumi’s posture immediately goes rigid.
Soushirou turns around, and he’s surprised to see Kaburagi-san standing there looking furious. He has never witnessed the Head Estate of the Hoshinas with such a thunderous expression.
“Gen!” He strides in, and Soushirou watches as Narumi shrinks into himself, panic taking over his once offended expression. Stopping in front of him, Kaburagi-san grabs the back of his head and forces him down to a bow, ignoring Narumi’s continuous yelps of ow ow ow that fucking hurts, old man!
“I apologise for any disturbance he may have done, young master.” He says, solemn and very loud. By his side, Narumi’s still spitting out swears like a sailor who has sailed all the seven seas. “He is new and has not fully understood the ways of the household yet, I hope you forgive any of his transgressions.”
Sympathising Kaburagi-san who has a handful of the … apparent person who Soushirou may have misjudged after all, he answers. “Lift yer heads, Kaburagi-san, Narumi-san. It’s fine, I was not offended.”
Narumi has stopped swearing to look at him suspiciously. Soushirou can’t help the slight curl of his lips. “Narumi-san is very hilarious. I was quite entertained by his antics.”
Eyes widening, Narumi protests. “No! Don’t believe him - “
“Back to work or there ain’t no pay for ya today, Gen. ”
That shuts him up. Soushirou watches as Narumi clicks his tongue, glaring at him as if he’s the source of all his problems. Before Kaburagi-san can call out on his blatantly rude behaviour, he has already made his way out, hands in his pockets and back slouching.
After he disappears from view, Kaburagi-san turns back to him and does a profound bow. “I truly apologise for his actions, Hoshina-sama. He doesn’t mean any of that.”
Soushirou says. “It’s fine. It’s fine. I’ve never seen him around, so he is indeed new?”
It’s a question and a prompt for more information. Kaburagi-san understands. “Yes. His name is Narumi Gen, Hoshina-sama, and he belongs to one of the orphanages around the area. My acquaintance working there sought me out for help to find him a job.”
That’s intriguing, the Kaburagi-san Soushirou knows is not one to bother with entertaining pleasantries from other folks. Maybe Narumi’s orphan status plays a vital role in convincing him? Seems likely, and Soushirou kind of gets his point of view if so.
Before he can say anything, Kaburagi-san continues. “Please, Hoshina-sama. From now on, please excuse any of his antics.”
The sincerity in his tone has Soushirou cocking his head. In the past, he had witnessed the housekeeper defending many employees of good calibers, but never one with a personality as loud and unusual as Narumi Gen’s. After all, the workers of the estate are nitpicked thoroughly with careful hands. He puts all of it aside, not going down that spiral of thought.
“I can’t promise ya, but I’ll see to it.” He replies, careful not to be too soft, aware of his image and dignity as a Hoshina. He trusts Kaburagi-san, but the walls have ears and Soushirou is always on high alert for any suspicious mention of his name.
Kaburagi-san dismisses himself, reassured by his remark after so many years being in his service. With Soushirou left alone in the dojo and only the taunting wooden sword as his companion, he at least admits to himself quietly that his mind has traitorously wandered to the topic of Narumi Gen.
Soushirou has never been a pursuer. He walks at his own pace with a clear goal in mind; to join the Defense Corps and prove himself worthy with his swordsmanship. Now however, he is stuck in a limbo. He can’t swing the sword, the proof of his entire existence and he wishes he can banish the problem entirely if not for him knowing the reason why he can’t.
When he first set his sights on improving himself, he felt there was no limit to it until right now when he’s burning himself from the inside out. It’s painful for him to come to terms with the fact that he’s running himself to the ground, and he’ll eventually either combust or flay his dry skin if he keeps going.
It’s with a heavy heart that he puts down the sword. It lingers in his mind as he desperately tries to find something else that can take his attention away, tempting him to dare taking a swing once again. It’ll be easy to fall back into it. Soushirou doesn’t fall for it even when his heart begs for the opposite.
He needs something that requires his full focus, and that’s why he’s flipping open books regarding kaiju.
The Hoshina library contains knowledge that is older than all the current living family members’ ages combined, dating back to the era when kaiju was first recorded in Japan. It’s a treasure trove full of references that many cryptozoologists and kaiju researchers depend on, and even now as Soushirou carefully plucks a well-kept book out of a shelf, he can hear a small group of visitors nearby exchanging excited whispers, awed by the amount of information available to them.
Soushirou doesn’t mind the background noise, mostly minding his own business as he searches for more books to read, but then the back of his neck prickles upon hearing Souichirou’s chirpy voice.
“Excuse me, have any of ya seen my lil brother around?”
Soushirou doesn’t even try to think before leaping into action. Hugging the book with one hand, he hides himself in a corner. Peeking from the gaps of the bookshelf, he spies one of the visitors pointing a finger to the direction he was previously in while Souichirou frowns as he must have recognised it as the broad kaiju section.
That leaves a bad taste in Souishirou’s mouth. He waits for his brother to turn the opposite corner before he swiftly sneaks out, silent on his feet.
Outside, he lets out an exhale of relief. Walking down the corridor, he wonders where else can he seek refuge to read peacefully now that his previous plan had been busted apart. The pitchy singing of cicadas greets him as he enters the garden, and Soushirou tilts his head up, enjoying the soft sunlight filtering through gently swaying leaves.
