Chapter 1: A Prologue
Chapter Text
Toshio: Apart from back deep in the mountains, almost everything you see here is the work of a farmer.
Taeko: The river?
Toshio: A dam.
Taeko: And those woods?
Toshio: Planted.
Taeko: And the stream?
Toshio: Dug. Irrigation. It’s not just the paddies and the fields. Everything has been touched by man. Our ancestors cleared this, cultivated that. Encouraged mushrooms, berries, wild garlic. This scenery’s come about by lucky accident as people have struggled with nature to get what they needed to survive.
Taeko: So without people, this scenery wouldn’t have been here?
Toshio: No, it wouldn’t have. To get what they need from nature, farmers have to do a lot of different things to make sure that nature will continue to provide forever. It’s sort of a joint venture between people and the earth.
- おもひでぽろぽろ Only Yesterday (1991) dir. Isao Takahata
❧❧❧
Gotou Kouji looked up from his dinner. The sound could have been anything. With forests, streams, and fields surrounding his home, it was only natural to have visitors at night. More realistically, an animal that got a little too curious, or brave, venturing further than it should.
He let it be.
At least, until the sound came again.
It sounded like a set of tools had collapsed.
With a groan Gotou set down his utensils, and admonished a ‘be right back’ to his wife, and brother.
At the genkan, Gotou grunted as he shoved his boots on. There had been quite a bit of early rainfall this year. Perhaps even too much to Gotou’s liking. It was ruining the cabbages.
Quietly Gotou reached for a flashlight and stepped out into the night. His face coming into contact with the evening night, and humidity - the kind that crept into his bones, and laughed maliciously at aging joints.
With a grunt that summarized his feelings perfectly about humidity and being put in this situation, Gotou took the unfinished dogend he tended to keep behind his ear, and put it to his lips. All with the muscle memory of years and years of doing the same thing.
Shoes. Close door. Grunt. Cigarette. Shoes. Close door. Grunt. Cigarette. Shoes. Close door. Grunt. Cigarette. A cycle.
The earth liked cycles. It was constantly in one.
The earth remembers. The land remembers.
Even when we don’t. Sometimes, it forces us to remember.
Another sound.
Gotou flashed his light to the work shed. From afar he couldn’t see anything the matter. Nor any signs of bear tracks.
A crash.
Gotou stepped closer, boots sinking slightly in the softened earth. Like a stone in a pond.
The land remembers.
Gotou didn’t notice the ripples. Didn’t have the psychic capability to see how they curled away from each step he took. Like bioluminescent krill. Yet some hind part in his brain felt communicated to. The hairs at the back of his neck stood up. A sensation he would never remember. He wanted to cry, but that wouldn’t make sense. To him at least.
Gotou did hear the laughter. It reminded him of…something. Something he hadn’t thought about for a long time. Gosh, it had been years.
The land remembers.
Gotou couldn’t sleep that night, and was lethargic the following day.
Then it, whatever it was, happened again, and again, and again.
Another cycle.
Sound. Earth. Laughter. Sound. Earth. Laughter. Sound. Earth. Laughter.
Gotou wasn’t alone though. A comfort, and a terror. It was happening to his neighbors too, and their neighbors. Discussed amongst friends, during shared meals, cigarette breaks, passing hellos. And soon it could be seen, in the sunken faces, the hollow smiles, the puffy red eyes as if having cried for hours and hours.
The village itself wasn’t that big to begin with. It was one of those that needed thirty minutes to an hour depending on the weather, just to get to the village center, where the town hall was. There weren’t many stores, and there was a small farmer’s co-op supermarket. Though most people did more of their major shopping out at the supermarkets closer to the suburbs (an experience that could take a whole day).
In short, it wouldn’t be long until whatever this was, was happening to the whole village. And if it was already, no one was saying for various reasons, and motives. The feeling of shame, frustration, embarrassment, wonder, and fear began to crowd lonely dirt paths in the mountain.
The local mailman accounted to swearing he saw someone between the trees, but it couldn’t have been his great grandfather Benji, he had died so long ago.
Another swore there was a man sitting on a stump, with silverberries growing on him, in him, from him. Dared not to mention the eyes. Or the birds on the bow. Hungry.
Another still mentioned bones creaking. The groan of resistance wood has before breaking. Stiff joints from small bouts of frost. The word wooden started to take on new and horrible meanings.
Surely they were tall tales. Something that could easily be explained away.
The land remembers, it has always had a long memory.
Then the accidents started, and became frequent.
When Gotou nearly lost his arm, he knew something had to be done. He was desperate. He needed help, the village needed help, even if they didn’t want to admit it. Even if local authorities wanted to consider it as exhaustion, or locals taking a little too much pride in their homemade sake, and bush wine, or overly energetic teens with no outlets (despite the dwindling presence of teens in the village).
It could only get worse. Someone had to do something. So Gotou did something.
Gotou had heard from a friend, of a friend, of a friend’s cousin down south, about some guy in a suit who had helped him with a spiritual crop situation. Not only that, but this guy had accepted payment in seeds, graciously. That alone raised the city slicker in high esteem to Gotou, even if he was hearing this through a grapevine of information.
Besides, Gotou could have sworn he had heard that name before…
Chapter 2: Hyokkori Hyoutanjima
Notes:
Y’all mind if I, uuuh, wax poetic about domesticity, intimacy, found family, and studio apartments? Featuring older brother ~ weird uncle Reigen vibes
Initially I was going to wait a while before posting this, but considering I just finished writing another chapter, and how short the prologue was well...I couldn't hold myself back.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
marui chikyuu no suiheisen ni
nanika go kitto matteiru
kurushii koto mo arudaro sa
kanashii koro mo arudaro sa
dakedo bokura wa kujikenai
naku no ha iyada warachaou
susume
Something special waits for us
just over the horizon
There’ll be hard times
There’ll be sad times
but we’ll never loose heart
We hate to cry, so lets laugh instead
Lets go!
- Hyokkori Hyoutanjima (Unexpected Gourd Island), by Seiichiro Uno
❧❧❧
Reigen was in his apartment.
A small studio apartment he’s had since before he had quit his job selling water dispensers. It had suited him well. Was practical. Cost efficient.
His own little island amongst the thrumming sea of Seasoning City.
For many years, however, it didn’t feel like a beautiful island. Or a place someone would consider gentrifying, and setting up timeshares. It was more like a deserted island. Reigen, a lone castaway, unsure if he wanted to waste drift wood to write out HELP, or have firewood to keep warm. All with a make-do ashtray made out of empty canned drinks as his own personal Wilson.
The apartment felt like that for a very long time. But, thankfully, all things end. Like the persistent coming of spring after a terribly long winter that did not want to leave, slowly but surely, Reigen’s life changed for the better. Even more so when he accepted the change. But some winters can be very stubborn to leave, and the next thing you know, it’s snowing mid March.
But spring is persistent, and patient, and wonderfully inevitable.
Spring was a yearly necromantic art. In a vague poetic sense. Which some liberal arts majors, and humanities double majors might agree.
What was once dead, sprung to life. Renewed, reborn.
Danced in Summer.
Delighted in Fall, sharing treasures.
And died in the Winter's chill.
And then it all started again. Just as Tom Waits said: You can never hold back Spring.
Not that each season didn’t have their own joys and dismays. Spring had those too, like graduations, fearful excitement of something new, and taxes.
The point is, Reigen’s old studio apartment of an island was far livelier these days. More frequented, and less deserted. No more Mr. Castaway.
There were occasional visitors, sometimes more than one at a time.
There was a spare futon now, a proper ashtray that was used less and less, and will hopefully become obsolete, (for real this time). Two, yes two sets of plastic chairs for the balcony, and more potted plants and vegetables than Reigen had floor/hanging space.
Reigen would occasionally consider getting an expansion, perhaps even the lofty dream of a one bedroom. Economy willing.
As stated, Reigen was in his apartment, and he wasn’t alone.
This time he was with Hanazawa Teruki, who was helping Reigen with his ‘Refrigerator Problem’. That is to say loafing about Reigen’s couch with a bag of prawn crackers, and filling the air with idle conversation while Reigen did some last minute packing.
It was some proper loafing as well, and wasn’t easily cultivated for polite young 'commoner' Hanazawa Teruki.
Reigen remembered a time when Teruki would stand in the middle of his apartment radiating in waves of anxious helpful ‘thank you for having me over, I Must Be the Perfect Guest’ energy with no place to conduct it. A stark contrast to Teruki’s usual bombastic energy. But with enough patient explanation, a small incident that nearly caused the whole apartment complex to turn on its head, and the mythic film Flying Death Pig, Hanazawa Teruki’s pretenses managed to slip away and Reigen’s apartment became a second home of sorts.
This deserved its own explanation. This, being the Refrigerator Problem.
It started back when there was a hole in Hanazawa Teruki’s apartment.
The night Reigen initially offered his place as a space to crash for a while was turned down, sure, but a hole in the wall takes time - and Teruki was starting to worry about his extending stay at the Kageyama’s.
Cue Reigen. Yet again. But with more tact.
Reigen knew the question was going to come, mainly due to Mob giving the sulbtilist of hints a few nights before: “I think Hanazawa-kun is feeling nervous about staying over for so long.”
This had been said over ramen.
“Mm?” Went Reigen around a mouthful, before finally being able to say, “what does your mom think?”
“She says he could stay as long as he needs.”
Reigen hummed in thought, then said, “but that only makes him more nervous?”
“I think so. I don’t get it.” Mob squinted at his bowl, as though the complicated feelings of human existence could be revealed in the miso broth. The broth didn’t answer, but continued to look delicious.
Reigen sighed, catching Mob’s attention. An answer from his Shishou was arguably more reliable than what could be divined from broth. Mob looked up expectantly.
“It can be..” Reigen started, searching for words in the middle distance, “sometimes, knowing how to accept generosity is, well, it’s not something everyone knows how to do right away, Mob. In fact, sometimes it can take a lifetime to learn. And, ah, cope.”
Mob slid his eyes to the soup then back up to look at Reigen. A ‘like you, Shishou?’ left meaningfully unspoken.
“That,” continued Reigen, purposefully not looking at Mob, “doesn’t mean the kindness isn’t unwanted, or unappreciated, just…how do I put this…” Reigen pinched his chin thoughtfully, “I don’t want to say its a pride thing, though for some it is that. Unfortunately. Depending. Hmm, sometimes it can be, well, being unsure if you can handle something you’re not used to…yeah. Yeah!” Reigen snapped his fingers. “When it rains after a long drought, the soil almost goes into shock from the rain, can’t absorb it safely, and the next thing you know there’s a flash flood.”
This brought a frown to Mob’s features.
Not quite reading Mob’s expression correctly, Reigen leaned to the side to catch Mob’s line of sight. “Did that make sense?” Reigen was unsure himself if he made sense. Sometimes he really marveled over how anyone could consider him articulate.
“It did.” Mob looked up in time to see Reigen’s brow pinch together. “It’s sad,” he explained, eloquently.
“Ah.” Reigen leaned back in his chair and idly picked at his food.
Mob had some more of his broth.
Unsatisfied over how unfinished the conversation felt, Reigen cleared his throat. “How about this, remind Hanazawa that my offer still stands. Hmm, oh, and mention, my refrigerator problem, yeah that’s it.”
“Your…refrigerator problem?” Mob frowned, he didn’t remember Reigen mentioning such a problem.
“Oh yes,” said Reigen very seriously, “got too much food, and if it’s not consumed soon it’ll expire. Can’t have that. And,” he paused for less than a second, before dramatically hitting his palm to his forehead in a show of suddenly remembering something, “ugh! I am not looking forward to changing out my closet for the season,” Reigen bemoaned.
Mob smiled at Reigen’s antics, and felt like he understood. Some people needed kindness handed to them, tactfully. Slowly. Like trying to feed a fidgety cat.
So that’s how, two days later, Hanazawa Teruki came to Reigen’s office with a rather hefty backpack.
Reigen watched as Teruki fidgeted with the straps, trying remember whatever he had rehearsed to say on the way over.
“You ready to help with my refrigerator problem?” Reigen cut in, sparing the kid.
Teruki smiled, less sheepishly. “Yeah.”
“FinALLY!”
The sheep are nonexistent in Teruki’s grateful relieved smile.
From there staying at Reigen’s until his apartment is fixed lead to frequent visits, an extra name that could be added to an emergency contact list, the building relief in knowing there was an adult in Teruki’s corner cheering him on. But casually, with style, of course, brilliant commoner Hanazawa Teruki was no charity case. Like a streetwise alley cat who went this way and that, yet always knew where he could get food and get out from the rain in a pinch.
An all encompassing Refrigerator Problem. That really wasn’t a problem at all.
We circle back to the present, yet another Refrigerator Problem was taking place.
After all, with Reigen’s trip the following morning, he needed to make sure any and all perishables were gone from his refrigerator. B-rated horror should stay on the screen, not behind the souring milk forgotten next to cabbage that would start rotting sooner than expected (as all vegetables seem to magically do sometimes). A large dinner was on the horizon.
Teruki watched Reigen vaguely wander about his apartment, a carryon suitcase, half finished, and open in one of the few walking spaces the studio apartment allowed.
Teruki fished for another prawn cracker from its bag. “How long is this going to take, Reigen-san?” Teruki considered the cracker, and wondered if he could catch it if he flipped it in the air. Without his powers that is.
“Not much longer,” said Reigen distractedly. He was considering a pair of shorts, and whether or not the way the pockets were sewn would make it bulky to fold into his little carryon. Especially if he wanted to bring backup shoes. His old galoshes would have to be replaced. Then again, despite the spring, the temperature would still be chilly where he and Serizawa were heading for their case. Now, if he wore his scarf on the way there tomorrow he wouldn’t have to find a way to fold it into the carryon…
“You shouldn’t have waited until the last minute.” Teruki watched Reigen change his mind on the shorts, while muttering something about jeans.
“Hm,” was Reigen’s only reply.
Teruki frowned. Then watched as Reigen picked up a vibrant red button down that had yellow and brown accented stripes that occasionally dipped into black and pink when those stripes collided. Which wasn’t often. It wasn’t strictly plaid, but an erratic zig-zag idea of plaid.
While watching as Reigen considered the material between his fingers, Teruki wondered what else Reigen was considering.
Mischief compelled Teruki to theatrically suck air through his teeth and say, “really you’re going with that choice? Pretty bold Reigen-san. I don’t know…”
Finally Reigen looked up. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit much?”
Reigen held the button down defensively to his chest. “There’s nothing much with this.” In fact, he thought it brought out his eyes nicely.
Teruki shook his bag of prawn crackers while idly considering this. “Alright, maybe not much. I mean I think it’s fine.” Reigen watched as Teruki’s grin grew even wider, “but, I’m just worried for poor Serizawa-san. So used to seeing you in gray.”
Reigen clicked his tongue, glancing away. “So shameless. Rude in my own home,” muttered Reigen, without any real bite. Then paused, and said, with a sincerity that shocked even him, “you think he’ll get seasick or something?”
Teruki threw a pillow at him.
“Fool!” Reigen fumbled with the pillow. “I was just,” he hesitated then said, “committing to the bit.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Teruki acting the part of a brat. He rested his chin in his palm with a grin. “So was I. It’s a perfectly fine shirt for,” Teruki rolled his other hand vaguely, “whatever it is you have in mind.”
“Thank you,” said Reigen, folding the button down into the carryon with a snooty sort of vindication. He ignored how warm his cheeks were.
“So is this for like, a fancy case? Or is it one of those ‘excuse’ date- I mean cases.”
“It’s a very real, very serious case. That’s going to take us out of the city. In fact, a little farther out than usual.”
“Ah-huh.”
“No, really,” said Reigen dropping his previous airs. “It’s perhaps one of the bigger ones we’ve had yet. People have reported going missing, then coming back as if in a haze. Some report growths. Lights in the wilderness. A spike in insomnia and accidents. Farmers are at risk, just as much as the crops.”
“Oh,” said Teruki straightening, “that does sound pretty serious.” Teruki set the prawn cracker bag on the short excuse of a coffee table. “What if it turns out to be some conspiracy?”
“Then we hand whatever information Serizawa and I managed to gather to the authorities,” said Reigen blandly.
“Boooooring.”
“Respooooonsiiiiibleeee,” countered Reigen, matching Teruki’s tone despite his own bored expression.
“Do you think it’s dangerous?”
“I don’t know,” Reigen shrugged, genuinely, “anything is possible. But it’d mean quite a lot if we can manage to help them.”
