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“Onii-chan! Can we go, please! It’s right there! I just want to play at the park! It will be so much fun and it will only take a few minutes!” Taka gives his brother puppy eyes. He really wanted to go to that park. It had the tallest trees from his view and a playground to do whatever he wanted. And since there weren’t a lot of people there he could be discreet in climbing the trees.
Hayato sighed at his brother’s attempt to persuade him. But the park was empty and he knew Taka would get bored quickly with nobody to play with. He’d give it ten minutes’ tops before Taka would come crawling back to go home. “Whatever, be quick though, I want to get home.”
“Yay!” Taka discarded his backpack near his brother and ran towards the park. Joy bursting in his heart at the chance to practice climbing and impressing his Onii-chan.
But to impress people, you needed them not to know about it. So he first started off on the slides and the monkey bars, pretending that he was going to stay there for a while.
Hayato stared at his brother in boredom when his phone started to ring. He looked at the caller and noticed it was one of his baseball buddies who somehow got his number. Hayato turned away from his brother to hide the conversation. “What?” He scowled.
Taka could see that his brother wasn’t watching and immediately walked swiftly to a tall tree. Its branch was a little thin but they were long and close enough to catch. He huffed in determination and started to climb.
“Yo, Kamitani! We’re going to this party later and was wondering if you wanted to come?”
“No.” And he hung up until he got another call from Ryuuichi. “Hello?” His tone softer but still a little angry at no piece and quiet.
“Oh, hi Hayato!” His sweet and high pitched voice filled the audio. “I was wondering if you guys made it home! I know you guys stayed late at the daycare because of your baseball practice but I think it’s over, right?”
“Yeah, we left but now we’re at a park because—”
“AHHHHHHH!” A loud scream followed by a thud hit the ground like a vibration.
Taka had climbed to high and fast that he missed a branch and started dangling from the one above him. But of course, they were thin branches and couldn’t hold a 50-pound kid. Thus, it had snapped and he fell down. His head hitting the ground too hard.
Hayato whipped his head in the direction of the scream and started sprinting. Scared that his brother was kidnapped or worse, assaulted by some pedophile.
But what lay before him was horrifying. Taka was lying unconscious with a drops of blood leaking out of the back of his head.
“Taka!” He screamed. Hayato collapsed to his knees as he held his brother. Trying to gently shake him awake and stop the blood from leaking out. “Shit!” He unlocked his phone and called his mom first.
“Mom!” Hayato yelled as soon as she picked up. “Taka is in trouble and I’m taking him to the nearest hospital. Please hurry!” He hung up before she could say anything and dialed the emergency number.
“What’s your emergency?”
“I need an ambulance. My brother is bleeding and he’s unconscious, please hurry!” Hayato was full on crying now. And he never cried or screamed in angry. He told the operator his location and waited while he was hold.
“Taka, come on, wake up.” He was rocking him. “Please, I’ll do anything! I’ll give you attention, I’ll tell you I love you! Just wake up!”
Taka’s eyes started to flutter slowly and open a little bit like he was in a daze. “Nii-chan?” He whispered.
Hayato gasped and held him a tight hug. “Stay awake for me, okay? Just stay awake, that’s all I need.” He kept on crying.
The ambulance’s sirens were coming closer and closer as Taka tried to keep himself awake.
“Onii-chan…it’s hurts…” Taka whispered. “Am I gonna die?”
“Are you stupid?!” Hayato was going in for a smack to his little brother’s but stopped and just lay it on his stomach. “Don’t say stuff like that, it’s not funny. You won’t die.”
“We’re here.” A paramedic starting calling and running to the two boys. Hayato handed over his baby brother to the medic. The paramedic checked to make sure his neck and head were not broken or misaligned in any. “So tell me what happened?”
“I-I w-was o-on a c-call w-with a friend a-and—”
“Sir, you’re stuttering please try to take deep breaths and start again. If you keep stuttering I’m going to keep asking you to take a deep breath.”
“R-right…umm…I was on a call with my friend and I had turned my back from him and then I heard him scream. So I rushed to him and found him lying next to a tree.”
“Hmm…” He nodded his head. “Well, did you call your parents?”
“Yes!”
“Good, because we are going to take him there for a check up just in case.” He cradles the little boy in his arms since the stretcher is too big for him. “Would you like to come with?” The medic tilts his head towards the ambulance.
“Yes!”
…
“Hayato! Hayato!” A mother half scream half uses her regular voice in the hospital.