He follows the bushes of blooming hydrangeas, his free fingers stroking a petal or two as he walks past. Melancholy nestles inside his heart as he tries to remember the last time he appreciated the flowers, which is followed by self-loathing as he knows he doesn’t quite remember.
Perking his head, Soushirou stops as he hears the familiar sound of a video game. Intrigued, he acts on his curiosity, following the distant sound until he gets close enough to hear the beeps and strong jabs on a game console.
On one of the gazebos scattered all across the garden, Narumi lays on it, one leg crossed over the other as he plays his game, eyebrows scrunched intensely.
Soushirou watches from afar, contemplating whether he should disturb him or not. The heat makes the decision for him as he becomes properly aware of the thin sweat layering his skin. A proper shade like the roof of the gazebo will bring him relief, so Soushirou hoists himself up, feet dangling as he leans on one of the wooden beams.
He feels it when Narumi shifts to look at him. His game is paused, evident with only the battle music playing without any follow-up attack sounds. He doesn’t say anything though the scrutiny is strong enough for Soushirou to feel.
He decides to speak first. “Won’t Kaburagi-san be pissed seein’ ya not working?”
A sigh. He unpauses his game, gunshots accompanying the battle music. “Finished my work.”
Humming, Soushirou swallows all of the questions threatening to come out of his throat. He brings up the book and decides to flip it open, beginning to read.
He has always been an avid reader, often teased to be a bookworm by his brother, and there’s no difference this time as he gets sucked in into the vivid imagery painted in the book. It’s not factual as he expects it to be, nor is it dry and monotonous. It’s not too whimsical either, setting the tone to be the perfect mix of reality and narration. Without him realising, all of his worries melt away as he reads the depiction of historical kaiju battles pertaining to the last century. Swordsmen fought in the frontlines, atop stallions and on foot, driving any kaiju away from invading their lands during these tumultuous times. Kaijus back then were simpler, it said. No abnormal mutation to evolve themselves into becoming better apex predators, allowing humans to match its power with their intelligence.
His deep focus means he is unaware of his surroundings. Soushirou is reminded of where he is once again when Narumi speaks up, shattering the illusionary world he’s in.
“What are you reading?”
Turning around, he sees that Narumi is looking at him upside-down. Game console on his stomach with an obvious VICTORY message flashing, Narumi looks mostly bored if not for what Soushirou recognises as curiosity dancing in his eyelids.
After memorising the page number he’s on, he silently slides the book towards him. Narumi doesn’t budge from his spot as he stretches an arm to grab it, bringing it towards his face.
“This looks ancient as hell. Aren’t you bored?”
“Nah, unlike ya.”
Scoffing, Narumi rests his head on his hands. “It’s so boring around here. Nothing to do except listen to the trees and stuff.”
Soushirou leans down to pick up the book. This close, he watches as Narumi’s chest heaves, his eyes flickering to Soushirou and to the rooftop.
“Yer exaggerating.” He pats the book. “Or is Hyogo too peaceful for a city kid like ya?”
“Tokyo can be real quiet at times when there’s a fuckwad kaiju attacking, I guess. I thought Hyogo would be an interesting change, nah, still boring and likes to abuse workers’ rights.”
Soushirou stifles an amused chuckle. “We ain’t abusing ya.”
Narumi snorts. “Totally changed my mind there. Let me count it out - no work-life balance, refusing to let a sick worker rest, abuse of authority, having an ugly ass bowl cut owner, what else am I missing?”
“Do ya have some vengeance towards my hair or what?”
“It’s so old school.” He whines, like he’s the one who has a bowl cut and not a hairstyle that is done by being chopped off with a helicopter. “Did they put a bowl around your head too?”
“At least I don’t look like I’m allergic to showers.”
Narumi scrambles up to his knees. “I showered, you fox eyed freak!”
Soushirou laughs, pushing his approaching body away. “I didn’t accuse ya of anything, Narumi-san.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid!”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Narumi lets out a scream of frustration, dramatic as he flops back to the ground. He gets up the next second though, wearing a contemplative expression that has a chill running up Soushirou’s spine.
“Not training today?”
Soushirou retorts. “Of course I’m not. As you can see, I was reading.”
The eye roll he receives is a bit too much in Soushirou’s humble opinion.
“That’s not what I meant. Are you or are you not taking a break just like what I suggested?”
“If I say yes, will that shut ya up?”
Narumi smirks, lifting an eyebrow. That smugness is really asking for a beating. “It depends.” He lilts out.
Soushirou smiles. “Then no. I’m not taking a break.”
“Ugh, come on! Just admit you are!”
Soushirou tunes him out, deciding to go back to his book. Before he can open it, a hand settles on top of the cover.
They’re too close, Soushirou notices with bated breath. Narumi’s arm brushes against him, his hair tickling his nape as he turns his head. He smells faintly of peaches too, soft and mellow and cheap. Soushirou elbows him harshly, creating some needed distance and Narumi surprisingly obliges, although his hand is still caging the book.
“Quit the reading. Don’t you even know how to have a good time?”
“This is me enjoying a good time.”
He tugs on the book, but Narumi’s grip is stronger as he prevents the book from getting into Soushirou’s hands. He shakes his head in faux disappointment.
“You need something that requires less reading words.”
“Reading is enjoyable, maybe ya should try it instead of playing games all day.”
Narumi ignores the jab. His eyes lit up with something that can only be spelled as trouble, and Soushirou hates himself for finding that mildly attractive.
“Lemme show you how to have a good time that doesn’t require reading in it.”