“Weird stuff happening in the deep countryside doesn’t bode well.”
Reigen made a non-comital sound.
Teruki brightened, “can I come?”
“Tempting, but you have school.” Teruki stuck his tongue out with full teenage abandon. Reigen returned the gesture in kind. “Anyways,” he continued, “we don’t know how long this will take, hence,” he gestured to the carryon before zipping it close and motioning a silent ‘ta-da’ with hand waving pizzazz.
“FinALLY!” Teruki cheered.
Reigen turned, and allowed a smirk to grow as he put the carryon away, allowing for more space. He then considered rolling out the extra futon.
It was planned, since they had to leave early in the morning, and Serizawa’s classes weren’t too far from Reigen’s apartment, that it would be practical, and very pragmatic, if Serizawa stayed the night. That way they could leave for the train together. Something any friend would plan with another. It was the Responsible Thing to Do. There was nothing deep to think about it, or tack on. Heck it wouldn’t even be the first time Serizawa was spending the night, in a friendly capacity. Or shared a hotel room for economic pragmatism, likewise in a friendly capacity.
But that was all over long periods of time, and the more they got to know each other, and their, well, tentative work-friendship deepened, well…
Reigen could tell he was going to start thinking himself into a spiral. He scrubbed his hand over his face, as if that could rub out or mask in some way the powdered pink hue that was warming over his cheeks.
The futon set up could wait.
“So,” huffed Reigen as if about to take on an impossible task, “what movie are we watching tonight.”
Unperturbed by Reigen’s antics, Teruki held up a an old dvd case. One could instantly tell it wasn’t an official dvd, especially with the lack of cover art replaced by a faded paper strip that had handwritten the movie title in the sleeve. In short, it was a torrented dvd burned onto a disc.
“Man, you must have dug deep in my collection, kid.” Reigen turned the case over, and read the title handwritten title: Only Yesterday directed by Takahata Isao. "Really? This movie?" He tried not to sound too judgmental, in his genuine curiosity. "I thought you'd want to watch Death Pig: The Screaming Oink, or, something."
Teruki shook his head, "I know, but," he looked at the handwritten title, and shrugged, "I saw a gif of it online and the animation looks nice. And, well..." he trailed off trying to find the right words.
Reigen opened the dvd case, and took out the burned copy. With his head down, he conspicuously slid his eyes over to Teruki who was still struggling to find words. Even bombastic teens had moments of feeling embarrassed.
“Well,” said Reigen, breaching the hanging silence sympathetically, "there's no harm in branching out."
Teruki lifted his head, and brightened. "Yeah! Thats what I was thinking."
"Though, if I remember the movie right, the pacing is a bit slow."
"I can do slow,” Teruki jittered, rearranging himself on the couch.
“True…"
"And if I, we," Teruki corrected, "really don't like it we can change it."
Reigen smirked, amused, "Sure, no trouble.” He started the procedure of setting the movie up. “Topical too.”
“Oh?”
“The countryside discussion? The case?” Reminded Reigen.
“Ooh. Right.” Teruki paused then said, “wait there’s farming in this?”
“You didn’t read the summery?”
“Nah, going in blind.”
Reigen shrugged, “respect.”
“So,” said Teruki, a little softer, like when someone was trying very hard to be casual about something that actually held great meaning, “are you going to be gone until the weekend? Longer?”
“Mm, maybe, depends.”
Teruki willed his jaw not to clench. “On what?”
“How long it takes to ~solve the mystery~” While adding dramatics, Reigen positioned his head so he could watch Teruki from his peripheral. Which was how he was able to spot the slight shoulder slump from the teen.
“…oh.” Teruki tried very hard not to sound disappointed. The result was a strained brittleness.
“Something up?” Reigen turned from his squat position by the dvd player, and rested his elbows on his knees, “sink blocked? Or something?”
“No!” Teruki was very quick to say. “Everything is fine!!”
Reigen lifted an eyebrow, and hoisted himself back upright with the help of his hands on his knees. “Yeah?”
“Oh, totally!!!” Reigen walked out of Teruki’s line of sight, much to Teruki’s relief, he wasn’t sure he could handle that appraising deadpan.
“Don’t you have that, uh, that test coming up?” There was the sound of a terracotta pot being shifted. “What was it in again?”
“Math, so I doubt you can be of much help!!!!” Teruki internally winced at his phrasing. “Cause uh, well,” he tried in vain to backpedal, deflating all the more in the process.
“Yeah, yeah, liberal arts, whatever. I biffed it trying to help Mob.” Then in a slight barely audible mutter, “not my fault they keep finding weirder ways to do math. Geeze.”
“Well, you were helpful for that one literature essay,” said Teruki, loyally.
This earned him a small snort from Reigen. “So nothing’s up? School-wise?”
“Nope! Everything is, a-okay.” Teruki finally started to turn around from his seat on the couch, “just what are you doin-”
“Catch,” said Reigen, already throwing the tiny jingling object.
Teruki scrambled to catch the cold little thing. It was only until he looked down at his palm that he realized, “keys?”
“Yep. Spare keys.”
Teruki stared at the ring of keys in his palm like they were bird’s eggs.
“The one with the blue band is the apartment, orange is the office,” said Reigen, pointing.
“For me?”
“Yeah, kid. And don’t take this lightly! I’m going to need a set of eyes on this place,” Reigen waved his arms in full showmanship, "no telling what could happen.” He paused, then said, far less dramatically, “that and this place stinks if a window isn’t cracked now and again, and I don’t want my plants dying on me by the time I get back.” Reigen poked the top of Teruki’s head, as if to be sure what he said next would truly get past Teruki’s skull, “cause I am coming back.”
“I just,” said Teruki to the keys, hoping he didn’t sound brittle, “never heard of you taking on a case so far away, with no fixed end.”
Distantly Teruki’s imagination started to fabricate a movie of Reigen and Serizawa, hand in hand, running off together, suitcases packed, never to return. Which Teruki knew was silly. For one the two adults were so blind to the other’s feelings it was painfully comical. Yet some irrational, fearful part inside Teruki scratched the back of his brain, taking the vague form of his parents who were galavanting across the sea who knows where.
Teruki didn’t have to look up, he could feel the weight of Reigen’s eyes. It was then replaced by a very real weight on the top of Teruki’s head. Reigen was casually using him as an arm rest.
“Hmm, yeah that is pretty out of the norm,” Reigen nodded, looking at the hanging spider plant that was fixed above the edge of the tv. “Normally I’d happily assume, what, three days? Especially with Serizawa’s skill. But there’s so many particulars about this case. More variables than usual, and a whole lot of land to cover.”
Teruki angled his head lower. “Yeah.”
Reigen shrugged, “if it takes more than two weeks, then I’ll just have to bring in backup.”
Teruki dared to smile. His head tilted up. “Backup?”
Reigen scratched the side of his face, brows pinched together. “Yeah,” he drawled. “Gosh, but who?” Reigen added a pinch more weight onto his impromptu arm rest.
“Hey!”
“Maybe I can get a hold of Joseph,” said Reigen, now making a point of not looking at Teruki, or his growing smile. “Though it might be last minute.”
Teruki was now fighting against the growing weight on his head, “he chain smokes! You’ll backslide!”
Reigen, master of the deadpan, (as Mob relinquished his title upon letting himself become more expressive), ignored Teruki, “If only I knew someone else, damn, I’m drawing a blank here…”
“You’re breaking my spine!!” Teruki laughed.
“Thats it! I’ll see if Dimple would want to tag along.”
“No! He’ll mock you every time you look at Serizawa-san.”
“Damn. He’d mock me every time I look at Serizawa, huh.”
“At this rate you’ll stunt my growth!”
“If only I knew a blonde short-stuff.”
“Reigen-san!”
Reigen finally stood up right, though not without ruffling Teruki’s hair, “yeah?”
Teruki half-heartedly batted Reigen’s hand away. Then looked up at him, daring to hope. “You mean it?”
Reigen blinked. “Mean what?” The pained look that flashed across Teruki’s eyes was enough for him to instantly drop his charade. “Yeah kid, I mean it,” he smiled, that crooked endearing smile that was a sliding scale between big-brotherly, caring uncle, and fatherly.
Teruki gave a sigh of relief.
“And,” continued Reigen, “you can always call me, anytime. You know the spiel. Though don’t get discouraged if I can’t answer right away, the reception is bound to be spotty. I also want to know those test results you know.
“Even if it’s math?” Teruki teased.
“Yes,” sighed Reigen in faux exasperation, “even if it’s math. Don’t want you ending up like me. I mean, I can add and multiply and even, uh, minus fast.”
“Minus fast??”
“Subtract. Whatever. The point is, I don’t do trigonometry every time I have to handle the register. No. wait. The real point is,” here Reigen ruffled Teruki’s hair again, gentler, “I want you to do well.”
Teruki snorted a laugh, and looked away unsure how to handle the weight of Reigen’s unabashed paternal-ness. “Alright."
Reigen straightened and crossed his arms, face serious. “No room for slacking, and all.”
“I said alright!” It was Teruki’s turn to play faux exasperation. Basking in the normalcy of being a teen being bothered about his grades.
“Oh, and I mean it with the plants,” Reigen thumbed to his impossible to kill Devil’s Ivy plant, “you gotta promise to treat these mad lads right.”
Teruki cringed at the use of ‘mad lads’, though not with his whole heart. His chest felt lighter, and his smirk was more relaxed. “Yeah. Alright. You can rely on me, Reigen-san."
The way Teruki clutched the keys a little tighter did not go unnoticed. Nor did the way his shoulders seem a little more squared.
“It’s a big responsibility.” Reigen clapped a hand on those slightly more squared shoulders, and said, “think you can handle it?”
Teruki clasped his hand around the set of keys, determined. “Absolutely.” Teruki leaned forward and very purposefully placed the keys on the same ring where he kept his own apartment keys.
“I’m sure you’ll do well. And I’m sure the plants will thank you for your care”
Teruki gave Reigen a scrutinizing look, “were you planning this? Or did you just realize you forgot you’d need a house sitter?”
Reigen sunk his hands into his pockets, and stuck out his tongue. “I’ll never tell. Now. Scooch.” Reigen pushed Teruki lightly with his foot. “You blonde highlighter of a monster,” said Reigen, though not unkindly.
“Hey!” Teruki laughed.
“Oh, just one more thing,” deadpanned Reigen knocking his elbow amicably against Teruki’s, “about the apartment sitting.”
“Yeah?” Teruki imperceptibly leaned forward, anticipating something very important to commit to memory.
“Don’t throw any wild parties while I’m gone, okay?” Reigen deadpanned.
The mere idea that Teruki would have considered such a thing made him burst into another set of laughter. Relaxing again. Teruki grinned, and knocked his elbow back against Reigen’s, “no promises.”
“Tsk!! Oooo you shameless brat,” said Reigen, smiling.
Teruki smiled back, and settled back into the couch feeling a little warmer.
The movie was nice, just as nice and scenic and thoughtful as Reigen had remembered. He was able to stay awake for an unprecedented fifteen minutes before falling asleep.
At some point Reigen felt a set of hands shake his arm. Then a pause, perhaps to consider using an elbow instead, only for the shake to return, a little harder.
“Reigen?” Whispered Teruki. “Reigen-san?”
“Hmm?” Reigen said in ‘I was awake the whole time’ tones.
“Do old people always get this reminiscent about the past?”
“Huh?”
“You know, all this, pensive stuff,” said Teruki gesturing to the screen. The protagonist was laying in a sleeper train cot, staring pensively at the ceiling.
Reigen blinked, then said, “I’ll let you know when I’m older.”
“You’re no use,” tutted Teruki, halfheartedly. His eyes slid back to the screen. There was something about a slow paced film that could be so compelling.
It wasn’t long until Reigen was compelled back to a doze.
It wasn’t that he found the movie secretly boring, or he was particularly exhausted (at least not more than the usual), but that it was all so peaceful. Long stretches of quiet moments, the difference in recording styles between the in-movie’s ‘past’ and ‘present’. But, perhaps, most of all, were the ambient tracks of regional bird calls he hadn’t heard in a long, long time. At the edge of Reigen’s mind, in that hazy space between dream and memory, he thought of biking through a dirt road, shaded by trees older than generations. Bird song filled the air.
Teruki was far too absorbed to notice Reigen’s light snores.
It was a near miracle for Reigen to wake up again at all, and yet he managed to wake up, just before the end of the movie. He groaned as he stretched, blearily making out the scene on the screen. The protagonist was talking to the love interest in the car.
Reigen hoisted himself up to his feet, purposefully noisy, and mumbled about getting a start on dinner.
This earned him a, “Shh!” from Teruki, who leaned forward as if that would block Reigen out.
“Tsk, shameless,” said Reigen, smirking, though a little quieter.
To which Reigen got on to cooking. It would be a rather larger meal than usual, with the main goal to use up as much food as possible to ensure nothing perishable would remain in his kitchen. This was due to the fact that Reigen did some light grocery shopping before taking on the case, this also meant he had a near fully stocked refrigerator to deplete.
If there was anything Reigen viscerally hated, it was for food to go to waste.
After a while, there was a knocking at the door. It was the sort of knock that could easily have been loud, booming even, but was far too polite to impose. The sort of knock that said, ‘please excuse the noise, but I need to let my presence be known in order to come inside’. The sort of knock a gentle man would have. Which was sometimes infinitely better than a gentleman. Especially in Reigen’s books.
“Let yourself in Serizawa, my hands are a little dirty,” called Reigen from over the stovetop.
The door opened slowly. Tentatively. On the off chance Reigen changed his mind and did indeed want to cross the room to open the door. “O-oh,” said Serizawa, opening the door wider, with growing confidence, “Pardon the intrusion.”
Serizawa paused at the genkan, mid toeing his shoes off, and took a moment to enjoy the wafting smells of a meal being cooked.
Reigen smiled to himself as he turned over the Korean style zucchini pancakes he was working on. “Have you eaten?”
“Ah,” Serizawa smiled modestly, “I did have a snack, but not dinner, no. Oh! Hello, Hanazawa-kun.”
Teruki gave a half hearted wave, and leaned further forward not wanting to miss a moment of the movie’s end. He briefly considered putting on subtitles, in fact, why didn’t he put on subtitles sooner? There had been so many soft voices in the movie.
Serizawa gave an understanding smile at the teen, unoffended by the lack of verbal response, and crossed to the kitchen, and its delicious smells. “Hello, Reigen-san.”
“Yo,” said Reigen, who instantly wondered if he was being too casual. He added a wave to compensate, and nearly flipped a bell pepper he was planning to replace the use of a chili pepper for the zucchini, into the air for his trouble. Reigen cleared his throat. “How was class?”
Serizawa hummed setting his backpack down, his own carryon suitcase left at the genkan. “Not bad, though I did have a bit of trouble focusing.”
“Oh?” Went Reigen, trying not to think too much into it. He studied the zucchini pancake’s progress meticulously.
Another hum, “I know this case is serious, but I am curious about where we’re going. It’ll be nice to get out of the city too.”
Reigen couldn’t stop the slow smile on his face even if he tried, “Yeah, that makes sense. There’s no harm in that.”
“I know,” he smiled in kind. Then Serizawa suddenly looked down at his elbow as if reminded of something, then back at Reigen. “Do you have enough for one more?” Serizawa pointed at the massive display of food being cooked, especially at the cooling one pan honey garlic chicken, with no traceable irony on his face.
“Do I have enough for one more?” It came out almost as a tease, but Reigen quickly switched to faux annoyance, “what do you take me for, huh?”
“No, yes, no, I mean…”
“‘Sup old man!” Shou singsong-ed, much too close to Reigen’s ear, while very invisible.
A monotone, “hi Shou,” came from the general direction of the television area.
Reigen miraculously managed to strangle a bad swear a few tv ratings down to, “damn a duck! Shou!”
“Please don’t swear, Reigen-san,” said Serizawa far too pleasantly, and not at all shocked. A sure giveaway for collaboration.
Reigen sputtered, “you’re the one who instigated this!?”
“You,” Shou said while slowly becoming visible, bent double and cackling, “you should see your face!” He pointed.
Serizawa was very much seeing, especially Reigen’s comically flaring nostrils, and tried in equal measure not to laugh. “Shou,” he chastised instead, halfheartedly, while lowering Shou’s pointing finger.
“Oh, har-har.” Reigen clicked his tongue and gave an exaggeratedly wounded look, “can’t believe you were in on this too, Serizawa.”