“Ma’am, please calm down. There are other people here who don’t like a lot of noise.” The nurse at the counter consoles the woman.
“R-right, can you help me find my son, his name is—”
“Mom!” A boy screamed to the woman.
“Indoor voices please.” The nurse reminded again.
The mom whipped her head at the oldest before crushing him in a bear hug. “Where’s Taka? What happened? Is his okay?”
“Y-yeah, his room is this way. I’ll explain later.” Hayato leads his mom to a small room where Taka is being finished wrapping his head with gauze.
“Mom!” Taka starts to reach forward but the doctor holds him back on the bed. “Not yet, young one.”
“I’m not young, I’m a hero! I want to see my mom!”
“Right, just after I make sure, this gauze is put on correctly.” The doctor finishes the last tugs and then steps aside for Shizuka and Hayato to hug Taka.
They run up to him and Hayato for the first time, clutches him close and kisses his head. “Y-you little stupid brat! How could you do that?” Hayato was crying now. “Don’t pull that shit ever again!”
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Shizuka soothes. “But you boys are both going to be in trouble.” She steps away from Taka and beckons Hayato to walk with her.
“I’ll be right back sweetie,” Shizuku talks to Taka. “why don’t you rest on the bed?” She suggests.
“But I already, slept!” He kicks up his feet in frustration.
Shizuka had a plan B of course. A mother never forgets to have a backup plan for the backup plan. “Well, I did bring sword but since you don’t want to rest maybe I won’t give it to you…”
Taka’s eyes widen, “Nononononono! I want I want I want it! Gimme!” His hands grasping at open air.
“Say please and lie on the bed…” Mom reminds.
Taka immediately laid down and waiting eagerly at Shizuka. His eyes sparkling when she slowing took out the sword. “Mom!” His impatience had run out.
She smiled and handed him the sword. “Stay on the bed, do not move. Your brother and I will have a talk outside, and if you’re good, I might give you a candy~” she sings songs.
Taka nods his head quickly before swinging the air with his sword, while lying awkwardly on his bed.
Shizuka is back to serious mode when she and her son are outside his room with the door closed. “What happened?” Her arms crossed. “It’s very strange how you could let Taka climb a tree without supervision when I know you are very responsible.”
“Umm…I wasn’t watching him because I was on a call with a Ryuuchi and another annoying baseball teammate of mine and I turned away from him so he wouldn’t hear what I was talking about. I didn’t think he would climb a tree and then I heard him scream so I ran to him and by the time I found him, he was on the ground unconscious.”
Shizuka sighs, “Next time, please be mindful that this is—as you know—Taka who is a magnet for being stubborn, misbehaving, loud, attention seeker—” She was counting off her fingers.
“Yes I know mom…” Hayato bows his head.
“Hayato, I’m not mad. A lot of parents go through this phase, even I went through this phase.” She rubs his shoulder comfortably.
“I should’ve watched him more; I shouldn’t have turned my back from him! What if he had gotten kidnapped or killed—”
“Woah, woah, woah…slow down son, it’s over, there was nothing you can do now, it’s all in the past.” Mom patted her son’s shoulder and gave him a hug.
“I’ll remember in the future. I’ll protect him from now on.” Hayato turns his head to Taka while resting his cheek on his mom’s shoulder.
Taka was playing thoughtlessly, without a care in the world except the fact that there was a gauze, covered his cute face. The mistake that Hayato couldn’t prevent.
…
“Onii-chan!” Taka had run up to his older brother with open arms and crushed himself in a big hug. Because of the accident, Hayato decided to treasure every little affection Taka would give. He would still discipline him but it would be with words instead of hitting him on the head.
“Hello, Taka.” Hayato clung on to him and caressed his head with the bandage still on. He scowled at the mark it has left on his baby brother.
Change the bandage every day and monitor if he ever feels tired on dizzy. If he feels sick or has any headaches, come back to us immediately.
“Hello, Hayato! What are you doing here so early?” Ryuuichi is puzzled. He thought that Hayato would spend some time practicing baseball or avoid picking his brother up because he didn’t want to deal with Taka’s screaming or clinginess.
“I’m here to pick up my brother.” Hayato said with his bored expression.
“So early?”
“Hayato! Pay attention to me! Look what I did!” Taka showed Hayato another drawing he made about a red ranger.
“It looks good, Taka.” Hayato made an awkward smile.