“Why would I even consider that?” He huffs out.
Grinning, Narumi says. “Call it a new perspective. You don’t even have anything else to do, right? Let’s go kill some boredom together, bowl cut. Pull out that stick up your ass and all that.”
He ignores that very last comment in favour of thinking that there must be an ulterior motive behind this suggestion. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Soushirou asks. “Are ya trying to slack off?”
He hits the mark as Narumi visibly winces. He quickly recovers by adopting a suave expression. “Come on now, Hoshina. I’m dying cooped up in here, you’ll surely die too. What do you say, hum?”
The summer heat must be getting to his head because Soushirou, honest to the gods, is contemplating the super sketchy question. So far, his plans for the summer have derailed completely. Unable to swing a sword, he might as well be sitting duck until he finally finds a way to continue his progress from the stagnant state it is in. He has objections to that, but they’re fairly able to be set aside. What’s a problem however is his brother’s presence in the estate driving him up a wall. He doesn’t like the unease he has whenever something reminds him of Souichirou and frankly his pettiness is just. That. Petty.
He hates himself as he puts his book aside, pointedly saying. “Don’t make me regret it.”
The hatred grows twice its size when he finds the triumphant grin on Narumi’s face annoyingly good to look at.
Narumi leads him to the dojo’s parking area, which piques Soushirou’s interest. There’s a bus that goes up the hill to the estate, so he assumes Narumi has been taking that for however long he might have worked. He doesn’t expect for him to bike up and down instead on a bicycle that looks like it has been growing tetanus.
“Ya know. Having two people on a bike is considered breaking a traffic rule.”
Narumi sighs from where he’s sitting. “Less words, more action.”
Soushirou grimaces, wondering if it’s still not too late to take back his words. The last time he ever rode a bike was a few years ago, and never had he been an illegal passenger in those times. Swallowing his hesitation, he delicately perches behind Narumi, hands gripping the sides in a tight grip as the bike starts to move.
With no helmet too. Soushirou’s starting to regret agreeing to this idea.
Narumi begins pedaling and despite Soushirou’s heart leaping in his chest at the first few bumps causing him to press his body onto Narumi’s back, he eventually gets used to it. The breeze is cool on his skin, and he gradually relaxes as Narumi shows no sign of causing a traffic accident.
Enjoying the breeze rustling his hair, he barely hears Narumi warning him. “Hold on tight!”
Before he can question him, Narumi stops pedalling and they drop down a hill.
Soushirou screams, his heart leaping in his throat at the sudden change of speed as they go down. The bastard laughs in joy, whooping as he tilts his head up high. Muffling his scream in his shoulder, Soushirou’s grip tightens strong enough for Narumi to wince and he does hope for a rib or two to break for the torment he’s currently in.
Their descent down the hill ends, and Soushirou pants as he tries to regain his normal breathing back. He must have been quiet for far too long because Narumi chirps. “You okay back there?”
Sucking in a sharp breath, Soushirou pounds his back in frustration. Narumi yelps from the sudden assault, nearly veering off the road but Soushirou doesn’t particularly care of them being a road hazard at the moment.
“Warn a guy earlier next time, will ya?!”
Narumi glees. “That’s not a never!”
“Shudup.” Grumbling, Soushirou settles his forehead onto Narumi’s shoulder, his heart finally calm enough for him to breathe a sigh of relief.
They’re heading into town. Soushirou lifts his head to look as they bike past familiar shops and roads. His question as to where they’re headed is solved as Narumi slows down, stopping their bike near an arcade centre.
“Of course yer an arcade kid.” Soushirou comments off-handedly after they park their bike, staring at the old structure of the building.
“Duh, everyone is.” He casually remarks. “When’s the last time you’ve been to one?”
“I think … 4 years? To this one.”
Narumi stares at him as if he’s grown a second head. “You have a lot of catching up to do, fox eyes.”
“Bowl cut this, fox eyes that. Can ya get more creative?”
“Don’t wanna waste my energy on that shit. You’re forever bowl cut and fox eyes to me, fox-eyed bowl cut.”
Their banter continues even when they walk into the arcade. Soushirou stops responding to Narumi in favour of looking around, sight having to momentarily adjust to the bright colourful lights. It smells like lint in here, ticklish and heavy. The beeping sounds of machines and games aren’t as assaulting as what he would have expected, softer and making him nostalgic. He didn’t lie when he answered four years ago. It was shortly before his brother attended his Defense Force examinations, before everything went wrong in their relationship. Tearing his gaze away, he follows Narumi deeper and instantly gets why he insists he has a lot of catching up to do.
He has never particularly remembered much about his last visit to the arcade, so nearly everything is a bit new to him. New-looking machines take up the vast number of the games, although he recognises the classic ones such as the basketball and the whack-a-mole. The others are quite unrecognizable to him.
Too lost in checking out his surroundings, he hasn’t realised that Narumi has exchanged for tokens until he sees one piece held up by his fingers, glistening in the neon lights of the arcade. Narumi says. “I’ll let you choose, bowl cut. Which one first?”
Soushirou takes the token, looking around and spotting a casual 1v1 fighting game. Narumi looks in the same direction and smirks. “You sure about that one?”
Soushirou was just about to change his mind, but decided not to at the smugness in Narumi’s voice. Irked now, he takes a seat on one side.
Narumi slides into the other, cocky grin in place. “Just so you know, I’m so gonna kick your ass.”