“Some pranks can’t be helped, Reigen-san,” said Serizawa, much too innocently, thoroughly enjoying himself.
“Yeah, I guess so,” muttered Reigen. He rubbed his ear, unable to stop a smirk from forming. “Alright, you got me good, you got me good." He jutted his chin to indicate Shou. "This the extra mouth you meant, Serizawa?”
Serizawa cleared his throat, “yes.” He didn’t bother hiding his smile. Serizawa added, as means of explanation, “when Shou heard how long I might be out of the city, he wanted to get some last minute Hanging Out.”
“Nothing that dramatic!” Shou puffed, fooling neither of the adults. Then added with the teenage mortification of having emotions, “geeze!”
Reigen glanced at Teruki, then back at Shou, and smirked at Serizawa, “yeah, I get that.”
“So, would it be alright?” Serizawa asked, to clarify. As if there existed a universe where one Reigen Arataka wouldn’t go out of his way to make sure those in his company were fed. Though it was nice to be polite.
Reigen’s eyes said ‘of course it would be alright’, but he lowered the flame on the stove top, and folded his arms pretending to be very inconvenienced all the same. “I don’t know…it is pretty last minute…” Reigen scratched the side of his cheek thoughtfully.
Serizawa wasn’t fooled in the slightest.
Shou drew his eyebrows together, a little less confident. He was also pondering if he could get away with stealing some of that honey garlic chicken. Perhaps if there wasn’t Serizawa around.
“Well, I suppose I have a few more grains of rice to spare,” said Reigen.
Serizawa, never one to drop the ball of A Bit if he could help it, nodded seriously, “you’re much too generous.” He liked being part of A Bit. The delight he took in it could be seen blocks away. His soft smile, blinding.
Reigen spluttered and waved his arms about, nearly at mach speed, “Don’t be silly! Really, how foolish to not understand, it’s a burden to eat all this, you’re the ones helping me.” Before anyone could comment, Reigen placed his hands on his hips, and turned to Shou, “and what does your mom think of this? It’s nearly nine, does she know where her kid is?”
“What are you a cop?” Shou volleyed back mercilessly.
“Tch!”
“Tch!”
Serizawa lowered his hand from his smiling mouth, and added, “she knows Shou is with me. Despite the last minute-ness.”
“Responsible as ever, Serizawa.” Reigen coughed into his fist. Then waved his hand in a shooing gesture, “just go wash your hands, or something.”
Shou wasted no time in doing so, bolting, and quickly sitting amicably beside Teruki to chat. Teruki was far more receptive now that the movie was over, and had a lot of opinions to share about it.
By the time Serizawa returned to the studio apartment’s laughable idea of a kitchen space, Reigen was much too focused on making sure everything was cooked and ready in time to think about his own racing heartbeat. Now juggling between cabbage fried rice, dried shredded squid (with lots of mayo to help calm the inherent spice of the dish), and seasoned cucumber with onion and chives.
In fact, Reigen barely heard himself say to Serizawa, “could you give that a stir?” with all the ease of asking to pass the stapler.
“Of course,” said Serizawa not missing a beat, as if it would be his greatest honor to be of help. The beatific smile of being part of something blooming to near distraction.
Reigen rotated his gloved hand, that was gently mixing the dried squid, a little faster. To the point of near mushy-ness. He wondered if asking for the roasted sesame seed container would be his undoing.
Serizawa could have easily lifted a finger and extended his psychic ability to have the spoon move on its own. But where was the tactility in that?
That would also mean he wouldn’t get to step into Reigen’s space, the sacred Kitchen Space, and be a part of the magic of cooking. Far better than being apart. And if their elbows grazed each other, well, all the better.
Laughably small studio apartment kitchens could certainly be a blessing sometimes.
When Reigen did ask for the sesame seeds, it wasn’t his undoing, but there was a significant amount of internal howling when their fingers brushed together.
Neither of them could stop smiling.
Nor would they comment on the powdered red blooming on their cheeks.
After all everyone’s face got a little warm while cooking. It was probably nothing deep to consider. Surely.
From the couch, Shou and Teruki shared meaningful looks. How Serizawa and Reigen still hadn’t noticed their very obvious feelings for each other was a mystery to the flock of teens that surrounded them. At times it was comical to watch, other times absolutely painful.
One time, while sharing ice cream and popsicles, the collective teen group voiced their opinions on the matter, with varied levels of exasperation.
Tome suggested a betting pool to see how long it would take for them to not only notice, but admit it to each other. After a series of hoots and hollers, she pointed a sticky finger at herself and lead the betting pool - only to get distracted a few times as remarks of ‘okay but what will we get if we win?’
And then, in a moment of wisdom, Mob looked up at the slow moving clouds in the sky, and said, “I think it’s like, a rainbow.”
“So gay?” Snickered Shou, which earned him a soft elbowing from Ritsu.
Unbothered, Mob merely shrugged, and continued, “It’s easier to see a rainbow at a distance, than from right under it.”
“Holy shit,” whispered a rosy cheeked Teruki, as a chorus of teenage cheer erupted, followed with good humored cajoling over Mob’s prospects in majoring in philosophy one day.
While Mob was getting pats on the back and playful nudges, they shared a look.
“Maybe Ritsu’s right,” said Shou, drawing Teruki’s thoughts back to the present, “maybe they’ll never notice.” He crossed his arms behind his head and settling deeper into the couch, as if the casualness could mask his tinge of worry. When all was said and joked, Shou just wanted Serizawa to be happy.
“Eh, I’m sure they’ll figure it out,” said Teruki, hopeful.
There's an art to Making Things Work, and Making Things Last, that should never be looked down on. A quality of livelihood improvisation that someone who grew up with a dining room table the size of three people could probably never fully grasp.
To avoid anyone having to get up and get more food as though at a buffet, the short little coffee table was added to the 'main table'. Which in-itself was a wooden square thing that was four hairs bigger than a classroom desk.
The result was a jaunty tetris inspired 'I' formation. The jauntiness mainly due to the spare school/university books that were found between the four of them, and used to raise the coffee table, giving it a chance to be at the table's same height.
To join the two stools to sit in, there were also the plastic chairs from the balcony to be utilized.
Reigen refused to let anyone take the slightly broken one, that was being held together with duck tape and hope. He finalized this by saying, “fools, don’t you understand you’re helping me out here, you know? Honestely, gotta correct my bad posture.”
An unspoken agreement between Serizawa, Shou, and Teruki was made. When it came time to clean later, they insisted on helping, and wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
The meal was wonderful, and no one was left wanting.
Idle comfortable chatter filled the air with the soft clicks of utensils, and the passing of servings, and seconds, and slightly insisted thirds.
The conversation looped from ordinary day to day, hopscotched through school topics with delightful anecdotes from Serizawa and Shou and how they realized they were serendipitously studying the same section in their history classes, bullet trained through local news incidents, and cartwheeled to the inevitable topic of the upcoming case.
“Is it farther north than the hot springs we went to?” Teruki asked.
“Well, I don’t think it was that far,” said Serizawa, thinking back.
“You guys went to a hot spring?” Shou looked up at Serizawa for confirmation. Who nodded.
“I’m sure we’ll go again,” beamed Teruki. He then caught Serizawa’s eye. The pair of them silently glanced at Reigen who seemed a little too absorbed in his squid. “Maybe not the same hot spring, but certainly another one,” added Teruki.
“So where exactly on the map is it?” Shou asked.
Serizawa pulled up a map on his phone, and demonstrated to both Shou and Teruki. “So Seasoning is here, part of Saitama.” He scrolled, zoomed in, then slowly zoomed out before scrolling on the map again. “Zebra prefecture is…here, and we’ll be…Ah, here.”
Shou leaned forward. “Thats nearly the tip of the island!”
“Thats a bit of an exaggeration, I think,” said Serizawa, with a patient smile.
“Still pretty far,” said Teruki, leaning against Shou’s shoulder for a better view of the map.
“Only four hours away,” reassured Serizawa, unaware he had been viewing the ‘with car’ option of the map menu this whole time.
“Isn’t that where pearl divers are?” Shou asked, vaguely remembering a detail from a nearly forgotten geography lesson.
“Ah, I’m not sure if thats located in just one region. Regardless, we’ll be further inland. It’s a village near the mountains.”
“Ooh, so, the sticks,” said Shou.
Reigen made a non-comital sound, that sounded suspiciously like a half made tongue click. “Scary things can happen anywhere.”
Teruki stared at Reigen, then dragged his eyes away to look at the prefecture. “So, where exactly will you two be?”
“Thank you for asking, Hanazawa-kun,” said Serizawa, delighted to share information. He had given the region a cursory glance during the class lecture, and was excited to show off. “We’ll be! Aaah, we’ll be…” Serizawa squinted at the screen trying to remember how he found the village the last time, “We’ll be, no wrong mountain, um…” Serizawa deflated a little. Conspicuous searching in the middle of class was a different atmosphere than when eyes were on him, waiting patiently. “Um?” Serizawa said, this time with a certain pitch that drew Reigen’s attention. It was the ‘I may need help, but am a bit bashful to ask’ pitch.
Reigen leaned over, squinted at the screen, decidedly did not think about how he could feel how warm Serizawa was just by hovering, and said, “it’s over there. Scroll a bit. No, the other way, adjacent to the lake. Ah, could I? Excuse me.” With a few swipes, and a bit of zooming in, Reigen found it with ease. Practiced ease.
“Green Village on the Hill,” read Serizawa. He glanced at Reigen, and decidedly did not think about how, at this distance, he could practically count his eyelashes. Nor did he try. “Yes, that’s it. Thank you.”
“No problem,” said Reigen settling back into his chair.
If rolled eyes could be audible, Teruki and Shou would be maestros.
“So what do you think hick-city will be like?” Shou said conversationally. If only to keep himself from hitting his head against the table.
“Should be peaceful…well, all things considered, cause - the case ah-hah, hm…but aside from that, nice! I think - hope - I’m sure it’ll be, ah…nice” managed Serizawa. “I wonder what the local farmers are growing right now. Or, if there will be those, those flowers, you know for make up. The traditional kind. Beni.”
“Oh! Just saw a movie on that. It’s called safflower,” said Teruki, proudly.
Serizawa nodded gratefully. “Safflower. Thank you. That must be pretty to see.” Serizawa nibbled on another zucchini pancake. He felt like he could eat a hundred of these. “I wonder…since it is spring, what will they be planting? Rice? Corn? Wheat?”
“Growing wheat used to be possible, years ago. But now the rainy and growing season overlap,” said Reigen unthinkingly, while in the act of adding another helping of rice into Teruki and Shou’s bowl, “If wheat can’t dry, it can’t grow. We’ll probably have to get bread at a supermarket. Cabbage is in season though.” Reigen gestured to the cabbage fried rice, “hence the dish. Also, hehe, adds a fresh crunchiness to the dish. Ahem, too much rain though and the cabbage will break.” With a thoughtful nod, he sipped a bit of air, and started dishing out more helpings of zucchini pancakes to everyone. “There’s also quite a bit of foraging- popular in spring. Well, year round, but there’s always the spring specials. You said you were interested in hiking, right Serizawa?”
“Right,” said Serizawa, slightly mystified.
Shou surreptitiously glanced under the table to try and see if Reigen was reading from his phone. There was no phone open on his lap, and Reigen was clearly using both his hands. Not that Shou was entirely convinced, he’d seen Reigen do card tricks before.
“Bracken is very sought after,” Reigen continued, in the same easy going, and factual tone,“though I think you might find it too slippery, Serizawa. Grannies go crazy for it,” Reigen laughed, “Though maybe you’d like pickled bracken. Mmm, though none can compare with wild asparagus and koshiabura; king and queen of wild vegetables, mmm. Can be very difficult to find. Though it really all depends on how long the snow lingered this year, huh?”
The three of them stared at Reigen. It wasn’t so much what he had said, but how he had said it. Was that a wistful tone? And the small smile that had grown while he spoke was certainly noted. Shou still couldn’t find Reigen’s ever so tactfully placed phone. This was because the phone was charging by the television.
“Bok choy can keep living under the winter snow, so in spring you can use young leaves for soup…what?” Reigen said, deadpan returning. He added another round of seasoned cucumber to their side plates. “I said the food’s gotta go.”
“Not that,” said Serizawa. It had been a while since Reigen was part of the conversation, and the small smile had been nice to witness. It was one of Reigen’s rare ones, the soft genuine kind.
Reigen tilted his head, not quite understanding Serizawa’s look. “Did you want more rice?”
Serizawa huffed a smile, “sure.” He handed his bowl to Reigen. “But it’s not that.”
“What then?” Reigen dutifully refilled the bowl.
“The wheat fact, and uh, other stuff,” said Teruki. “Lots of other stuff??How do you know?”
Reigen gave a sheepish smile, and shrugged. “I read it somewhere. Besides I always do a bit of research before a case,” he said, telling a half truth. He then gestured to the plethora of studio plants, the, mini balcony vegetable garden, and the side dish of radishes he had grown himself, and added “I’m also a little into growing things at the moment. Not to mention its easier to make good veggie choices at the grocery store when you know what’s in and not in season, and what region they’re coming in from. More bang for your buck.”
This earned him a series of nods, laughs, “ooh”s and “true true”s. It made sense. And yet, there was a nagging feeling. The three looked at each other again. Something was adding up, to what they still weren’t sure, but certainly something.
“Reigen-san, please, remind me again…how did you get contacted for this case?” Serizawa asked with only the faintest, deceptive, layer of suspicion.
“Basically, the farmer I helped a while back, well I say a while but it was, what…a year and a half?…Anyways! Mob and I were helping a farmer with their crop ghost, uh, situation. Just outside the suburbs. And uh, guess the farmer was a friend of a friend of a cousin of a friend of our client.”
“That’s quite a lot of he said she said for a case,” said Teruki.
“Talk about ‘hearing it from the grape vine’,” said Shou with a snort. “You sure this is valid?”
“Of course,” said Reigen, “Farmers take grape vines very seriously.”
Teruki and Shou stared at him. Unsure if he was joking.
Serizawa lowered his head into his palm, managing to block his smirk and reddening face. A muffled, “good grief” escaped him.
Reigen grinned, feeling proud of himself, and didn’t expand on his statement.
Notes:
As a parting fun fact, while writing this I did consider perhaps eventually starting a sort of 'prequel' fic titled Refrigerator Problem as a sort of missing scene fic following Reigen and Teruki's interactions taking place during and after the events of the manga. Time will tell if it ever comes to fruition. But its certainly been percolating in my brain!
Edit as of 24/10/2023: ☆°˖✧Tada✧˖°☆
Chapter 3: Yashi No Mi (Ohnaka)
Notes:
Consistent chapter lengths? Never heard of her
Hope everyone is having a good summer, remember to hydrate!
Fun fact: The song Yashi No Mi (Ohnaka) first appeared in the Rakubaisyu, an anthology of poetry by Tōson Shimazaki published in 1901, was composed by Toraji Ohnaka in 1936 for the NHK Radio series, "People's Songs"
Chapter Text
The sleeping arrangements for what had become an impromptu sleepover were as such: Serizawa in the spare futon, Reigen on the couch (which could fold back, bed like), and the ‘teen brats’ in the ‘main bed’ to share, (as it was marginally big enough to fit them both compared to the pair of them sharing a couch).
Reigen stared up at the ceiling, he had been staring up at it for, according to his phone, three hours. With a soft sigh that nearly breached into groan levels, he returned his phone to the charging wire, and folded his hands over his stomach.
Only for mere moments later to take up his phone again, flip it open, face flushing into the pale light of the rather dim screen, and open his ingoing - and outgoing calls. He stared at the client’s caller ID. Specifically, the number’s area code.
The longer he stared at the little numbers the more he felt like there was something scratching at the back of his brain. Which, on a literal level was probably just normal eye strain from looking at a screen in the dead of night in a dark room. On a more poetic level…it was something else. A feeling. A…something. It made his hands clammy.
Frowning deeper and clicking his tongue, Reigen closed the phone and placed it back to charge.
He kept staring at the ceiling.
At some point his thumbs started tapping together, which turned into twiddling.
His thoughts felt loud, disjointed, unable to pin down, complicated to articulate. If he had to give his thoughts a color, it’d probably be water a painter would use three hours into their work, and seconds from realizing that, no, that wasn’t their drinking cup. Reigen hoped it wouldn’t give him a headache.