Ryuuichi’s eyes widened at the face and the words that came out of his friend’s mouth. “Hayato, can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Sure…” Hayato lightly pushed Taka to his friends and Usaida.
Once outside, the kind boy asks, “Are you okay? You seem…different.” He didn’t know how to explain it, but there was no way that his friend is acting this loving. It’s like an alien possessed him.
“What do you mean?” Taka started yelling in the daycare classroom. Hayato suddenly turned to look at his brother, but relax when it was just Taka being angry at Kirin.
Ryuuchi caught that. “Hayato, I don’t think you’re okay. How are you feeling from Taka’s…incident? We should talk about how it can be…traumatizing to see your brother—”
“I’m fine, Ryuuichi. Nothing to worry about. Just a scare, that’s all.”
“I don’t think you’re fine.” His friend whines. “I think you’re more protective over him now. And that’s not a bad thing! Don’t worry!” Ryuuchi waved his hands in surrender. “I just don’t want this to affect you
“But I don’t want to know that for future reference.” He growled. “It should’ve never happened in the first place. I should’ve never picked up that call with you or my classmate and turned away. I should’ve never even let him to go near that tree or the park!”
“And it’s okay to know that, Hayato. But it’s in the past! I get worried all the time because of Kotaro after my parents died and it was a heavy weight on my shoulders. But I can’t be there all the time to protect him from all the dangers.”
“I’m fine.” Hayato says more firmly. Like he wanted to get this conversation over with.
“Hayato,” He places his hands on Hayato’s shoulders. “I’m here to help you. I’m worried that Taka’s fall has affected you.”
“No!” Taka protested, while trying to wrestle Kirin for the sword. Hayato jumped lightly again.
“Okay…if you say so…” Ryuuchi goes back inside and calls Taka. “Time to go home now!~”
“Coming!” Taka stopped his tug of war with Kirin and waved at Kotaro. “Bye Kotaro!”
The loud boy trotted over to his big brother and gave him a big hug. He noticed how strange Hayato was starting to act. He no longer hit him on the head and would give him everything he wanted. He got two new figurines of Red ranger in his collection now and they were expensive. Hayato even started to accept hugs and night cuddles when he felt lonely.
To be honest, Taka was just eating it up. Not caring whether or not it was because Hayato was scared he would disspear.
But there were times when Taka wasn’t allowed to do things. More protective, he thinks. For example, he couldn’t go to parks anymore and if he did, he wasn’t allowed to go to higher than Hayato’s height. Or play on the trees either.
“Oh! Hayato! Hayato!” Taka pulled the pants of his older brother’s uniform. “Can I play at this park again? I promise I’ll be careful! You can stay by my side the whole time!”
Hayato looked at the park and rolled his eyes. A “Yes” on the tip of his tongue until he remembered the moment his brother got hurt. The blood that seeped through his precious head. What if it was more? What if it was impaled? What if this injury will forever impair his life?
“No.” Hayato says sternly and picks up his brother. Knowing there’s going to be a tantrum coming up.
“But why?!” Taka whines, thumping his fists on his back. “Let me! Let me! I got hurt, remember! This should be my treat!”
“That’s exactly why we shouldn’t go to the park. Because you got hurt!” Hayato squeeze Taka even tighter and pats his back like a baby. “Let’s go home.”
Taka was relcutinalty to comply but he was also in the warmth of his brothers arms so he just settles as a “Hold You”. (This is what I call it when a person picks up a child in a straddle. I’m not sure if there is another term but this is what I was taught.)
Taka thought it was only a one time thing, but then it became a repetition. A daily reminder.
Whenever Taka wanted to reach for his toys, Hayato was already a step ahead of him and brought it down to him.
When Taka was looking at a bug and wanted to touch it, Hayato would take him away and make an excuse saying, ‘it could be poisonous.”
Even to the washroom, Hayato had follow because he was worried Taka would slip on the wet floor and bang his head on the ground with a pool of blood coming out. Quite specific if you ask me.
Don’t get Taka wrong though. He loves the new attention that he didn’t have before and the affection given to him on a silver platter.
Never in a million years would Taka think he would get to see this sweet side so soon.
…
“Ahhh!”
Hayato woke up with a start. His heart thumping in his chest and his ears. He gripped his sweaty shirt and tried to calm down his breathing.
Another bad dream with Taka following and getting hurt. Sometimes it would just be Taka getting hurt whenever and it was making Hayato have a hard time sleeping.
Hayato got up to take a piss and grab a glass of water in the kitchen. Gulping down the fluid quickly and taking off his sweaty shirt to change.