Definitely worked-up now, Soushirou doesn’t say anything as he slots the token in. It has been a super long time since he touched one of these, evident as he struggles with the simple controls after the countdown is launched.
Narumi is brutal, not hesitating to launch his avatar into a flurry of attacks and having Soushirou awkwardly trying to evade. He keeps taking hits and crits to the point it’s very pathetic to look at, and his health bar drops down to a devastating zero when Narumi’s avatar spin kicks him in a definitely signature move way.
The words YOU LOSE! taunts Soushirou so badly he contemplates punching his opponent on the other side, who can’t stop crowing his victory like he was fighting in a professional league and not a dingy old arcade.
“Boo! You suck ass, Hoshina!”
Feeling a vein popping in his forehead, he says very calmly. “One more round.”
“Get ready to grovel at my feet once again, young master!”
Trying to concentrate while Narumi is on the other side gloating his victory to anyone in near vicinity is hard, but Soushirou prevails with the patience of an utter saint. That patience seems to pay off, turning into determination as he focuses on their pixels on screen. Gritting his teeth, he punches the controls, quickly gaining efficiency while evading the onslaught of attacks Narumi’s avatar is using on him. He gets a few hits in, blocks a few, and finally he sees a definite pattern and begins taking the offensive.
Narumi squawks from the other side, forced in a defensive position as Soushirou attacks him with a fluidity that shouldn’t be possessed by someone of his talents. He doesn’t know that Soushirou has played this game tons of times with his brother in the past, and that muscle memory eventually helps him to snatch a victory as he punches Narumi’s avatar in the stomach, the rugged guy on screen slumping down in defeat.
YOU WIN! flashes on the screen. Soushirou leans forward, watching as Narumi stares at his own now red screen in comical shock, eyes bulging and jaw open.
“Care to repeat what ya said earlier?”
His head hung low, Narumi’s fists are trembling before he erupts into a screech straight into his face. “I was going easy on you! One more round!”
Soushirou excuses the momentary deafness for the satisfaction of stripping his cocky composure away. “Don’t go easy on me this time, Narumi-san.”
He grumbles something along the line of wait until I pummel you once again - Soushirou doesn’t care, he’s too busy basking in his victory and even busier still defeating him once again in the next round. And the next. And the next. And the next.
Even through the arcade’s dim lighting, it’s easy to see Narumi’s totally reddened face as he stares at his losing screen before he slumps his face down.
“Is this game supposed to be hard?” Soushirou remarks casually, watching as Narumi’s shoulders tremble in barely restrained anger. He tosses in for good measure. “Ya seem to have an absolutely difficult time playing it.”
Shoving himself up, Narumi exclaims. “This game is just rigged! Let’s play something else!”
He wildly looks around and jabs a finger. “Air hockey!”
Their air hockey match goes as well as what Soushirou expects, which is him winning and Narumi losing. Narumi tosses his bat away, growling as the counter mark of 15-14 flashes between them.
“Racing!”
His car crossing the finish line, Soushirou turns his head to the side. Narumi’s forehead is pressed against the steering wheel, his own car now swerving out of control, hitting a wall and rolling into a ditch somewhere with no calm-headed driver to prevent it from doing so.
“Pinball!”
Soushirou’s small metal ball clatters, tossed upwards and staying in motion. Narumi’s ball descends down in a super straight line while he screams bloody murder.
“Dance battle!”
At this rate, they’ve accumulated a small number of audience. They watch as both of them dance it off and they clap to the score of A+ popping up on Soushirou’s screen, the J-pop song they were dancing to blaring in the background.
Soushirou stares at the score of B- on Narumi’s screen, and slowly he looks at the fuming teenager in question.
“Narumi-san, could it be that you’re … bad at this?”
Head snapping to look at him, Narumi growls, advancing onto Soushirou who has both hands up in peace. “BAD? NO, I’M NOT! I’m just. Under the weather! Not feeling good, yea! I’m not bad at all!”
If Soushirou were in a somber mood, he would have reacted accordingly, which is to not push anymore buttons and stop the teasing. Unfortunately he’s rather on cloud nine now, soaking in the aftermath of his admittingly hard-earned victories and more importantly on just how well they are affecting Narumi’s whole schtick.
“If ya need any lessons on how to win, I can always teach you, Narumi-san.”
Narumi backs off, glaring at him. “I don’t need any help, bowl cut!” He turns away from him, declaring in a booming voice. “We only have enough for one more game. I’ll prove it to you that I don’t actually, really, absolutely need your help, alright?!”
Soushirou decides to nod for him to stop shouting. All the screaming will make him go deaf one day, but frankly they’re entertaining. Narumi grumbles underneath his breath, looking around for a game they can play.
From this angle, he can clearly see Narumi’s eyes underneath his bi-coloured fringe as they dart from machine to machine, accessing all of them before stopping on one. Following his contemplative gaze, Soushirou turns his head and his heart immediately stops upon finding out it’s a shooting game.
He waits for it, but Narumi doesn’t say anything. Risking a peek, Narumi is staring at the game - a standard 2 player zombie shooting one, and there’s a tiny scowl on the bridge of his nose, barely noticeable before his gaze moves away and it’s gone.
Narumi goes back to scouting the arcade and Soushirou who notices his former action - swallows, aware of his dry throat.