Reigen shifted his head to look out at the balcony. His plants gently waving in the night air. If he watched long enough he could almost trick his brain into believing they were waving in the same time as the rhythmic gentle breathing of his sleeping guests.
Reigen checked the time again. Third time, as they say, being the charm. Yes it was just as late into the night as he remembered, if not later.
He turned and eyed in the direction of his bedroom area, to make sure Serizawa, Teruki, and Shou were truly sleeping - as if by means of a squint he could mentally poke them to make sure they’d stay asleep.
It was late enough, and he reasoned they were asleep enough. So Reigen sat up, took out a pack of half finished cigarettes and a lighter from their hiding place, and quietly padded out to the balcony.
Sometimes the act of quitting smoking was like a rollercoaster, at least for Reigen.
He had managed once, to quit, cold turkey too. That was after Mob first cautiously stepped into his life that fateful day, all those years ago. Not immediately after, but certainly when he realized Mob was going to be hanging around more and more at his dinky badly ventilated office. He managed to stay away from smoking too, for years. Reigen had been rather proud of that.
Then, with a bit of stress here, a bit of stress there, intense self loathing and guilt, Reigen couldn’t resist- or rather, wouldn’t, and he was back at it again.
Starting again had been one of his lowest periods. It happened after Reigen had crossed the line and said far too many wrong things- when Mob rightfully left him well enough alone, separated. But he had learned quite a bit, or, at least, Reigen would like to think he had. If he was being generous with himself. Something Reigen found very hard to be. Often times Reigen would reconsider situations, scenarios, even the things he had said, repeated over and over, from the Big Lie of being a psychic its catalyst in a chain of events, to even how he had once commented on Mob’s french fry eating.
However, learning important lessons on growing and boundaries didn’t change the fact that he had reintroduced the joys of nicotine to his body. And this time, no matter how hard Reigen tried, and try he did, he simply couldn’t manage to quit cold turkey again, or for long periods. He did manage, though, to slowly reduce the quantity.
By now he allowed himself one a day, sometimes two on a bad day, and on a rare very good day he didn’t even notice or felt the need to smoke.
Once Reigen tried keeping track how many days he could go without one, but it only depressed him more.
Gently closing the slider behind him, Reigen faced the cityscape. The chilly night air breezing over his skin, causing a wave of gooseflesh to blossom. The tangy air of concrete, day to day exhaust, and the strong detergent of the neighbor’s washed clothes that were left on clothing lines overnight filled his nostrils.
Reigen observed the way lights, few at this hour but ever present, glittered over the river, a sort of understudy to the stars one couldn’t see in the city’s night sky. The sound of a muted velvety like silence that hung in the night, sometimes interrupted by late night drunkards crooning to the cosmos, animals in badly left out trash, and the occasional person who thought witching hour was the perfect time to see how fast a car can go, screech, and do doughnut tricks…or something, (Reigen only hoped they didn’t fall under the drunkard category, but he didn’t hold his breath).
Reigen took in a long breath, and exhaled it out evenly. It didn’t stop the raging tides of his own thoughts, but it helped diminish the sea to choppy waters at best.
From here the rest was merely instinctual, practiced ease…cigarette to lip, light, deep drag, and a slow savoring exhale. The cigarette cycle.
Everything else could wait until the end of this brief little reprise. He could stop being part of the world for the length of a cigarette - life suspended in breaths of smoke. By the time I reach the filter, he thought, everything will be a little bit clearer. The world might even be a little better.
With a hearty drag, Reigen relished in the feeling of being suspended in time, envisioning the smoke blooming out into his lungs like a cotton candy of nerve endings. He held his breath, prolonging the feeling, and exhaled a steady slow stream.
He relaxed into the feeling, while simultaneously hating himself for how wonderfully at ease this made him feel. Reigen looked down at the cigarette, observed the little red cherry, blowing on it to watch it burn brighter. No, self loathing (especially the the spicy after midnight kind that really dragged hooks into the soul), could wait, at least until he reached the filter - if the thoughts could survive the smoke.
With another drag, tomorrow was starting to not look so bad. Then another, and the case didn’t feel as intimidating. Just one more and maybe, just maybe, he could believe the location won’t affect him either. It’ll be a breeze, especially with Serizawa by his side. Reigen took a drag as if the smoke could burn his insides like a forest fire.
Everything will make sense in five minutes, right now it was just him, the night air, his dopey sun stained blue ash tray, his cigarette…
“I thought you quit,” came Teruki’s voice from the slider door.
…and Teruki.
For a split second Reigen frowned around his cigarette, then instinct kicked in.
It was the residual sort, reaching out from years of immature hooligan-ry, smoking when (and where) he shouldn’t, like an ancient reflex Reigen thought was dormant. With a quick press of his tongue at the base of the cigarette, Reigen tilted it back into his mouth, hiding it in his mouth. “Hm?”
Reigen’s expression was a well rehearsed neutral. Teruki's was a tired frown. They stared at one another.
To reiterate his earlier statement, Teruki’s frown deepened.
Reigen quietly lifted the little pale ashtray, in a, ‘what did you think this was for?’ way.
“I don’t know, decoration? A reminder? You like robin egg shell blue?”
Reigen glanced at his sun bleached ashtray now coined Robin Egg Shell Blue. Then tilted his head side to side in a, ‘yeah, okay, I see your point’ sort of way.
Teruki crossed his arms, and waited. Surely Reigen couldn’t keep a cigarette hidden in his mouth for too long, or forever…right?
Reigen stared back, the sort of long unblinking stare that’d give a turtle a run for its money.
Teruki would have been impressed, if he wasn’t too preoccupied. “Ugh, it’s going to start coming out of your ears soon.”
Reigen at last conceded, positioned himself so the wind wasn’t blowing towards Teruki, and opened his mouth to readjust the cigarette back to its proper droop on his lip. The smoke that had been building up in Reigen’s mouth left all at ounce in a puff. For a moment he looked like an old-timey steam engine.
Reigen then waved the smoke away, and leaned on what little space there was available on the plant populated banister. “What’s up, kid? You should be asleep.”
“I thought you quit,” repeated Teruki.
Reigen sighed, took the cigarette from its droop, and flicked the ash in the tray, “I’m working on it.” Good grief, he probably looked like an utter sleaze bag. Well, more so than usual.
Reigen had the decency to look apologetic, and turned his head away before he could see the disappointment, and betrayal finish forming on Teruki’s face. Then said, “look I never. I never openly swore, verbally I mean, that I quit. So, technically not a lie,” Reigen swallowed, not entirely believing himself. “Technically. I just…ah, never corrected anyone. I enjoyed the assumption too much…”
Teruki stepped forward to stand beside Reigen. Despite how late it was, with the city scape’s own light pollution being the balcony’s sole source of light, it wasn’t hard to see Reigen’s regretful expression.
“Does Kageyama-kun know?”
Reigen’s regretful expression deepened as leaned forward. His forehead slowly descended into his rosemary plant. “No,” he said miserably into the pointy (though not prickly) leaves. “Not that we ever talked about it.” Reigen righted, and ran a hand over his face, then said, “I’m sorry. I’m not…”and trailed off.
“Is it really that hard?”
Reigen examined the cherry of his cigarette, “sometimes. I really did manage to quit, once, but ah …well,” he shrugged and returned the cigarette to its droop on his frowning lip. Still unable to look back at Teruki. “Addiction by any other name is still addiction.”
“Oh.” Teruki frowned at his feet, thoughtful.
Reigen took another drag, vindictive against himself, as if he could will the smoke to lance his lungs with a black spot.
“I don’t usually,” Reigen started lamely then trailed off. “What I mean to say is,” he tried again, daring a quick glance at Teruki, who watched him. Reigen groaned and scratched the back of his head, frustrated. “I’m working on it,” he repeated. Then to clarify the validity of his statement added, “actively working on it. Down to almost two a day.”
“I learned about addiction in school…and habits,” said Teruki, slowly.
“Yeah? Bit of an adult topic.”
“Yeah,” said Teruki. Then added, by means of clarifying, “in health class.”
“That, would do it,” said Reigen, slowly. He took one last drag, licked his fingers, and pinched the tip - snuffing the cigarette to save for later.
Teruki watched with horrified fascination.
Some role model I must be. Reigen held back from openly sneering at himself. “So,” he rallied, “you know some can be a bit more severe than others, then?”
Teruki nodded, then pointed to the abandoned cigarette. “Is this…?”
“Used to be way worse,” Reigen said, returning the pale little ashtray to its designated place beside the cherry tomato plant. It was still lightly covered with fabric to protect it from the lingering winter cold snaps that would happen on occasion.
“Oh,” said Teruki, though he looked a little less glum.
“I did say I was working on it, ya know. Again, almost two a day.” Reigen reiterated.
“What do you mean almost two, exactly?”
“Sometimes,” said Reigen hands waving about before finalizing to a conspiratorial point, “I manage to have one, or none at all.”
“Oh!”
Reigen nodded, emboldened by the potential teaching possibility that was presenting itself. “Listen up! Whether it is from changing your way of thinking, or breaking a bad habit - or cycle, or whatever you want to call it: nothing can progress linearly. It’s a, a dotted graph…”
“Scatter plot?” Offered Teruki helpfully.
“You got it,” said Reigen with a light jovial knuckle to Teruki’s shoulder. “Set backs are bound to happen, patterns need time to heal from, but what’s important is to keep trying. You hear me?”
“I hear you. And, I believe you,” Teruki smiled. “I hope you manage to fully quit again. I’m sure you will.”
“Shit, kid.” Reigen swore before he could stop himself, thumbing the underside of a glassy eye. He sniffed, cleared his sticky throat and said, with wild gesticulating hands as though he could pull the conversation away from himself as though it were a dove up a magician’s sleeve.“Now, enough about me,” Reigen gestured to one of the plastic chairs, inviting Teruki to sit, “what brings you out here at butts o’clock?”
“Thank you,”said Teruki, using politeness to put off the inevitable. Teruki bit his lip.
Reigen joined him sitting in his trusty duck taped plastic chair, and waited patiently. He would wait until dawn if need be.
There was something about past midnight conversations and plastic chairs that inspired talking about weighty matters. Fears, concerns, feelings too big for one person, all that could drown someone alone on a balcony - but with the power of plastic chairs and a friend, well, it didn’t seem too bad. Even the distant yellow street lamps, and speckled glow of the city scape seemed softer, rounded.
Teruki took a deep breath and leaned back into the plastic chair, allowing himself to relax. “It’s dumb,” he said at last.
Reigen crossed his legs and leaned back as well, head resting against the wall. “Hm,” he hummed, “possibly.”
Teruki gave him a sideways look.
Reigen returned it with a small smirk, “but it’s still worth talking about.”
Teruki looked forward, watching the city scape as it was framed by Reigen’s countless plants. “What if it isn’t?”
“Then we can just sit here in plastic chairs until we feel better.”
Teruki folded his hands in his lap, and settled into the silence that followed. Reigen uncrossed then re-crossed his legs, and likewise settled in. Despite the lack of sun on the horizon, or any sign of the sky starting to lighten, birds started singing small lazy concertos.
Which meant it was around three forty seven in the morning, thought Reigen with the confidence of someone who has stayed up and saw more than their fair share of seasonal three forty sevens. The perks of occasional insomnia.
“What were you doing up?” Teruki asked, with only a marginally challenging tone. “And, like, thinking about, and stuff.”
“Ah kid, we already talked about me.”
“Well,” Teruki frowned, still looking ahead, “I want to know.”
Reigen rubbed his own mouth, and relented, if only on the chance it would lead to Teruki talking about what was really on his mind.“Wanted this,” Reigen toed the ashtray. “And what I’m thinking about…” he shrugged, “usual adult things. Taxes, how many socks I have. Elections. Rent.”
“Yeah, that is boring.”
Reigen lifted a finger and said, in a mock phantasmal style of a cheesy B-movie ghost, “and it’ll happen to yoouuuu.”
“It’s already happening to me,” said Teruki, with a nonchalance he shouldn’t have at his age. “Well, the rent bit at least. I guess the socks, too.”
Reigen winced, “yeah, sorry kid.” He bit back a swear. “Look, if house sitting is stressing you out-”
Teruki turned wide eyed, waving his hands frantically. “No! No!”
“-I mean, geeze,” continued Reigen, internally kicking himself, “you’re responsible enough as it is - I shouldn’t have just, put that on you - you don’t need even more-”
“It isn’t the house sitting, I’m actually really excited about it! I’ll probably invite Kageyama-kun over, and not tell you.”
“What?”
“Exactly. And throw so many parties,” Teruki added, using Reigen’s known want for Teruki to act like a normal teen against him.
Reigen blinked at Teruki.
This time Teruki was the first to break the stare off, the big smile a dead give away that he was joking, about the parties at least.
“Really though, the house sitting isn’t too much,” Teruki looked down at his hands, “I…I’m happy you trust me so much to let me do this for you.” Teruki found himself thinking about his own parents again, how they trusted him to live on his own, but this was different. The warm contented feeling of being needed by someone he looked up to. How nice it was to feel needed. Something Teruki was realizing, he never really experienced with his own parents. At least that he could currently remember. Or articulate. “It means a lot,” he added.
“Okay,” Regain deflated, though his brows still pinched with concern. “Then what is it, kid?”
“You never talk about yourself Reigen-san.”
“What? We just had a heart to heart about the morals of addiction and shit,” he said, then scolded himself for swearing with another escaped, “shit.”
“Yeah but, what about the other stuff?”
“What other stuff is there?” Sure he was private, but surely basic parts of himself were known. Like, how he likes takoyaki and dogs, and so on. Appropriate surface level details.
“What were you like at my age?”
“Hah?!” The outburst was so unexpectedly and unintentionally loud, that they both paused to check if anyone woke up from it.
Teruki and Reigen shared a look, agreeing the coast was still clear, and sighed back into the silence. With an added jiggle to the sliding door to make sure it was closed properly.
“How far back do you remember your life?” Asked Teruki, in an almost whisper.
“Where is this coming from? You’re too young to sound like an eighty year old man.” Reigen leaned to the side, leering, “you didn’t sneak a beer did you?”
Teruki snorted and pushed Reigen’s face away, “no!”
“I don’t believe you,” Reigen smirked through Teruki’s snickering, and exasperated sounds. “Let me smell your breath. Can you walk a straight line? Touch your own nose while standing on one foot.”
“You don’t even have beer at your place.”
Reigen gave an exaggerated stage whispery gasp, “so you Looked for beer!”
Teruki groaned, frustration leaning more towards real, than faux. “‘Cmon Reigen-san, I’m serious.”
“I know,” nodded Reigen, “that’s what’s worrying me.”
Teruki frowned at the landscape, in a way he would vehemently refuse to call a pout, but was dangerously breeching pout-levels.
Reigen watched him for a while, then sighed and resettled, this time bringing both legs up to sit cross-legged in his chair. The plastic gave a little, straining the duck tape, almost as if this was one of the reasons why it broke in the first place.
In the face of Teruki’s continued stubborn silence Reigen clicked his tongue, then, finally, relented. “I don’t remember much. Well, not as much as I thought I’d remember. It’s funny, I always thought to myself ‘I’ll never forget what it was like to be this age’ and now, well…anyways…Happy moments, bad moments, I remember them with…various stages of clearness, I guess.”
Teruki kept looking at him, unsatisfied. “That’s it? That’s so…normal.”
Reigen struck a pose, and said in a voice a little too reminiscent to a soap opera Teruki watched once, “heh, so you’re after my dark backstory, huh?”
“Look, the most I know about when you were my age is, you forgot to tell your parents about sports day that one time.”
Reigen sniffled dramatically, “I never was the same after that.”
Teruki whapped his arm. “C'mon, please?”
“I don’t know what you want to hear, kid, I did…normal obnoxious kid things. Running, jumping, climbing on trees.”
“Ah-huh.”
“Playing in traffic,” continued Reigen with the same bored monotone, “nothing special.”
Teruki gave him a look.
“Okay,” relented Reigen, “so it was the suburbs, and I could see the cars coming miles away.”
Teruki leaned forward, gripping at the tantalizing detail, “suburbs?”
“Yeah,” said Reigen leaning away, “little ways out of the city, kind of…rural, I guess.”
“What was that like? To live somewhere rural?” Asked Teruki, city boy through and through. He distantly wondered if he would have had a better chance at avoiding Claw if he had tried hiding in some place rural.
“You’ve been to Mob’s neighborhood, it’s not much different. Suburb’s a suburb…I guess.”