But he peered into his little brother’s room to find him snoring softly and his limps splayed out everywhere. He smiled and creeped in quietly. Not wanting to wake his slumber and kneeled near the bed.
“I’m sorry for not protecting you well. I’m sorry that I neglect you when you want attention and love. I’m sorry hitting your head multiply times when I get angry with you.” Hayato ruffles his hair softly and leaves the room.
Not knowing that his little brother was awake the whole time.
…
“And that’s how the bunny found his way home.” Ryuuichi closed his book and smiled at all the children who were huddled closely.
“Read it again!” Kirin starting jumping up and down in joy. “I love that story!”
“But we’ve read it three times already, Kirin.” Ryuuichi whined. He could probably memorize that story by now.
He looked at all the children and realized that one of them was missing. Ryuuichi scanned the room and found Taka playing with the stuffed toys in the corner by himself. But his voice or demeanor didn’t have that same joyful and full of energy vibe.
“Usaida,” Ryuuichi beckoned the caretaker over, who just finished changing Sawatari’s diaper. “Can you watch over the children for a sec?”
Usaida’s eyebrows scrunched up. “Why? Is something wrong with them? Are they not behaving properly?” He gave the children a look.
“No…I just have to talk to someone.” Ryuuichi gestures to Taka and starts walking over to him.
He could hear Usaida muttering softly to the children and making the stuffed toys pretend to talk to each other.
“Hello, Taka!” Taka flinched and stuttered.
“H-hello, Ryuuichi.” He looked away like he didn’t want to talk or was guilty for knowing something.
But Ryuuichi knew a secret couldn’t always be kept. He had to tell someone. “What are you playing?”
Taka shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing.”
“What’s wrong, Taka? You’re usually very vocal and energetic but I’m not getting any vibes from that guy today?”
He shrugged again.
“Did Hayato do something again?” Ryuuichi prodded more.
Taka flinched again. Ryuuichi squinted his eyes. There was definitely something that Hayato did. “What did he do? Did he neglect you again? Did he hit you?”
Taka shook his head.
“Did he not play Red Ranger with you?”
Taka shook his head.
“Then what did he do?” Ryuuichi was confused now. Those were usually the things that got Taka quiet and upset at and he would come to daycare all sulky and upset. Even put himself in a corner to be away from everyone when deep down he wanted someone to come up to him and ask if he was okay.
“He was acting really weird last night.” Taka finally dropped the toys but still fiddled with his thumbs. “I think he was crying.”
Ryuuichi was in shock. Never in his life would he ever think that Hayato would be crying. It must’ve been something bad though. “Why was he crying?”
Taka shrugged nonchalantly. “He said something about “not protecting me well”, “he neglects me when I want attention” and “He’s sorry for hitting my head multiply times when I get him angry”.
Ryuuichi didn’t say something after that. He kind of sat there frozen while Taka continued to pet the stuffed toys.
Two minutes went by…
“You think they’re okay?” Kirin whispered to her classmates. “Do you think he’s possessed by something? I can make a potion or something.”
Everyone was looking at Ryuuichi and Taka when they heard absolute silence.
“I think they’re fine.” Usaida whispered back, trying to play along. Just let them figure it out.” Usaida starts to wave at Ryuuichi, “Heyyo! Ryuuichi, earth to Ryuuichi!”
Ryuuichi snaps out of his daze. “Hmm? What? Oh, you need help?” He prepares to get up but Usaida waves him down.
“No, no. Just wondering if you were okay? The little children here are getting a worried.” Usaida ruffles Kotaro’s head.
“Right…umm…just give me one more minute with Taka.” He turns to Taka and finds him even farther away than before. Now with stuffed toys surrounding him like a barricade. “What are you doing, Taka?”
“Did I do something wrong, Ryuuichi? Why is Onii-chan acting weird?” Taka was feelings insecure.
“Well, Taka,” Ryuuichi tears down the barricade and sits beside Taka. “I think your brother felt really sad and scared when you fell from that tree.”
“Well, it wasn’t my fault that the branch broke.” Taka pouts angrily.
“But it was your fault when you climbed it, knowing that Hayato doesn’t like you doing that.” Ryuuichi reprimanded.
“Hmph!” Taka crosses his arms and has a frown on his face.
Ryuuichi sighs. “He blames himself, Taka.”
Taka perks up. “He blames himself? Why?”