It’s no secret that he’s bad at firearms, a public knowledge that his relatives have always liked to mention again and again. Soushirou remembers his child self trying to hold a gun in his tiny hands, a wave of disappointment crushing him as he realised there was no affinity between him and this one weapon he could have shown his worth in. That doesn’t mean he didn’t try. He tried, only to fail over and over until he went back to his sword, his sole dependance up until a few days ago.
There’s something burning inside his body. Trying to distract himself, he takes a look around and speaks upon finding something that catches his eye.
“How about a claw game?”
The lines of claw machines beckon their attention in bright lights and various prized items. Having calmed down a bit, Narumi only huffs out an annoyed puff of air with no shouting involved. “Yea, we can do that.”
Shaking off the weird feeling, they walk side-by-side past the many colourful toys and items. From stuffed toys to anime figurines and much more, Soushirou is struck once again by nostalgia, vaguely remembering him and his brother trying their hardest to win a toy they desperately wanted. Narumi stops, pointing a finger. “That looks like you.”
Soushirou looks to where he is pointing; a pink-coloured stuffed toy cat with both eyes closed and a mocking smile at its seams. Its tail is like an inflated balloon with three yellow pins jutting out. The resemblance is surely there and he can’t help but laugh a bit at the comparison.
His gaze hardening at the sound, Narumi licks his lips as he slots in a token. “Settled. I’m going to claw that bitch out of the machine and pummel its face every single night without fail.”
A lady walking past them shoots a dirty glare, ushering her daughter quickly away from them.
Not even acknowledging the absolute stink eye he received, Narumi bends down, his hand carefully guiding the loose claw to where the stuffed toy is at. It’s in a tough position, cushioned between others and definitely requires a little digging. He adjusts the cursor, and after a few wiggles, slaps on the button.
They both watch with bated breath as the claw descends, grabbing the stuffed toy by its foot and bringing it up -
“Okay. Come on, come on - “
The claw moves to the drop out box -
“Just a little bit more - “
The loose claw jerks to a stop and as Narumi screams an excited “Yes!”, the stuffed toy slips and falls back into the mountain of toys, rolling down and getting stuck in a corner.
“NO!”
His face in his hands, Narumi wails. Soushirou watches everything unfold with pained amusement and unsurprisingly a huge amount of pity. He has a feeling saying the latter will only make Narumi sulk more into a deeper grave, so he doesn’t.
“That was my last token too …” He whines, holding onto the glass compartment for support.
The pity that Soushirou has on him has doubled at this sight. Sighing, he nudges him. “The claw is rigged. It’s no surprise you can’t get it.”
Narumi stops whining to make room for him. His expression when he faces him is one of utter hatred. “Easy for you to say, Mr-I-Win-At-Everything.”
“So ya admit that I’m better than ya?”
He vehemently denies so. “No! I bet you can’t even win this one! Ha!”
Slotting his final token, Soushirou shrugs, shooting him a playful smile. “We shall see about that.”
Honestly, Soushirou has never won a claw game before. The rigging aside, he had only played this a handful of times, more of a starry-eyed supporter back then while his brother tried to claw out any toy one of them wanted. He doesn’t have high hopes for this game. The taunting he would surely receive afterwards is fine too.
Moving the cursor to where the stuffed toy is at, he waits for the loose claw to swing in the opposite way before pressing the button.
The claw descends and somehow has miraculously hooked around the stuffed toy’s collar.
“The fuck - “ Comes Narumi’s very elegant comment.
Soushirou mentally says the same as the stuffed toy is dropped into the box, falling with a soft thump.
For one incredulous second, they turn to look at each other, sharing a prolonged disbelieved look. Then, Narumi shouts. “THIS IS SO NOT FAIR!”
Grabbing the stuffed toy, Soushirou folds one of its furry ears. It’s soft. Narumi continues to scream in frustration, beating himself as he rambles about injustice and superbly lucky bowl cut fox-eyed bastards. Staring at his stuffed toy lookalike, Soushirou mulls over his thoughts for a few seconds before handing it over to Narumi, who promptly stops causing a fuss to throw him a quizzical frown.
“Ya can have it.”
Scoffing, Narumi crosses his arms. “I don’t need your pity.”
“I ain’t giving ya that.” Soushirou smiles. “Consider this thanks for today.”
Dropping his stance, he asks. “Is that okay with you? It’s yours, you won it.”
“Yea.” The next sentence slips out on its own. “I had fun.”
Eyes widening, all pretense of his loss disappears as Narumi grins triumphantly. “Told you that you won’t regret it.” Taking the stuffed toy, he peers at it and grimaces. “This looks too much like you, Hoshina. I can imagine myself having nightmares sleeping with this.”
He bursts out a short laugh. “Wasn’t yer whole point of getting it to beat it up?”
“Even I’m not that sadistic, jeez.” Sighing, Narumi says. “I won’t beat up something this cute, get the hint will ya?”
Soushirou doesn’t register the question because his stupid brain has decided to laser focus on the word cute. As if that’s not enough, he comes to the realisation that Narumi had indirectly called him cute. He clams up, and suddenly his face is on fire before he knows it.
Being the stupid oblivious idiot he is, Narumi says. “You’re okay there. You look kinda red - “
“Shut yer trap.” Willing his face to cool down, Soushirou avoids any sort of eye contact with him as he regains his sanity back. “It’s getting stuffy in here.”
He’s not lying. Even with the air conditioning on, it’s starting to get a bit crowded in the crane machine pathway. A group of girls their age take most of it, chattering as they point at sparkly jewelry on display in one of the machines.