“Well, the rural side, then. How rural is rural?” Teruki pressed on, marveling over how one person could be so allergic about talking about themself.
“Add a few rice plots to the mix, nothing much changes,” he shrugged. “People are people wherever you go.”
Teruki slouched.
“This is really serious to you, huh,” said Reigen leaning to catch Teruki’s eye.
Teruki turned away. He wished he could explain himself.
He wanted to know more, so that the knowledge he knew about Reigen could replace the spars details about his own father. Not that he’d admit it out loud.
Wanted to know the potential full extent of their similarities, their differences. The fact of the matter was, up until a certain age you didn't really consider adults to having once been kids themselves.
But as Teruki had already said, he was already doing Adult Things, paying rent, living on his own - perhaps if he grasped some further knowledge of one of the few adults he respected and felt ever so similar to, well, perhaps it could be some comfort.
Which were all very big and complex feelings to express especially for a teenager, and more so after midnight on a school night.
Teruki chewed the inside of his cheek.
“Teruki-kun?”
It was the concerned gentleness in Reigen’s voice that did it. Not to mention the use of his given name, as opposed to Reigen’s go to use of ‘kid’, or ‘twerp’, or ‘brat’, or ’little man’. “Kageyama-kun knows stuff about his dad!” Blurted Teruki, eyes squeezed shut.
Reigen froze in place.
“Like they shared stories,” explained Teruki, meekly. “Mainly sports stories. Cause that’s what Kageyama-kun is interested in. So…you know. Kageyama-san played baseball.”
Reigen nodded, mainly because he wasn’t sure what else to do.
“And,” continued Teruki with the slightest warble in his voice, “classmates are already complaining about their parents going ‘when I was your age’. And don’t get me started on grandparents.” Teruki’s eyes squeezed tighter shut, as if it would press back whatever tears that risked to cascade down his cheeks, back into his tear ducts. “I feel,” started Teruki breathing to give the illusion of steadiness, a steadiness that dangerously broached brittleness, “I feel a little left out.”
Reigen was beside himself. Properly out of his depths. Desperately wishing he had been able to finish his earlier cigarette. Was he just assigned a parental figure by this lonely sassy teenage boy? Did that just happen? No it happened far earlier while he wasn’t looking.
He’d always seen himself as, well an adult yes, someone on an emergency contact, but like the cool older brother who already went to university. No, ‘cool’ was pushing it. Perhaps the dysfunctional weird uncle that parents secretly didn’t want their own kids to turn out like, by any means necessary. The family disappointment.
Reigen gulped and ran a hand through his hair. “Oh,” he said dumbly. He forced his thoughts to stay in the here and now. The trouble was, Teruki reminded Reigen a little too much of himself sometimes, and Reigen wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
“So are you going to tell me something, or do I have to start, I don’t know… crying?”
“No! …no.” Reigen waved his hands rapidly, then cleared his throat. “Unless you want to cry.”
“No thanks.”
“Okay.” He paused. “I hear it's healthy for you.”
“Polite pass. I’m embarrassed enough as it is.”
“Okay…”
Teruki made a sound that dangerously sounded like a sniff.
Reigen sighed, and turned his head away, “you know, I was initially planning on rambling the plot of E.T, but I think if I’d do that now I’d be a real…twerp.”
“Yeah,” Teruki smiled appreciatively, eyes a little watery. “You can try that on Tome-chan though,” he sniffled before leaning to the side conspiratorially, “there’s a small chance she might even believe you.”
“I know,” drawled Reigen, “that’s what I’m afraid of.” Then Reigen took a deep inhale, preparing himself. Teruki turned expectantly, eyes locked onto whatever Reigen had to share.
“I lived in a suburbs, like I said, out in - it was rural. But me living there, that wasn’t always the case. My neighborhood, along with several of my friend’s homes were being foreclosed on.”
“Oh that’s terrible!” Said Teruki, immediately engrossed.
Reigen nodded solemnly, “Yes, well. It is what it is. But my friends and I wanted to spend one last weekend hoorah together, so we went to my auntie’s house - she was always the place to go, joined up with my cousin and had a big farewell party. That’s when we found this weird old piece of paper in auntie’s attic - I’m not even sure she knew about it either - cause it lead to enough money that could stop the foreclosure!”
Teruki pinched his brow together, but leaned forward all the same, with interest.
Reigen continued on, “I know, why wouldn’t she try and find it before hand? That’s what we asked ourselves too. Anyways - we searched high and low with the map to find this treasure. This was the last chance to save our homes after all! But, it turns out we weren’t the only ones interested in this treasure, it was a lot more famous than we’d thought.”
Teruki tilted his head to the side.
“After all who could resist the treasure of the dreadful warrior, One-Eyed-Willy?!”
Teruki threw his hands up in the air. This was too much to be real. “I can’t believe you right now!” He exclaimed.
Reigen dropped his storyteller’s facade and grinned without remorse. “Ah! But I’m pretty sure I see a smile there!” Pointed Reigen, finger wiggling towards Teruki’s cheek.
Teruki huffed, and couldn’t hold back the smirk, torn between frustration and amusement. “Unbelievable.”
“Had you there for a minute.”
“What movie even was that?”
“You never watched the Goonies?”
“I can’t believe you did that.”
“Ain’t I a stinker,” said Reigen with a small elbowing.
“Yeah,” said Teruki, before his smile started to fall again, “yeah…”
Reigen readjusted his leg, and rested his elbow on his knee. Teruki was still frowning. With a sigh Reigen looked out at the cityscape framed by all his balcony plants and vegetables. The sky looked marginally paler.“About forty five minutes,” said Reigen softly.
“What?” Teruki turned and was shocked to find a rather rare expression on Reigen’s face. It was hard to read, but not quite his usual deadpan.
“That’s how long it’d take me to bike to school. When I was your age.”
Teruki nodded, and didn’t say anything, as if worried he’d break some sort of spell, and Reigen would wake up and realize he was being honest.
“Originally, I was at a branch school. But that changed, so off I went to the main school. By the time it was time to take high school entrance exams my record time biking was twenty seven minutes…alright maybe a round thirty,” he amended rubbing his nose. “I liked cycling. Still do, a little, I suppose.”
Teruki’s smile was unrestrained.
Reigen glanced at him once before awkwardly fixing his gaze ahead of him.
“I even fell in the rice paddies once trying to beat my record. Almost skipped school because of it.” This was a half truth, he had absolutely skipped school. Reigen scratched the side of his cheek, “My parents were so mad.”
“What’d they do?”
Reigen waved his hand dismissively, not wanting to linger on the matter, “not important.” Then added before the subject could turn into a bummer, “I really did like climbing trees. Or just, climbing. And you know what?” Reigen waved Teruki to lean closer with a conspiratorial air, “sometimes, even to this day, I’ll look at something and go, ‘yeah I could probably climb that’.”
“Do you try climbing?”
“Nah, can’t ruin the suit.”
Teruki nodded, smiling as he looked down at his hands in his lap. In truth what Reigen shared could be considered Bare Minimum, but considering the subject in question (Reigen), it was certainly a start.
Contented silence followed. The sky wasn’t light enough to see the birds chase each other across the sky, but they could certainly be heard.
“It must be nice to have roots,” said Teruki, closing his eyes to the breeze.
It was an innocuous statement. Completely understandable from someone who moved a lot from a young age. And yet it made Reigen’s thoughts wander inwards.
Did he have roots? Reigen wasn’t exactly born and raised solely in one place - so it wasn’t as though he could call it a hometown…right? Not in the same way his mother could, who was born and raised there. Though it was always the same region. He could still see the mountain despite his father’s attempt to ‘raise standards’ said in the same snide tones as someone who would say ‘marrying socially up/down’.
And yet, if Reigen thought about it, he could imagine the route from home to school with ease, that same route most likely still existed just as it had continued to exist for centuries before him - an old ox cart path born from necessity. The way he would sooner go to his aunt’s after school, despite the extra time it took to enter the mountain. The guardian statues along the way. The festivals. Was that a hometown? Was that enough to call it 'Having Roots'? The mountain was still there. Was being raised under the same mountain’s shadow ‘Having Roots’? Despite the increase of telephone poles and electric wires that came into view? Despite estrangements that followed?
As uncertainty filled Reigen, his heart ached with a pulse. He coughed and compensated with a wide grin at Teruki.
“Hey,” said Reigen, “keep that sentimental crap up, and I’ll call you Coconut Kid.”
“That makes no sense,” said Teruki while gently batting away Reigen’s attempts to give him a noogie. “Pineapple at least makes sense.” He wiggled his blonde head by means of demonstration.
“Ah,” said Reigen, admonishing a finger professorially, “but there isn’t a wistful song about pineapples, is there?”
“Song?”
Reigen nodded, and rustled the top of Teruki’s head. Beneath the kid’s giggles, Reigen started to, well, not so much sing, as speak in tune as befitting the hours of fast approaching morning, “From a faraway island whose name I do not know, came a single coconut floating on the ocean.”
“Oh my god,” stared Teruki, “now who’s being sentimental. ”
“You brought this on yourself,“ said Reigen before continuing, “Washed away from the coast of your home how many months, coconut, have you been adrift on the waves?”
“I’m in third grade again. There should be a law against feeling like that.”
“The tree to which you belonged, is it lush with thick leaves and its wide branches still casting shade?”
“Where’s my phone?” Teruki patted his pockets and looked around himself.
“Inside. And if you tell anyone about this, they’ll never believe you.” Then continued with exaggerated feeling, “I, too, am a drifter on a lonesome journey whose pillow is the seaside.”
“I’ll pay you to stop,” said Teruki, thoroughly enjoying the scenario far too much to mean it.
Reigen snaked his arm around Teruki and pulled him in for a surprise noogie, “As I take the coconut and place it onto my chest.”
“Ow! Stop!” Teruki laughed.
“The sorrow of this drifting life fills me anew.”
“You’ve made your point!! Alright!!”
Reigen released the teen and joined in on the laughter, which petered out into an amicable sigh.
“Thanks Reigen,” said Teruki, feeling better.
“Anytime kiddo.”
“Are you sure I can’t come?” Asked Teruki in a voice so quiet Reigen almost thought he had imagined it.
“Yeah, Im sure.” Reigen placed his arm around Teruki in a loose side hug, and rested his hand on his head, giving his hair a gentle paternal ruffle. “Im sorry, kid. Next time you can come, I promise.”
Teruki looked up at him, eyes a little wetter then he’d like. But accepted Reigen’s promise. A promise from Reigen meant he’d try his damndest to keep it - which sometimes spoke more than a kept promise.
With a slow nod, Teruki settled back, leaning into Reigen’s arm. “Five more minutes?”
The sky was certainly a shade lighter, in a tug of war sort of way. Partway clinging to the night, partway tilting into paler colors. Though considering the overcast clouds rolling in, it was all steel flavored.
“Sure, kid.”
Teruki was out like a light in less than three minutes. Though Reigen waited until the promised five minuets before he hoisted Teruki in his arms to carry. Wheezing as quietly as his nicotine addled lungs would allow. Teenagers were deceptively heavy.
Opening sliding doors with his foot proved trickier than anticipated, but Reigen managed. The walkway to the bed was far easier, and Teruki rolled next to Shou not disturbing him in the slightest. It would have been like trying to bother a stone.
Reigen smirked, adjusted the covers in a nonchalant flinging sort of way, and returned to the couch to see how many hours of shut-eye of his own he could squeeze in.
His unfinished cigarette stayed forgotten on the balcony.
Birds chirped louder.
Traffic of the early commuter picked up in a slow crescendo. Which was undercut by the sudden bursting sound of a chainsaw and other tools sanctioned by the same ingenuous government that allowed early seasonal arboriculture at the crack of dawn. Far too early in the season considering there was still the whole of spring to get through before the rainy season started.
This caused Reigen to groan, and curl in on himself and shut his eyes tighter.
Hours later…
The sound of the alarm came much sooner than Serizawa anticipated - as was usually the case. Serizawa was swift to turn it off, at least after managing to untangle his arm from within the blankets, fumbling through bleariness and big thumbs.
He groaned and waited for his consciousness to catch up with his body. It arrived slowly, like honey dripping off a spoon.
With mental assessing and affirming that, yes, he was alive, and did belong to a human body, this one in fact, Serizawa was able to take in that, yes, he was in Reigen’s apartment. He was on the spare futon, and the shape in the corner wasn’t a hunched gargoyle, but rather a ficus. That the soft whisper sounds were Shou and Teruki, still sleeping.
And all at once, came the smell, followed with the gentle tinkling sounds of someone cooking in the other room. Which meant Reigen was already awake and, by the smell, halfway through making something delicious.
Serizawa closed his eyes and breathed in the smells.
Eggs were very much a major player in the smell orchestra that was happening in Serizawa’s nose. Followed by something …tangy - sausage? And then, nestled between was something, something distinct, yet impossibly unique and delicate…
Serizawa opened his eyes, and pulled himself upright. He whispered to the ficus, “pancakes?”
With a glance to make sure the teens were still sleeping, Serizawa got to his feet and tip toed to the edge of the wall.
As was the nature of studio apartments, the only other closed off room was the bathroom, but the shape of the apartment did allow some blocking, and a soft idea of different areas. What couldn’t be imagined well, that’s when a privacy screen would come into play. Or in Reigen’s case, a taught string and a drape.
And so, Serizawa tip toed as close as he could get to, well, not spy, and certainly not be a creep - just get a quick admiring look of him, when Reigen thought there was no one observing him and his labyrinth of defenses are lowered.
In moments like these there was no The Myth, or The Legend, just The Man.
Serizawa was happy with how comfortable Reigen felt around Serizawa enough to let The Man appear more and more these days, unobserved or not. It had been a slow road to acceptance since the confrontation and admittance to Mob - that there was no Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century, just Reigen Arataka.
But still that labyrinth of defenses lingered, as did the ruins of The Myth and The Legend.
It would take time, Serizawa was sure, and he was happy to be along for the ride…for however long he was able.
A soft smile couldn’t help but crinkle Serizawa’s eyes as he peered, reminding him not only he had developed a bit of eye gunk over the night (technically called rheum which Serizawa learned in one of his nightly rabbit hole dives on the internet. He didn’t even remember what he was originally looking up, probably something for school), but also how wonderfully disheveled Reigen can look.
Quick peek over, Serizawa receded closer to the edge of the wall and tried to burn the quick image in his mind …in a friendly way. The way Reigen’s cow-lick stood up, the way he kept rolling up the sleeves of the sweater he wore as he worked (the sweater itself old and the sleeves loose causing it to fall down his wrists ever three movements or so), the little nonsense hum that had less sense to Serizawa as the twitter of birds, and of course, the famed scratching the calf with the other foot technique (something Serizawa had once noticed Reigen physically try and stop himself from doing in public).
Serizawa sighed, and, with a brief glance to make sure the kids were still asleep, dared another peek.
Despite the majority of the teen’s opinions, Reigen and Serizawa weren’t completely oblivious. They were aware how they themselves thought about the other, but were indeed foggy on the idea of the other reciprocating.
It would be hard to pin point when exactly either of them resigned themselves to this friends only stale-mate, to the pangs of yearning, blind in their own wishful thinking and low perception of themselves to even entertain the possibility of…of more.
A double sided sword.
Contentment, poisoned with fearful hesitation.
The lingering ghost of hands brushing together, like the lingering warmth of the sun in summer on a stone at night.
That being said the friendship was absolutely cherished, there was no doubt about that. There was no dishonor or disservice to being friends - if anything the friendship was far too precious, too rare, to ever dare to contemplate treading on clumsily with weighty seemingly impossible ideas like love. Love of a different kind.
Imagine cooking a recipe so difficult, so rare to get all the ingredients just right to gather - and dare risking adding a pinch of something unexpected. A risk of ruining this already rare dish at full capacity.
On one hand there’s ruin, on the other…well who knew what an extra orange peel and chili can do.
So the pair of them stared, hand hovering over the metaphorical rare exquisite dish, with an ingredient that was off recipe to the rare dish called good friendship...holding their breaths.
Serizawa wished he had the courage to let the ingredient drop...and kept searching for signs that Reigen would let his ingredient drop.
If love was a test of courage, they were both standing at the entrance, wondering who would step first (forward or backward).
A stand off of heart swelling proportions.