“Because he couldn’t protect.” Ryuuichi smiles sadly. “I know he doesn’t show affection but I know he loves you. Well, cares about you to be exact. He thinks that you falling was his fault because he could’ve caught you.”
“But I purposely didn’t want him to see!” Taka protests. “It’s not his fault!” Tears were at the corners of his eyes. He didn’t like his Onii-chan feeling sad.
“Why don’t you tell him that? Do you care about his feelings?”
“Of course I do!” Taka sprung up from his seat.
“Then why don’t we go tell him together?” Ryuuichi got up from his seat and gave Taka his hand.
“Hmm!” Taka gripped Ryuuichi’s hand and started walking quickly to his Onii-chan’s class. Ryuuici slouches a bit to make up the slight difference in height.
They approuach the classroom with the teacher ending the class with, “So your homework is—”
“Onii-chan!” Taka screams from the doorway.
Heads whip at him and see the small boy. Everyone knew it was Hayato’s brother.
“Taka, you didn’t have to do that!” Ryuuichi whines. He would have preferred if Taka knocked at the door instead of disturbing the class.
“Taka!? What the hell are you doing here?! Are you hurt?!” Hayato springs from his seat but Taka barges into the room and tackles him back to his seat.
“Oof!” Hayato feels a death killing hug in his midsection and his little brother look at him with bright eyes.
“I’m okay, Onii-chan! You don’t have to worry about me anymore!” Taka climbs up on Hayato’s lap and start to snuggle tightly in the crook of his neck like a koala bear. “Thank you for caring about me when I fell. I promise I won’t do it again!”
Hayato’s eyes widen and tear up. Emotions are hard for him to show but his brother is always there to light the fire. “Idiot.” Hayato hugs Taka back and you could hear a bunch of ‘awws’ in the room.
“Kamitanis, can you take your conversation outside?” The teacher was not fazed by the interaction. She just wanted her day to be over. She wanted to make a difference to the children but all she wants is a paycheck.
“Right! Sorry, Sensei.” Hayato picked up Taka and saw all the classmates with big fat smiles on there faces. It’s not every day you see Hayato being affectionate with his brother.
They step outside and Hayato lightly flicks Taka’s head. “You couldn’t have come afterschool, idiot?” Hayato looked mad but he clearly was happy to see his little brother okay.
“Nope! Ryuuichi wanted me to come see you now.” Taka just threw Ryuuichi under the bus.
“Oh really?” Hayato blinked at Ryuuichi. “Is that so, Ryuuichi?”
“I think you should have a talk with your brother, Hayato. I am your friend who cares about your wellbeing.” Ryuuichi leaves with a smile on his face and hand behind his back like an elderly man.
“What do you want to talk about, Taka?”
Taka twiddles his thumbs. “I heard you last night in my room. It sounded like you were sad. And Ryuuichi told me what he thinks you’re feeling.” He looks up at him with determination. “It’s not your fault, Onii-chan! It was never your fault!”
Hayato blushes. “You heard me?”
“Mn! Not on purpose though. It’s because I heard a scream from your room and then went back to sleep. But then there was footsteps and I felt a hand on my head.”
“Of course you did.” Hayato smooths down his little brother’s hair.
“Onii-chan, I know it was bad of me to climb that tree. I just wanted to impress you. You don’t give me much affection and when you did, I wanted to stay like that forever.” Little tears were collecting on the corners of Taka’s eyes.
Hayato hugs Taka tightly and they both cry silently. Except Taka who full on balls with passerby’s looking at them strangely.
…
“Ready to go home now, Taka?” Hayato stands at the doorway with a bag slung across his body.
“Yeah!” Taka hugs Kotaro who is startled by the affection and slowly returns it. “Bye Kotaro!” He trots off to his brother and holds his hand.
But Hayato gingerly picks him up like “Hold You”. “Let’s go home, Taka.”
And so, they walk home but stop at the park. “Let’s play on the monkey bars, Hayato!” Taka points.
Hayato rolls his eyes but drops his stuff on the bench and they both run about to the Monkey Bars. The older brother picks up Taka to grab the bars and Hayato stays under him with hands around his torso just in case. He helps Taka move from one bar to the next, like a superhero.
After Taka is at the end, he lets go and Hayato cups his brother's armpits. “I did it!” He makes a superhero move.
“Good job, Taka.” Hayato turns his brother to face him and they hug each other.
“I love you, Onii-chan.” Taka mumbles into the shoulder of Hayato.
“I…love you too.” Hayato responds back
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