They both have a silent agreement to get out of the arcade. As soon as Soushirou steps out, he welcomes the fresh air, surprised to see that it’s nearly approaching sunset, the bright blue of the sky dimming and intermingling with shades of orange. They had spent that long playing? It’s unusual for him to lose track of time like this.
Putting the stuffed toy in the bike’s basket, Narumi walks with him to the nearest bus station, bringing his bike with him. Soushirou would have expected him to break the comfortable silence they’re in, but he surprisingly does nothing. They enjoy their walk with no quips exchanged.
Reaching the station, Soushirou turns around, addressing it one more time. “Thanks again for bringing me here, Narumi-san.”
Narumi scratches his chin, seeming uncomfortable with the gratitude. “Don’t mention it, bowl cut.”
“I shall see ya tomorrow then. If ya show up to work, that is.”
“Kaburagi will kick my ass if I don’t.”
The bus is not here yet, Soushirou takes it as an opportunity to ask one of the questions he has in mind. “What’s yer relationship with Kaburagi-san?”
Leaning on his bike, he nonchalantly answers. “He’s the uncle of a caretaker at the orphanage I’m in. Offered to help me get a summer job.”
There’s no emotion to his voice. Before Soushirou can fully contemplate it, his bus has arrived, the door automatically opening to let the passengers out.
Soushirou boards the bus, taking a seat near the window. As it begins to move, he spots Narumi watching him, still there with his bike and stuffed toy in tow. He has reverted back to his bored expression and Soushirou can’t help but smile, feeling himself oddly endeared at the sight.
Soushirou goes through the next few days with various books, polishing up his kaiju knowledge and doing his summer assignments. A sharp mind begets a sharp body after all. He fills his free time by stroking down calligraphy and writing down haikus, chasing away any anxious thoughts regarding the sword.
Today, he has decided to tend to a bonsai tree. Nipping a thin branch, he brushes it as he soaks in the heat of the terrace. The plant is thriving, gnarled roots and knots he distangles with gentle fingers. Soushirou trims it with precision, mindful of the artistic image he has in mind.
Hearing the door sliding open, he peeks behind him, spotting Narumi standing there.
This is the first time in the past few days that they’ve ever seen each other. Soushirou was not actively seeking him out, but it was difficult not to notice the lacking presence of the other, which led him to assume that Narumi was coerced to actually work under Kaburagi-san’s watchful gaze. He believes so.
Narumi stares at him for a few seconds before trudging in, closing the door and plopping down to sit a meter away from him. Soushirou waits for him to speak, but Narumi chooses not to verbally acknowledge anything, bringing out his gameboy and booting it up.
Going back to the bonsai tree, he poises the pliers carefully and cuts a protruding branch with a quiet snip, Narumi’s gameboy joining in with its chiming and beeping sounds. The silence takes on a comfortable form as they don’t exchange any words, only Soushirou’s occasional snipping and Narumi’s aggressive jabs on his gameplay present.
Narumi curses underneath his breath, prompting Soushirou to turn and look at him, catching him slumping his body down with a sigh.
He had realised it back then, but he carries eyebags that are seemingly permanent. This time, they appear far more darker, purplish bruises that droop and suck out any healthiness in his skin. Soushirou won’t call him out for those because he understands the struggles of having a good sleep, but the worrisome black right eye has him stopping his bonsai trimming in concern.
“Do ya need ice for that?”
Narumi grunts tiredly, saying exactly nothing as he stares into the ceiling.
Soushirou contemplates leaving him on his own, not wanting to entertain someone who obviously doesn’t want any help. However, he catches the way Narumi is forcing himself and he has a feeling there is more than one untreated injury on his body at the moment.
Setting aside the pliers, he stands up and exits the terrace, heading towards a nearby room with an icebox. After wrapping some ice in his handkerchief, he grabs a first-aid kit before turning back.
Narumi is still lying on the floor, although his gaze immediately shifts to Soushirou as he sits beside him. He stares at the held-out clothed ice with an unreadable expression. It takes him too long that the ice cubes are starting to melt. Just as Soushirou’s ready to shove it, Narumi takes it.
He presses it on top of his bruised eye, and the relief is instantaneous as his limbs loosen.
Soushirou gives him some time to sooth it before he digs a hand into his shoulder. “Get up.”
Narumi shoots him a glare, albeit it being weak with only one eye and very exhausted at that, looking more like a frazzled kitten than anything. He reluctantly sits up and Soushirou refrains a wince from his bad posture.
Pinching his shirt between his fingers, he states. “Take this off.”
The apathetic mood Narumi’s in shatters at that. “Huh?!” His mouth gapes open as Soushirou tries to yank the shirt up. “Wh - What are you - “
“Get it off, Narumi-san.” Soushirou cuts through his stuttering. “Don’t make me say it again.”
Narumi must have heard the seriousness in his tone as he stops struggling. “I’ll do it on my own, jeez.” Giving one last disbelieved glance at him, cheeks pink, he takes off his shirt in one swift motion.
Soushirou sucks in a sharp breath at the showcase of bruises on his back. They’re nasty, recent blues and healing yellows, more colours between them painting the space between his shoulder blades and more on his skin. No skin is left unblemished. He hasn’t realised he has been mapping them out with his fingers until Narumi lets out an involuntary shudder.
There’s a sickening feeling in his guts, which quickly morphes to anger so quickly it terrifies him. “Who did this to ya?”