Serizawa watched as Reigen grated something into some bowl and stirred it, then stepped back again, unseen. He quickly hid his face in his hands as thoughts of stepping out and hugging Reigen from behind while the morning light accented their silhouettes, and other tender soft morning thoughts that made his bones feel like jelly and electric all at once.
“Serizawa?” Reigen’s whisper floated from the kitchen. “Are you up?”
“Y-yes?” Serizawa whispered back unthinkingly. Only to quickly whap his mouth. He tried to calm himself, to not let his mind instantly spiral into ‘oh god did he see me?’ thoughts. With a deeper breath Serizawa braved, “how did you know?”
In the kitchen Reigen smiled to himself, while gently reintroducing a floating spice rack to the concept of gravity. “Just a lucky guess.”
“O-oh.”
The spice rack lowered back into place with ease. “Morning. You hungry?”
Serizawa lowered his hands, and rested one on his tummy, smiling fondly to the middle distance. “A little.”
He was more than just a little hungry.
After a quick face wash, and other ablutions, Serizawa entered the kitchen. The sound and smell of batter sizzling in a pan, and Reigen fiddling with an innocent spice rack, waiting for him.
The kitchen also held signs of stress cooking and, Serizawa tilted his head at the half closed refrigerator, meal prepping?
"Did you sleep...at all?"
Reigen snorted, averting his eyes, "what makes you say that?"
Serizawa closed the refrigerator fully. "Just a hunch." Then, without asking, he started tidying.
Reigen whirled, spatula in hand that still had a gloop of batter that was close to making contact with the floor, "Don't! You haven't even had breakfast yet! Please. You're my guest, right Serizawa?”
"Truue," said Serizawa, still on his steady cleaning mission, "but I'm more than a guest. Right Reigen-san?"
Reigen gulped under Serizawa's steady stare.
Panic and electricity running up both their spines as the shared beat of silence stretched into seemingly forever. The test of courage continuing.
Reigen was sure he stopped breathing for a moment.
Finally Serizawa said, ”I'm your friend.“ It was said with such solid sureness it might have been part of a mountain. "And friends," continued Serizawa un-perturbed by how Reigen was holding the spatula tightly, "help out. Easy peasy."
"Easy peasy," Reigen heard himself echo. He shook his head then said, "well could you at least have some tea or something before you do? You're making me feel bad."
“Alright,” chuckled Serizawa. He moved to make himself some tea, and halted when he heard a little squeak from Reigen. “Can I make it myself? You look like you have your hands full, and I know where it is.”
“Right…right,” muttered Reigen into the batter, “you’re right. Heh heh - be my guest, friend.”
Serizawa silently admonished the joke with the shake of his head. “Have you had one? Ah, here. I’ll give a refill.”
“…thank you.”
Serizawa smiled, and basked in the early morning moment. The kettle sounded, cups were filled, and a content sigh escaped Serizawa.
“So,” said Serizawa after a while, “you didn’t sleep a lot.” It wasn’t a question.
“No,” admitted Reigen.
“Are you going to be alright traveling?”
“I can sleep during the bus ride later.”
Serizawa frowned, the bus ride would be much later, after the train ride, which he knew Reigen wouldn’t want to even entertain the idea of sleeping on. “Are we going to have to stop at a stall at the station for energy drinks?”
“…maybe. Oh, and a few other things I forgot to get earlier.”
“You’re going to be miserable,” said Serizawa, sure as the mythic Cassandra. Though, it didn’t take psychic foresight or the gift of prophecy to know that much.
Yet similar to others who had heard the prophetic warnings of Cassandra, Reigen did not want to believe Serizawa’s words of warning. “I’ll be fiiine,” Reigen waved his hand about, “It’ll be fiiiine. Don’t you worry.”
Serizawa gave a non-comital hum, and relented. “Oh, alright.” A pause. “So, what kept you from sleeping? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Teruki wanted a little chat after dinner…I’m surprised we didn’t wake you…” A thought sprung into Reigen’s head that made his cheeks warm, “We didn’t wake you or anything, did we?”
“Oh, no.” Serizawa turned his cup around by the handle. “Not at all.”
Reigen nodded, pleased. “Good, good-“
It was a light touch of sound, gentle humming drifting from Serizawa that had Reigen captivated for several heartbeats - at least until it sunk in that what Serizawa was humming was the tune Reigen had whispered-sang to Teruki the night before. The double take that followed nearly gave Reigen whiplash.
The corner’s of Serizawa’s mouth twitched before hiding his mouth completely behind an innocent sip of his morning tea. Eyes daring Reigen to comment.
Ball in his court and fumbling as if his limbs and brain were made of jello, Reigen stirred the batter that, by now, didn’t need anymore stirring. Face red with the spluttering he dare not utter.
Finally Reigen managed a squeaky, “don’t.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Reigen cleared his throat, “right.” He was pretty sure Serizawa knew what he meant.
“…so, what did you two talk about?
Reigen shrugged, and turned a pancake over. “This, and that…”
“Yes?”
Reigen looked into Serizawa’s big brown eyes, and focused on the countertop before speaking. “He kept asking for little details about me as a kid…”
Serizawa nodded sagely. “Which you dodged.”
“Which I dodged,” he grumbled around his frown. Reigen ran a hand through his hair. Another sigh escaped him. “…Kind of. What was I supposed to say? When I was your age I was an absolute flop of a kid delinquent, and was already smoking? He already caught me having a cigarette. The look on his face…”
“You were smoking at 14?”
“Please my grandfather did worse during the war.”
“…still, you should get checked out.” He paused. “When was the last time you got checked out?”
“Serizawa, please.”
Serizawa raised his hands, “just saying. And I won’t forget that detail.”
Reigen clicked his tongue and looked away, but in a disgruntled fond way. After a while Reigen said, “I gave in a little though. …in the end, I mean. It seemed important to him…for some reason…”
Serizawa stared at the refrigerator covered in magnets and pictures, lopsided group photos, postcards, yellowing ticket stubs from an amusement park, and a crayon drawing of a gray humanoid with a pink stripe full of yellow streaks and beams and green squiggly lines standing next to another, shorter, humanoid in green with a half circle black hat -no hair…
Then at another other crayon drawing full of green blobs with quirky feet and arms…an elementary schooler’s attempt at frogs. Yellowed and slightly bleached with age and exposure. Similar things could be found around the office as well - especially the cork board. Serizawa was sure whoever this artist was, was the same one behind the framed orange flower in the office as well.
It all caused a little pang in Serizawa’s chest.
“Didn’t you think that maybe that’s exactly what Hanazawa-kun wanted to hear? Maybe even needed?”
Reigen snorted. “Not likely. At all. And if it is …it is very unfortunate - he deserves better.”
Serizawa placed his cup down with purpose, grabbing Reigen’s attention instantly. “Are you really so blind on the effect you have on others?” The unspoken ‘still’ hung in the subtext like a Chekhovian play.
The intensity Serizawa was pinning Reigen with his stare made him gulp. Made him feel like things were crawling under skin, falling over each other to get away from Serizawa’s steady words of reason, and, thinking ahead of the conversation, Reigen felt more was on the horizon.
Reigen really didn’t mean to burden Serizawa with having to say reassuring words. He searched for what to say, to mitigate the on-coming scenario: “‘Cmon haha. Little words can’t change that much. I mean they won’t bring back…actually - what I mean to say is. Look. Okay. I admit I ah, can. say. the. ah. right thing.” Reigen hoped this wasn’t as painful to hear as he felt. “…haha broken clocks are right twice a day too haha…ha…”
Serizawa gave himself a moment to take a breath. An inhale of breath in the silence that spoke volumes.
All at once Reigen knew: he had failed spectacularly to mitigate.
“Reigen-san.” Reigen gulped, and braced himself. “I beg you to reflect otherwise.” And with all the conviction of someone who has the memories to prove Exhibit A was correct, Serizawa said: “Your words carry far more significance than you think. Than you can possibly imagine. We’ve talked about -” here Serizawa interrupted himself to gesture to the fridge, “you think elementary schoolers draw for just anybody?”
Reigen stared mystified. Desperate for a foothold to interject, or explain. He appreciated how hard these moments could be for Serizawa, when it came to put his foot down and stick to an opinion, or conviction. He also knew that once Serizawa was on a roll, trying to offset that would be like trying to stop a raging stampede.
The most Reigen could do was click his tongue and look away, specifically from Serizawa…the fridge…and the wave of complicated emotions that were rising up.
“You think people who are inspired, and sometimes repeat what is said to them - what, what inspired them - happens to anybody? Everybody? Of all the things to be hard on yourself on - Talking? Reigen-san??” It took Serizawa significant effort to remember Teruki and Shou were still sleeping in the other side of the apartment. How could Reigen not admit his own talent? It was, indeed, painful. “There are guide books and help books on a lot of things, I know, but nothing you can do can come from a book.” Then as if reading Reigen’s thoughts added, “Or an ‘Idiot’s Guide’. Which despite the name is a quite helpful series sometimes. But this isn’t about that.”
Reigen made a leap to scramble and say, quickly, as if for the sake of saying something, an explanation of some sort, “I just don’t want to fail him, like I failed-”
“Don’t. Even try. To finish that sentence.”
Reigen gulped. Properly metaphorically stampeded.
The spice rack, a stray scrunchie that was once thought of as lost, and other little items started to gently spin as Serizawa continued: “I just wish you’d - I think you're better than any absentee over seas parent. Better than a lot of people. Better than you think, and - and, and I bet if it were me saying those things you were saying about yourself, a-as myself, and I was talking that way about myself and Shou you’d be defending me like, like, like it was nothing. And don’t even try to go into the ‘but you are better than me’ card, or I’ll t-throw in the ex-terrorist one. N-not that any of those cards work, or should, or -yeah.” By the time Serizawa reached the end he was breathing heavily with the effort of quickly getting his thought across with as low a voice as possible.
To Serizawa’s delight Reigen was left speechless. They stared at one another, each blushing furiously while a forgotten pancake began to burn in the pan. The various little objects reintroduced themselves to the concept of gravity, landing softly with a small tink.
“I-I-I‘d say sorry,” rallied Serizawa muscling through the burning embarrassment of voicing an opinion he felt strongly about, “but I’m n-not sorry. That’s just the way I feel. As y-your friend who w-would like to see you nicer to yourself. L-like you’d like to in me. I’m sure.”
The silence that followed hovered about the kitchen like a veil. It wasn’t something they hadn’t talked about before. But it still left a significant impression whenever certain topics were broached. Which was punctuated by a badly timed loud grumble from Serizawa’s stomach.
Reigen felt himself nod slowly. As if the act of nodding was happening somewhere far away, to someone else. Silently Reigen plated four pancakes for Serizawa. Carefully.
“T-thank you.”
“Yeah,” said Reigen from within the growing fog of thought. Then he remembered to say, as if thoughts and words had a large delay, “thank you too. For uh… yeah.”
Serizawa nodded.
“…this was all a bit much this early in the morning,” Reigen heard himself admit out loud.
“…I’m sorry.”
Reigen whirled his head facing Serizawa. “No-! I’m-! Didn’t mean-! What I meant was-!”
“It was a rather raw way to start the day,” agreed Serizawa, an apology twinging in the shadow of the words.
Reigen deflated. He glanced at the hiding spot where he kept his cigarettes, then at the batter bowl - thumb tapping his fingers for feeling. “I’m the one who should say sorry.” Reigen held up a hand before Serizawa could say anything, and said, with full unabashed honesty he could muster. “I’m…grateful.”
They held each other’s gaze. Another pancake burned. By now a little black cloud was rising cartoonishly from the pan.
Reigen jumped to action, salvaging what he could. The moment dissipating in a quick clean, and the sizzle of another gloop of batter joining the pan. “We need to wake those two up, or not only they’ll miss school, we’ll miss the train.”
Ah.
The train.
Serizawa nodded as he added the train ride to the list of what was causing Reigen to be in whatever mood he seemed to have found himself in this morning. If Reigen were more well rested he probably wouldn’t have let his earlier thoughts slip out to begin with. This gave Serizawa another layer of pause.
Rallying from his thoughts Serizawa said, “let them sleep a little longer. I’m sure it’ll be fine. They have their own alarms, I’m sure.”
Reigen paused at the kitchen’s edge looking back at Serizawa. “Yeah?”
Serizawa smiled. “Yeah. Have a pancake yourself. Not just the burned ones.”
Reigen froze as a bullet train of gushing ran through his brain. He quickly shooed it away before his cheeks could warm. “Pff, before those ingrates gobble it all down.”
Serizawa hummed through the faux grumpiness. “Did you add something citrusy to the batter? What am I tasting here?”
A smile of Reigen’s own dawned as he entered back into the kitchen. Just like that, it was like their morning restarted - restarted onto a far softer setting.
“Orange.” Reigen eyed the batter as he spoke. “Thought I’d use what was lingering from the winter season. Grated the peel to give it that zing.” He plated a few pancakes himself and joined Serizawa.
“It sure has a zing, alright.” This time Serizawa froze. Then added an awkward laugh for good friendly measure. “Haha.”
“Haha,” went Reigen for friendly measure.
Mutually they decided they needed more caffeine to handle the coming day. With a shared smile they talked on, and on, until Teruki and Shou’s alarms went off.
It was a school day, so of course the kids were asleep as if they were dead to the world. As was the paradoxical nature of sleep - it is always at its most restful just when it’s about to be interrupted by the nagging inconvenience of obligation.
And this was how both Serizawa and Reigen winced into their morning tea as three, consecutive, various amounts, of phone alarms went off one after the other at 3 minute intervals. Semi unconscious snooze pressing included.
At the fifth alarm, Reigen had had enough. “Alright brats! Rise and shine!” Reigen moved to yank the top blanket, but was stopped by an imploring look from Serizawa.
How could Reigen resist those big brown eyes?
So he raised his fingers to his lips instead, ready to whistle louder than a car alarm in the dead of night. Earning Reigen another Look from Serizawa. Albeit one with a growing smirk.
Reigen sighed dramatically, and changed tactics yet again. “I’m going to eat all these pancakes myself!!”
Shou was the first to spring up. “Pancakes?!”
Teruki stretched and slowly rose like a necrotic sleeping beauty, hair sticking every which way. “Pancakes?” He croaked with sleep.
“Pancakes,” affirmed Reigen with a solemn nod.
As Reigen followed after the kids in the three steps it took to get to his kitchen, he shared a small high-five with Serizawa.
What had been slowly savored before, was indeed gobbled down in less than seconds.
Reigen shook his head. “I didn’t even finish laying out the rest of breakfast on the table.”
“There’s more?” Piped up Shou, half standing from his seat.
“Here,” went Reigen placing plates of sliced omelette and sausage on the table. “Take it you crazed beasts.”
Teruki snickered into his plate.
“Wait, I meant more pancakes,” Shou whined with a badly masked smirk.
Reigen sucked air through his teeth and raised his spatula in a faux ‘why I oughta’ way. “Shameless. Absolutely shameless.”
“He meant no harm,” said Serizawa over the sound of Shou blowing a loud raspberry at Reigen. He smirked behind his cup again.
Reigen stuck his tongue back in his mouth. “Yeah, yeah. I know. You brats sleep well? After I graciously let you use my bed.”
Faux (and not so faux) complaints about how lumpy and old Reigen’s bed were quick to bubble forth. By the end it almost sounded as if Reigen had let them sleep on cardboard. It wouldn’t be long until it sounded like he kicked a puppy while doing so.
“Yep,” said Reigen in a bored way around his mouthful, “walked into that, huh.”
“Oh, by the way,” said Shou, laying his utensils to the side, “I was thinking about your case.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…Why isn’t Dimple going with you? You’d think he’d be helpful, you know, covering ground and all.”
Reigen pointed at Shou with his chopstick. “Good question short-stack.”
“I’m not short.”
“You’re the one who wanted more pancakes.”
“We thought of that,” said Serizawa, interrupting what was bound to be another tennis match of intellectual wits.
“But,” continued Reigen, “he’s more helpful keeping an eye on you little twerps instead. Keep you out of trouble.”
“Ooh.” Said the teens in unison, then shared a look, “Tome.”
Reigen waved his hand, “yeah, yeah - as if you two don’t have mischief in you either.”
Shou and Teruki shared another look…the amount of innocent to mischief ratio could not be calculated by current scientists.
“Alright, alright you deviants. Get ready for school. Oh, and before I forget. Made some lunch out of last night’s leftovers for you two,” Reigen thumbed to two re-used supermarket plastic bags.