Narumi doesn’t answer immediately. Annoyed, Soushirou presses on. “Ya better tell me who -”
“Kids at the orphanage.” Narumi interrupts, shutting him up. “They were annoying so I started a fight. This is pretty normal for us orphans, don’t act so shocked now, Hoshina.”
Biting his lips, Soushirou swallows the retort down his throat. Arguing here won’t bring any result whatsoever and he knows it best, so he hesitantly lets the topic go.
Opening the kit, he grabs the arnica cream he often uses whenever he bruises from training. He slathers it gently on the spots of bruises littering Narumi’s back, trying his hardest not to ponder too much if this specific bruise was gotten from a punch or a kick or something even worse. In a somber mood, he really has no inclination to talk and Narumi surely knows that, yet he still decides to open his mouth.
“What were you doing?”
“Tending to some bonsai.”
“Yeah, I can see that. I mean, what were you doing these past few days?”
Soushirou dips his finger in. “Did some reading.”
“That’s it?”
“I wrote some haikus. Wanna take a look?”
Narumi stiffens underneath his hand, back muscles rippling. Soushirou leans away to grab some of the papers littered around the bonsai trees, handing them to Narumi.
He is quiet when he’s reading them. If it was not for the slight dip of his head, Soushirou would have assumed he had zoned out. While he’s engrossed in it, Soushirou has finished treating his final bruise, a small purplish balm nestled near his sacrum. He is locking the kit when Narumi comments, gruff but genuine.
“These are okay.”
Soushirou’s heart warms up a bit, knowing by now that those words are satisfactory in Narumi’s language. “Thanks.”
Narumi hums. As he moves, Soushirou’s eyes can’t help but track the shifting of his vertebra. He has a keen eye as a result of always looking out for his own figure, so he inevitably notices the fact that despite the bruises decorating the expanse of Narumi’s firm back, Narumi is undeniably physically active.
It’s not the normal physically active Soushirou has seen in others’ physiques, where it’s unbuilt muscles and leanness. This one Narumi has is one of dedication and discipline; two words that do not fit the image of the teenager Soushirou has in mind - especially when he’s always caught him slacking or lazing around.
He’s not built as someone dedicated to the craft due to a few weight misplacements, meaning it’s more likely he had performed harsh physical activities in the past and just recently quit or decided to tone it down for unspoken reasons. Soushirou remembers the feeling of his strong arms when they fell down at their first encounter, catching on to the fast reflexes Narumi had shown when he twisted to cushion Soushirou’s landing.
Curious, Soushirou can’t help but ask. “Didcha do any sports back then?”
“Why are you asking?”
Not wanting him to know that Soushirou’s checking him out because he definitely wasn’t, he answers. “Wonder if ya can even beat up those kids with how deadbeat lazy you are.”
Narumi snaps. “I beat them, okay?! And for your information, I did some martial arts in the past. They were mandatory.”
“Mandatory?” Soushirou quips.
He tosses him a bewildered look. “It’s mandatory now for everyone in school to take any form of martial arts.”
Oh, he doesn’t know that. Narumi voices the same. “You don’t know?”
“I’m homeschooled. I learned everything that is necessary. Well, amuse me, what did y’all have?”
“All schools I went to have the same options; kendo, judo and karate. I took judo by the way.”
Soushirou pictures it, Narumi in a judo uniform tackling his opponent to the ground. Surprisingly, the image amuses him, imagining a feline hunting down a bird for dinner. He snorts, causing Narumi to shoot him a glare.
“What’s amusing, huh?”
Shaking his head, he bats the image away. “Nothin’. Y’know, we can go up for a spar sometime when yer all fine and dandy. I don’t want to beat yer ass when yer down in the ditch.”
“What?! I will wipe the floor with you, bowl cut! Doesn’t matter if I’m not fine or some shit - MMPF!!!!!”
His hand over his mouth, Narumi’s scream comes out strangled. Soushirou grins. “Don’t get all mouthy now. A sick patient needs their rest.”
Narumi halts struggling, Soushirou would have expected it to be because of his achy muscles if it were not for the sudden mischievous glint twinkling in those magenta eyes. The next thing he knows, his hand is licked roughly.
Yelping, Soushirou wrenches his hand away and wipes the saliva on Narumi’s crumpled shirt. He chortles. “What are ya? Twelve?!”
Narumi makes a gagging face. His tongue out, he exclaims. “Yer hand tastes like shit!”
“Duh, genius. I just put some cream on you - “ Soushirou stops mid-sentence as Narumi licks a stripe up his elbow.
Pink tongue in sight, it drags from the front of his elbow to his wrist. His pecs shifting, Narumi licks his lips, chapped and crumbly. “Ugh. I never want to know what medicinal cream tastes like.”
Soushirou tears his gaze away, too aware of the indecency happening in front of him. He busies himself by turning back to his bonsai plant, trying to be as inconspicuous as he can be while ignoring Narumi’s ever piercing stare at his sudden silence.
“Ya should rest.” Soushirou says when he can’t take it anymore. “Get an off day tomorrow. Kaburagi-san won’t mind.”
“So eager to chase me away, aren’t you?” Narumi remarks casually, unaware of Soushirou’s heart thumping loudly at that. “I have a better idea. Go out with me tomorrow.”
His heart thumping again, Soushirou says. “Sorry?”
Narumi blows out a huge huff of air. “Go out with me tomorrow. We went to the arcade last time, right? Let’s go somewhere else … I dunno, you have any interesting places in mind about this city?”
It takes Soushirou an embarrassing amount of time to answer. Despite knowing the places on top of his head, he feels almost reluctant sharing them, not used to letting people pry into his thoughts. Narumi’s relentlessness has him answering truthfully.
“There is this cafe that sells the best pastries in town. And we have a tourist street with lots of interesting bookstores - I mean shops, and if ya don’t want to sightsee, we can go to a waterfall or hot springs nearby. Oh! There is also a temple here commemorating fer kaiju soldiers like they have i’ Tokyo but the one there doesn’t have a museum like here. They have a blade segment and the swords there are pretty mighty and, and, also there is a - “
He shuts his mouth, belatedly realising he was rambling. Flustered, he stops talking. Moreso at the fact that he had essentially agreed to the trip.
“No, no. Continue talking. That was impressive.” Narumi crows, grinning cat-like.
Soushirou doesn’t give him the satisfaction of replying to that. He refuses to look at any strand of his two-toned hair or the distracting muscles on display - Soushirou refuses.
It mortifies him that his effort has not gone unnoticed as Narumi enters his view once again, sliding towards him with a fully egotistical smirk plastered on his face. For a split second, he panics at the thought of being caught staring, dying a little inside if Narumi ever decides to voice it out.
Thankfully, it’s none of that as Narumi interjects. “Don’t think we have enough time to do all that tomorrow.” He sounds thoughtful for once and that certainly doesn’t cause Soushirou’s heart to flip inside his chest. “Just get ready for anything. Don’t leave me hanging, bowl cut.”
“Would never wish to.” He hopes his tone is as flippant as it comes out, because his insides are certainly not. They twist in a pleasant way, nerves bubbling and Soushirou really, really doesn’t want to pack out what these feelings mean. They bubble to the surface when Narumi hoists his arms up, the sunlight hitting on his skin and glistening, causing Soushirou’s throat to dry at the sight of delectable skin and the stretch of his back.
Pitifully, Soushirou’s insides die a little bit more.
Soushirou has no time to unpack his emotions, so he has found a solution to it. He just doesn’t.
Over the upcoming course of the month, he catches himself on frequent outings with Narumi, aiding him in skipping his work and while he did feel bad the first few times, he had gotten used to the exasperation as they pedaled away on Narumi’s rusty bike, letting the breeze carry all his anxious thoughts festering inside him far, far away.
They skip from place to place, somehow visiting even places Soushirou as a native resident has never been to, uncovering excitement and chasing the thrill of it. These times are when Soushirou feels free, unburdened as the taste of summer itself as he forgets his duties and troubles, merely finding himself enjoying summer days toiling away with one unpredictable accomplice.
Narumi is a fortunate person in his unfortunate schemes, leading him to waddle through the deep trenches they’re in and seek out the treasure on the other side. It leaves his tongue with a tingling aftertaste, made worse by the dry hot air and muddling thoughts buzzing inside his head as feelings and knowledge clash when he can’t help but learn more about the supposed person Narumi Gen is.
At the cafe as Soushirou devoured his mont blanc while Narumi opposite of him indulged in a vanilla parfait with tiny bites. Their legs bumped into each other as they shared a table too small for two growing male teenagers, involuntarily noticing that they both also shared a sweet tooth and of course Narumi had to make a competition out of it. They ate too many pastries that they suffered from a sugar rush, nauseated and leaning against each other.
At an abandoned school rumoured to be haunted, when they climbed the metal fence and explored the dilapidated building with false bravado and dim flashlights - only to get falsely scared by a huge rat with too sharp teeth and beady glowy eyes. Soushirou himself was scared to the bone and was surprised to learn that Narumi was not, merely clicking his tongue and shooing the rat away. Not a false pretense as he remained impassive in the next round of spooky horrors and he didn’t call Soushirou out when he gripped the end of his shirt, who was hiding behind him all the way.
At the beach as they tasted heady salt on their tongues. Soushirou had shoved Narumi into the shallow water, laughing as he sputtered and screeched. Narumi retaliated by yanking him down by the ankle, and they spent an inappropriate amount of time splashing water on each other and just playing chase, stopping momentarily to join hands in building a Himeji sandcastle. Narumi trash talked the kiddy’s sandcastles, having Soushirou needing to suppress his giggle at every lengthy commentary of a 5 year-old’s incompetence when it comes to shaping a turret.
At the temple honouring kaiju warriors; Soushirou clasped his hands to pray and sought guidance and while Narumi surely didn’t have to, he still clasped his hands and bowed down beside him, giving out his own prayers. They prayed in silence and Soushirou was not able to see Narumi’s expression throughout it, but even he could see the sincerity he’s giving out in his talk to the gods.
There are more. With each second Soushirou spends in Narumi’s presence, he forgets all his troubles and learns how it feels to reconnect with someone of his own will. There is no social status he has to worry about when Narumi has disregarded it since day one. No barrier between them when Narumi mixes in their lives together, fueled by his rebellious spirit and igniting a spark inside Soushirou’s own soul. When they are together, Soushirou is not Hoshina Soushirou; striving to be better each day, overshadowed by his brother and wishing a seemingly impossible dream. Instead, he is simply Soushirou; a sixteen year old who is enjoying his summer to the fullest for the first time in many years.
Maybe he has been too carefree, as fate has deigned it acceptable to remind him of reality. That it’ll crush his hopes and dreams. That Soushirou will never escape from.