Shou stared at the violent yellow smiley face design on the plastic bag, and its vacant expression. “Uh, thanks Reigen-san …could I just take the tupperware inside and leave the bag?”
“What if it leaks?”
“Ah. Right. Thank you.”
Reigen snorted, “I’ll wrap it in a napkin, don’t worry. It shouldn’t leak …probably.”
Shou shook his head with a smirk before getting ready.
“And Teruki there’s some pre-made meals in the fridge. Thanks again for the house sitting.”
Teruki gently held the plastic bag in his hand, chest swelling. “Of course. No problem. …thank you again for trusting me.”
“Any time,” drawled Reigen, smirking when Teruki headed out of the kitchen to get ready.
Reigen turned to see Serizawa smiling at him with a meaningful look in his eyes.
Flustered Reigen turned his head away with a half hearted, soft, “don’t.” Then groaned loudly about having to water his plants, and complained loudly about kids taking too long in his bathroom.
Serizawa, still smiling, shook his head.
Later, when everyone was dressed and ready to go, they walked together as long as the path would let them. At least until they reached the dividing path, where Serizawa and Reigen would turn towards the station, and Teruki and Shou would turn towards their respective school routes.
Reigen watched as Teruki stared at his shoes. His breath short as if psyching himself up.
To spare the kid, Reigen was moments from making a banal comment about the weather and the heat, before his whole train of thought was interrupted by a hug. A proper hug. Not the tween 'too cool for school' quick kind, or the 'I hope no one sees me expressing emotion - gosh how Embarrassing' kind. A solid hug.
Reigen stammered, bewildered, before returning it in kind.
Reigen's eyes landed on Serizawa, a knowing glint in his brown kind eyes.
Serizawa turned from looking at him, to a cringing Shou. The sort of cringe thats more of an internal battle between asking for something, and hiding the want to ask.
Serizawa, sweet gentle giant Serizawa, opened his arms to Shou. An unconditional invitation.
Shou didn’t wait have Serizawa wait long. One second he was there cringing on the sidewalk, the next in Serizawa’s arms.
What started as a casual wave of farewell, ended in hugs. The world could use more hugs thought Reigen.
Reigen looked down at Teruki who was squeezing his middle, and rested a hand on his head. "You’re going to be alright."
"And you'll come back?"
"You can bet on it."
Teruki nodded into him. Braved a deep breath to settle the bubble of emotions that had lodged itself in his throat. “Alright. I will. Otherwise I’ll come find you.”
“Of course.”
Teruki stepped back, and quickly thumbed at his eye. “Alright.”
“Don’t fail any tests while I’m away.”
“Pff if anything I’ll get better at math.”
“Aaand there it is,” smirked Reigen. “I’m just a phone call away …service provider willing.”
“Yeah…I know…oh! I could send photos of your plants to you.”Brilliant Common Hanazawa Teruki shone in the morning sun as he hopped on the balls of his feet, full of creative ideas. “Maybe I can make little hats, or!!” Teruki brightened pressing his fingers into his cheeks to pose for effect, “~ Accessories ~”
“I’d like that Teruki, thank you.” A pause. “A-as long as they don’t kill my plants.”
“We’ll hold a tasteful funeral if they do.”
“Ah. Very reassuring. Yes.”
“To die for beauty,” said Teruki with a dramatic clench of his fist, “is a great thing.”
“Oh boy.”
“Glitter will be involved.”
Reigen nodded sagely. “Obviously.”
More lingering farewells followed, and soon they were on their separate ways.
As Reigen and Serizawa walked side by side, his eyes glanced up at a tree. It was certainly climbable.
Reigen looked over his shoulder spotting Teruki and Shou talking as they walked away. Then back at the tree.
He made a decision.
“Reigen-san?” Said Serizawa, bewildered.
Reigen started unfurling his scarf and taking off his coat, hanging them on a bow before clapping his hands and looking up at the tree with determination.
With a well placed foot, and propped hands that instantly prickled with the scratchiness of the bark, Reigen hoisted himself up, and climbed higher up, and up and up.
The tree wasn’t too old, not bad for one grown as part of sidewalk decoration in a city. The coming spring certainly activated something sticky and sappy beneath. But that didn’t bother Reigen.
With a hooked leg on a branch and leaning against the main trunk, Reigen cupped his hands to his mouth and hollered down the road. “OOOI!” Then followed the call with his fingers to his lips and a long whistle. A nearby cat startled from sleep, and fell over itself to rush down an alley.
Teruki and Shou turned. Shou leaned forward, squinting into the sun, he pulled a hand from his jacket pocket and blocked the sun’s rays for a better look.
“The hell?”
Teruki blinked multiple times, incredulous.
“JUST AS I THOUGHT! SUPER CLIMBABLE! GUESS I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF HUH TERUKI?”
Shou turned to Teruki, “The hell is he talking about…?” his voice trailed at the expression on Teruki’s face.
A smile cracked through as he gasped, and the smile bubbled into a laugh that got louder and louder.
“I GUESS SO!” Teruki laughed back, with a wave.
Shou looked back and forth between Teruki, and Reigen waving from the tree. Then looked at Serizawa.
Far away as they were, Serizawa’s shoulder’s were broad enough to see he was shrugging even from down the road.
Shou shrugged back.
The four all waved again and Shou and Teruki went on their way.
Reigen, still smiling and waving, said through his teeth, “hey, uh, Serizawa?”
“Yeah?”
“Uh…”
“…do you need help getting back down?”
“…….yes please.”
“I’ll wait until the kids turn the corner.”
“That’d be great, thanks…”
Chapter 4: Ora Tōkyō sa Iguda
Notes:
Is it truly Ghibli inspired if there isn’t commentary on industry, strong opinions, politics, and deep waves of melancholy?
Also, gosh I learned so much about Japanese funerary practices and tobacco brands for this fic. It was fascinating!!
I hope you have been enjoying the fluff so far though! Here is a soft reminder that I can be quite macabre.
Please enjoy!♡
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Passenger 1: This city blows.
Passenger 2: Big time.
Passenger 1: I mean, whatever. I'm not above living in a former crack house, you know? But, I came here for Janis and the Airplane, not to work at a fucking startup.
Passenger 2: Dude, I've been saying for months, let's just move to East LA. This city's dead.
Passenger 1: Nah. Seriously, fuck this city.
Jimmie: ’Scuse me? You don't get to hate San Francisco.
Passenger 2: I’m sorry, what?
Passenger 1: Yeah, dude, I mean...Sorry, but I'll hate what I want.
Jimmie: Do you love it?
Passenger1: It’s... I mean yeah, I'm here. But do I have to love it?
Jimmie: You don't get to hate it unless you love it.
- The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) dir. Joe Talbot. Screenplay by Jimmie Fails, Joe Talbot, and Rob Richert
❧❧❧
Their shoes clicked and scuffed along the fine smooth pavement of the sidewalk. Their carryons rolling almost silently along with them, disturbing no one but the occasional weed and dandelion that managed to break through the cracks of the pavement.
If breakfast and farewells weren’t enough to wake either of them up already, the spring morning air added a crisp tap on their cheeks helping them the rest of the way.
Reigen mid stride stretched noisily. Hands interlocking above his head as he gently leaned this way and that, face scrunching into the delight of the stretch. A detail Serizawa never failed to notice.
Meanwhile, Serizawa, with his long gliding strides which easily kept pace with Reigen’s short fast ones, admired how truly parakeet green freshly grown leaves are, and the glistening dew on the buds of windowsill plants.
“Mrs. Imai’s azalea’s seem to have survived another winter,” noted Serizawa as he waved to Imai. She ran the konbini near the office.
“Hm? Oh yeah, look at that,” said Reigen, also waving. "She was so persnickety about it too.”
“Hm. Very worried, yes,” amended Serizawa gently. “Should we get something? You mentioned you needed to pick something up this morning.”
“Ah. Well. Yes. But um, not from the konbini.” Reigen sniffed, and rubbed the underside of his nose.
Serizawa took a moment to try and translate what Reigen was being cagey about this time. Then waited for Reigen to continue.
Reigen groaned and dragged a hand over his face. “Please don’t make me say it.”
“I don't not know what you mean, sir.”
Reigen sputtered, offended by the formality. To a comedic dramatic degree. “Sir?!”
“Yes?”
Reigen pert his lips to the side, then loosened his scarf. Gosh it was warm. Then checked his watch and groaned. “Look let’s get some crackers, ahem, a few energy drinks, and almonds - they’ll probably taste less stale than whatever’s by the station. Say a quick hello to Imai,” here he made an ornate arm gesture that ended with him snapping his fingers and thumbing behind him to accent his point, “and hit the road.”
“In time to get some cigarettes.”
Reigen nodded along. “In time to get some -” he bit his lip, and stared at Serizawa, who stared back (albeit struggling to compete with Reigen’s deadpan). “Serizawa Katsuya.”
“Reigen Arataka.”
They took a brief moment to savor not only saying, but hearing their given name being said, all neatly tucked in within the formality of saying their full name. It had started to become a bit of a running joke for them since their friendship deepened after the ‘Roshuto Incident’.
Intimacy, wrapped in formality, presented as an amicable joke. That neither dared to bring up outside of repeating the joke, nor commented on how rosy their cheeks would feel afterwards. Besides if they Committed to the Bit there wasn’t time to think about the implications.
Reigen coughed into his fist, and waved his arm about to pose before saying, as authoritative as he could manage, “since we are being so formal this fine spring morning. As your boss, I oughta dock your pay for that sass.”
“As your deputy, I look forward to seeing that in writing, sir,” said Serizawa pleasantly. His own smirk long since having broken through his attempted deadpan.
“Yeah, yeah - I bet you would. Consider it a cigarette charge, then.”
Serizawa tilted his head to the side, “will this go into paying for your next check-up?”
Reigen dropped his head back and groaned into the sky, all corporate pretense gone.
Earnestness oozed into Serizawa’s voice, with frighteningly tender ease, “jokes aside Reigen-san…”
Reigen placed a hand over his eyes, “I walked into that one.”
“You’re the one who told me about the importance of-”
“-taking care of yourself, yes. I know. Ugh. You’re right.” He remembered how harrowing and nervous Serizawa was when Reigen first helped him get his paperwork in order for a new health care provider back when Serizawa first started. A microwave was lost due to nerves alone, and a few potted plants made rotations around Reigen’s desk like miniature planets, but it wasn’t an all together bad time. The minutia of bureaucracy just had that effect. Reigen himself nearly turned into a beaver for how many pencils he gnawed through his first time trying to do it alone.
Reigen lowered his hand and perked up, “what if I just ask Dimple to posses me, and give me a once over?”
Serizawa did not deign this with a response. Especially considering the times Dimple did posses Reigen were usually dire circumstances.
“Yeah…you’re right…when you’re right, you’re right.”
Serizawa nodded, pleased. “So…konbini?”
“Konbini. Besides, I bet Imai has been wondering what we’re standing around gabbing about this time.”
Serizawa stiffened, awkwardly. He had forgotten about Imai.
“Pff,” Reigen gently bumped Serizawa’s bicep with his knuckles, “there’s nothing weird about standing and talking with friends.” Serizawa’s body relaxed. “Besides,” continued Reigen, “I bet she’s used to it.”
The chat with Imai went as it usually did, if not a little longer since there was no one else in the store waiting for their turn at the register.
Before Serizawa came along Reigen hadn’t even thought of stopping and talking with her. Before, it was all polite nods of awareness that the other existed, and self check-out.
Then when Serizawa came into the picture, who wanted practice talking with others and was, when a thick layer of nerves and anxiety were gently asked to metaphorically sit down, a bit of a social butterfly - it became impossible to Not stop and say a few words. The only time they wouldn’t was usually during the konbini's rush hours.
Anything and everything could be talked about with Imai. The family, the new recipes, the second cousin’s newborn, what the Prime Minister did this time, the ‘back in my day’s, conspiracy theories, the seven ‘well I won’t keep you’s that segued into another nugget of detail, and yes, her precious azaleas.
Reigen once mentioned a fun tid-bit of how loose tobacco could be used as pesticide to help roses once - and ever since Imai had latched on to him with everything that revolved around gardening. Which was nice…very nice actually, to have someone else to talk plants about with, but it somehow put into Imai’s head that Reigen was some sort of Imperial Gardener in a past life and not, well, an avid fellow hobbyist. He was already the 21st Century’s Greatest Psychic™, adding ‘oh and I was also the Royal Gardner to the Emperor in a past life’ would be a stretch too far even for him. Besides, Reigen didn’t agree with the politics.
But Imai was harmless, if not occasionally socially draining. Sometimes Serizawa would walk away feeling a bit dizzy. Pleased with himself, but very dizzy indeed.
The same could not be said about the Tobacconist by the station. Although using a corner vending machine for cigarettes was equally do-able, Reigen needed a bit more than a single pack this time. He had A Plan under his metaphorical cap.
“Kids with those vapes…” Reigen tutted as he watched a gaggle of university students finish their purchase and leave.
Serizawa gave him a loaded look, “do you have any idea how hypocritical you sound?”
“Hey! At least I know where this is grown from!”
“Yeah,” agreed the cashier in strong solidarity, though it could also be because he just wanted to make a sale.
“Honestly,” snorted Reigen riled in his grumbling opinion, “it’s bad enough they were chucked at us after the war - as if that would lessen hunger pains and food shortages giving a whole country a complicated relationship with it - then uh-oh! A generation of addicts with an economical boom! Only to lead to snobbery. Ugh. I swear. God forbid someone smoking a Gold Bat is talking to a Caster smoker! Or worse: hand rolling your own!! The stigma! Woes of a salaryman right there. Idiots. No one is better or worse for what they smoke.”
Serizawa raised a brow.
The cashier nodded along emphatically. Especially for Reigen to finish his point. “Right,” said the cashier, hoping this would help.
“And I didn’t even mention the Americans!”
“The Americans,” nodded the cashier dutifully, “right.”
“With their Marlboros and chewing gum-”
“Reigen,” said Serizawa, nudging his arm slightly. Usually Serizawa enjoyed Reigen’s rambles, but there was a schedule. He eyed the door to the shop to double check no new customer had come in.
“Hm? Right sorry, where was I?”
“Well,” started Serizawa, who sighed as Reigen locked eyes on the e-cigarettes, jolting his oral thesis to life again.
“RIGHT - after years of that - a practically ingrained cultural thing from parents to grand parents and great grandparents and great great - whatever, after all of that, Suddenly health issues become the rising fad. Pff. I mean, don’t get me wrong it is a horrible habit.”
“Horrible,” said the cashier.
“Way too expensive.”
“Right,” said the cashier waiting to make a sale. Though he couldn’t help but add, “The tax prices alone is, well, should be illegal!”
“Too right, too right. Stands to reason. …And having certain areas marked where not to smoke? Well, some places makes sense - like in airplanes - don’t want that. Though I still don’t get the point of outside designated smoking areas when there’s a major factor involved that will always be there: The WIND. But sure, taking two steps to the right will completely help. Your child is safe from inhaling tobacco second hand - the car exhaust though…anyways its just ridiculously ironic. From the ugly ass pictures bad of lungs on the cartons that deters no one, to this rising shiny fad of ~e-cigarettes~ smelling like an exploding calculator on a hot day, while doing just as much harm if not more. The hypocrisy of it all! That’s what really gets my goat. Where’s the nasty pictures of dying lungs and shriveled vocal-cords on their packets of, of…”
Reigen squinted at a random pack. It was minty green with a winking strawberry. Another had a smiling pineapple striking a less than ideal interpretation of a hula dance that would justifiably upset many native islanders, (with luck the brand won’t be in production for long). Another could only be described as a characakture of someone’s idea of Super Macho, for serious and Macho people - a skull with a hat was somehow involved.
Making no sense of it, and ignoring e-cigarettes also carried vape versions of known tobacco brands, Reigen threw his hands dramatically in the air. “What are you even inhaling? Just chemicals and astro-turf. Ugh. Whatever. To each their own.”
“So,” smiled the cashier in strained tones of ‘not paid enough for this’, “what are you getting?”
“Huh? Oh…shit, do I want Seven Stars or Mevius…”
Serizawa offered an apologetic smile.
The previously mentioned Plan had yet to be shared with Serizawa - in fact certain details of the trip had yet to be shared with Serizawa. Not in a malicious way, never that, but in a ‘perhaps it won’t even be an issue, it might not even come up, in fact just in case it won’t come up I won’t mention it At All’ sort of way. This was one of Reigen’s secret techniques: ignore the problem and hopefully not only it won’t be brought up, but it won’t even happen, or it’ll go away on its own.
The result lead to Reigen being, well, Reigen-esque in his caginess. Something that was picked up on easier now, than when Serizawa first arrived at Spirits and Such. That is to say, not unlike a dog who would hide itself when feeling unwell, not wanting to be a bother, and causing higher stress for himself and those that love him.
Since the Ibogami hot springs Reigen’s always had a thing about trains. Understandably. Serizawa just wished he’d open up and talk about it - or at least admit to it instead of the silent understanding. In a way he still felt guilty for not noticing Reigen’s distress sooner. But how could he have? Serizawa was still untangling from his own things, Reigen was so confident, and…well…Serizawa hoped it would never be a situation that was repeated again. The day Reigen learned how to ask for help without a song or dance or harrumphing, would be the day Serizawa had a lower blood pressure.
So far Reigen had managed to ask for help without making it as painful as a root canal, only once: the day Mob confessed to Tsubomi. A high blood pressure day for a lot of people involved.
One thing was for sure, it made Serizawa more cautious whenever Reigen said he was Fine, and had things Under Control. How much of that truth was obscured, tucked under a sleeve like a card trick.
The sooner Serizawa could get Reigen to confess what it was he was being cagey about the better for all parties involved. His only hypothesis so far, though, was that it was the long journey to get to their destination. But Serizawa was keeping his eyes peeled, just incase other possibilities slipped through the cracks of Reigen’s actions and wordplay.
Which is exactly why when Reigen bought not two, but three packs of cigarettes in one go Serizawa was very shocked and alarmed.
“Reigen-san?!” Serizawa blurted causing the cashier to pause.
Reigen looked up from unwrapping a lollypop. “Hm?” He eyed the lolly. “Oh. You want one too? Sorry. I should have asked first. I’m sure - hey,” Reigen turned to the cashier, “you got grape flavored-?”
“No I’m not reacting to the,” Serizawa halted himself to wave off the startled cashier who had already grabbed the purple lolly, “sure, thank you.” Lowering his voice Serizawa said, “I thought you’ve been trying to quit. I mean I know we came in for a pack but-” he gestured to all three packs.
“Think I should get four?”
“You plan on smoking all that in a week?!”
“One week, two-ish weeks…depending.”
Serizawa was not impressed.
Reigen’s smile bloomed, sympathy replacing his deadpan stare. “It’s not for me. Well, not all of them. I’m down to my last two sticks.”
Serizawa’s forehead creased, not quite following.
“Look,” said Reigen as he gestured to the cashier and nonverbally added an extra cherry lolly and grape lolly to the purchase, “where we’re going these could come in handy. The village is small, right? And to get this brand they’d have to go to those supermarkets by the suburbs which can be hard without a car - we’re going to be talking to cagey people after all.”
“You don’t say,” said Serizawa with enough dry irony that could become as thick as molasses.
Reigen chose to ignore the unsaid implication. “It’ll be helpful to have something to barter, or get information, or socialize with - you know, put folks at ease.”
“Folks?” Serizawa repeated, though not with the same inflection, for a second there it sounded like Reigen had a head cold.
Reigen pressed on. “I know what I’m talking about, trust me! I’ve got it under control,” he patted Serizawa’s arm.
If the pat had come from anyone else Serizawa would have bristled. But Reigen didn’t give patronizing pats, it was never his style. Unfortunately, as mentioned, Serizawa was aware of his talking style.
Serizawa’s mouth pinched into a line, briefly, before ghosting towards a feigned casual smirk. “You know it is so strange. Every time you say ‘trust me’ despite all sense, I do.”
“Thank you?”
Reigen drew his hand back, Serizawa caught it.
“Its that follow up ‘I’ve got it under control’ that makes me worry.” Serizawa squeezed Reigen’s hand, a small imploring gesture.
Reigen looked at their hands.
Serizawa looked at their hands.
The cashier coughed. “So are you getting the cigs, or what?”
“Yeah, yeah!” Reigen pulled his hand away and fished for his wallet. Tips of his ears burning. “How much.”
Serizawa made a strangled sound.
Leaving, and patting the grape lollypop so it was still in his breast pocket, Serizawa leaned forward to get into Reigen’s line of sight. “Reigen-san? …Reigen-san?” Serizawa pinched Reigen’s sleeve, halting him. “Reigen.”
“The platform is-”
“Reigen,” said Serizawa, sterner though not unkind. He took a patient breath and waited for Reigen to look at him, continuing only when he did. “You know you can tell me if something is up. We’ve - well I’d like to think we’ve been through enough together to be able to talk.”
Reigen opened his mouth to say something.
“Candidly,” underlined Serizawa.
Reigen closed his mouth.
The air of the station picked up signifying a train’s arrival or departure. Reigen closed his eyes and counted. The screeching of wheels mixing in with the rattle of luggage and foot traffic.
The infuriating part, what really frustrated Reigen about this - outside of the general unhelpful everything - was that in some way his brain was able to tolerate the smaller commuter trains to get through the city. Despite it being underground, or going through tunnels depending on where in the city he was going. He could take those with stride - albeit perhaps a little sweatier than usual. Not that he would ever nap in one like he used to.
But when Reigen knew he had to take one for a longer distance? It was like a red warning light in his brain would start flashing. There would be no stopping for long, long droll periods of time. That didn’t mean he wanted to burden anyone else with it. It shouldn’t even be a problem to begin with!! What had happened was long since past, and he was still alive wasn’t he? So what if he kept the impromptu will and hid it somewhere? So what if he always had some sort of snack on hand to ensure he had food squirreled somewhere when it was time to commute? So what his brain practically reenact’s Gene Wilder’s psychedelic monologue from Charlie and the Chocolate factory: There’s no earthly way of knowing, Which direction we are going etc.
The bother of it all will pass as soon as they just get through this part. He had other things on his mind gosh darn it!!
Reigen opened his eyes again when he heard Serizawa say his name again. He sounded much closer.
“Is it the long train ride that’s bothering you?” Despite the softness of Serizawa’s voice, it was as though the whole station was put on mute.
Just the two of them.
“Reigen?” Serizawa repeated, painfully gentle. A desperate please on the horizon.
Reigen gulped what felt like a whole pear of emotion down his throat. He crossed his arms protectively. Frowned to his feet. Grumbled then scratched the back of his head. “Tsk. First the morning talk now this,” he sighed, resigned. A gentle smile of his own tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’re on a role today, big guy.”
“Ah!! …" Serizawa looked down self consciously, a prickle of worry rising up. Was he nagging? “I'm just trying to look out for you…”
With just one look at Serizawa’s expression, Reigen's stomach jumped into his throat. He back-peddled with a smile that had the same voltage as the sun - giving Serizawa's shoulder a hearty shake. “WELL that's why you make such a great deputy! Where would I be without you looking out for my back?!”
“Um…”
“Heh, let's try and not answer that,” he muttered like someone hiding dirt under a rug, before quickly rushing to say, as quickly as possible “You got my back, and I've got yours! Otherwise, what are friend's for!?”
Serizawa straightened to his full height, eyes beaming with determination, “Right!”
“Right!!”
“So you'll finally admit you have a train thing?”
“I'll finally admit I have a- hey!”
Catching the quick to defensiveness in his tone Serizawa plastered Reigen with a pleading look. He had come so close to having Reigen admit, finally. Serizawa pinched Reigen’s sleeve again.
Powerless to the gesture Reigen relented. There were only so many things he could juggle being cagey about. Besides, as is usually the case, Serizawa was right. Friends talk. Was acting like this good Friend behavior? Wasn’t he trying to better himself, the way Serizawa always inspired him to do so? He didn’t want to be left behind while Serizawa kept growing forward.
Reigen gulped. “Yes,” said Reigen in a drawn out unsure way.
Serizawa stepped closer. “Yes what?”
Lost in Serizawa’s earnest eyes, very aware of the pinch on his sleeve tightening, and, gosh, Serizawa was so close now…with all this combined Reigen felt his whole body heat up. Like one of those cartoons slowly turning fully red like a thermometer. Once the heat reached the crown of his head, he couldn’t take it any more.
“Okay!!! O-kAy!” Reigen yelled, stepping back with a flurry of arm movements as if that could distract the world from how he was blushing wildly. “I’ll admit, I’ll admit it!!! I have a thing about trains!!” Reigen kicked over his carryon, and put his foot on it - posing as he yelled to the station at large. “You hear that everyone!! I hate this place! I hate trains!! You cursed shits!!” He pointed to a passing group of people who had slowed down out of curiosity. Mystified by his display, thinking it was some sort of strange sweaty street theater. “Thats right!! Japan’s number four ranked wack-a mole champion HATES TRAINS with a Passion. If I ever step into a train fanatic’s home and they show me their intricate train set up - I’d dropkick it! Zero hesitation with a -WhuA and HA!” Reigen punched his arms forward in a series of flurries until he tired himself out.
Once he was done, (face still red with embarrassment, and panting slightly), a splattering of applause followed. Though mainly for comedic effect. Reigen met them with a vacant mile long stare. He watched people expressionlessly as Serizawa politely waved them away.
Reigen looked down at his own hands, realization of his admittance finally sinking in.
Then, all at once, Serizawa was in front of him again. Reigen tried to un-stick his tongue from the roof of his mouth to say…something. Not that he knew what, an apology perhaps? But Reigen didn’t get a chance all the same, as Serizawa enveloped him in a large tight hug.
Reigen blinked back tears.
“Step one,” Reigen heard Serizawa mumble, chest vibrating against his, “admit there’s a problem.”
Of all the things Reigen anticipated Serizawa would say, that was not on the list. Helplessly Reigen snorted a laugh into the hug, his hands tightening on Serizawa’s jacket. Goodness this gentle goof. Serizawa was bad business for his blood pressure.
The laughter grew to a gasping shaking kind, full of adrenaline from admitting something, finally. Serizawa hugged him tighter through it all.
“Ugh, what a start to a case,” said Reigen with mirthful misery.
Serizawa smiled, gently rubbing Reigen’s back. “I’m sure it’ll be all uphill from here. The hard part’s over, surely.”
Reigen snorted a boogery laugh - then apologetically reached for a tissue. “Just like that, you’ve gone and doomed us all, my dear deputy.”
“Nah,” smiled Serizawa, heart fluttering. “So can we throw the cigarettes away, or is that too much for one breakthrough?”
Reigen grinned, and did his best not to look too self-deprecating. “One: that’s a waste of money,” here Serizawa frowned. Reigen reached in his coat pocket. “Two: I really do have a method to my madness, honest. If I’m right they’ll come in handy,” he opened the wrapper of another lollypop. “Trust me.”
Serizawa did, with ease. He reached for his own lollypop.
“Wait,” said Reigen idly picking his carryon back up, “you know how tiring walking up a hill can be?”
Serizawa blinked, “What?”
“You said it’ll all be uphill from here - but isn’t the phrase about going downhill?”
Serizawa smirked, and followed Reigen’s stride through the station as they bobbed and weaved through commuters. “Is walking downhill easier?”
“Eh, not especially. Biking sure, but walking…”
“I doubt the phrase was thought up with biking in mind.”
“Then again there is a phrase about going downhill too. Or things going downhill.”
“Isn’t it interchangeable?”
“Well what’s the intention then? What’s better?”
“We’ll have to remember this the next time we face a hill.”
“Hah!”
This went on for some time.
The conversation took them all the way to their assigned seats on the train. Reigen gave Serizawa a deeply grateful smile. Wordlessly he squeezed Serizawa’s arm, thanking with intent.
Serizawa said nothing, but nodded with understanding.
The rest of the ride was full of chatter that meant little to nothing, though some would say they meant everything. Energy drinks. An attempt at sudoku with an added “I can math” grumble from Reigen.
At the edge of the prefecture they had nearly lost their connection train to take a cheaper regional train.
The fact that the connection station was large, and chock full of tourists didn’t help matters either.
After a relieved sigh when they managed to locate the platform Reigen mumbled, “what are they even visiting? I swear you’d think they’d at least walk with a bit more purpose having places to be.”
Serizawa gave him a meaningful look.
“O god!” Reigen raised his hands dramatically, supplicating the heavens before bringing his hands together and rubbing them, “thank you for bringing tourists to us! And their money!”
Serizawa snorted despite himself. “What would we even do if we got a foreign client?”
“Shit, I’m not sure.”
“Mmm, perhaps Shou could be brought in to translate.”
“Yeah! Haha perhaps!”
“Almond?” Serizawa shook the little pack by means of demonstration.
“Oh! Thank you.” Serizawa’s fingers gently grazed Reigen’s hand as he shuffled a few almonds into his palm. Thus bringing a stutter to Reigen’s quick stride. He brought the palmful to his mouth to compensate - and was quickly excited to ask mid chew: “Oh! That reminds me. How’s the Portuguese coming along?”
Serizawa smiled, bashful, “I got another streak on MobLingo.”
“Get out, that’s great!”
Serizawa’s smile stretched all the more, his own stride stuttering this time. “You’re too kind.”
“I mean it! We’ll be international in no time. No time at all.”
“Pff.”
“Ah!” Reigen gently pulled Serizawa to one side. “Watch out!”
Suzaku Meri has had it with the city! Had it with the grind of daily life and soullessness in working in that awful publishing company, and that equally awful superior. She felt taken advantage of.
The city had drained her.
Of her confidence, her social life, and - to top it all off! Her boyfriend since university dumped her as well.
What was Suzaku Meri to do?!
This would not do. This would not stand. Suzaku Meri was going to take life in her own hands and run off to where life was slower, simpler.
Suitcase packed, phone charged and ready to vlog, she was going to take the countryside by storm as Suzaku Meri’s life turns a new leaf. She’ll live her cottage-core dreams!
That is if she could make it to her seat in time. Luggage clacking as it rolled fast, backpack bouncing to an almost a bruising extent, and nearly running into a pair of business men, Suzaku Meri was off!
Though not without turning her head to wave at the two men she nearly trampled over, “Ah! So sorry!”
The business men, who both had some sort of weird tension between them, waved back, mystified. Which only caused Suzaku Meri to tilt her head back and laugh in delight.
She felt so alive!
“Did…did you feel that chill just now?” Reigen looked down the way in the direction Suzaku Meri had charged towards. The same train but a different passenger car. “There sure are a lot of types of people in the world, right Serizawa?”
“R-right.” Serizawa gently detangled himself from Reigen’s side. “Let’s get to our seats.”
“Yeah… man I wonder if I should have taken a picture, maybe she’s related to that anime protagonist girl Tome-chan ran into…” Later as they placed their carryon’s in the overhead compartment hold, Reigen said: “I forgot to ask! How is your mom?”
“She’s doing quite well, thank you.”
“Dad too?”
Serizawa smiled, “yes him too. Though it took ages to convince him to go on a vacation.”
“He works too hard!”
“That’s what I said. Mom and I basically had to have an intervention. Maybe one day I can convince him to retire.”
Reigen nodded sympathetically. “Ah well, I’m glad they’re both doing well - and having fun?”
“Absolutely haha.”
“They’re visiting… no, don’t tell me…I know this,” Reigen snapped his fingers in thought to not only help him think faster, but also drown out Serizawa’s helpful ’S’ sounds as he slowly started to sound out the name of the city.
It was the bead of sweat on Reigen’s forehead that made Serizawa take pity on him. “São Paulo.”
“São Paulo!” Reigen repeated a little louder. “See, I knew it!”
“Of course,” said Serizawa, generously.
“Extended family?”
“In good health, as far as I’m aware. All doing vague extended family things.”
Reigen nodded in understanding. “Well, tell them I said,” here Reigen’s face creased with great effort as words zig-zagged like a dancing bee giving directions to other bees, into place: “Olá senhor e senhora Serizawa… Parabéns! Saúde! Tomar diver..ah…um,” Reigen sort of mumbled a vowel or two, unsure, before rallying, “Mais bebidas!” The bees may have been drunk.
In fact the little to only phrases Reigen knew in Portuguese were what he learned at the Serizawa’s when invited over for dinner. Which involved learning what everyone tended to first learn with a new language: the direction to the restroom, to please have more alcohol passed, and, due to Mrs Serizawa’s mischief, a boat load of swears. All of which Reigen took in politely, and, well, drunkenly too.
Serizawa covered his mouth with his hand. “I’ll be sure to pass that along. Also, I think you meant ‘divirta-se’ have fun. Tomar is take.”
Reigen bobbed his head, bashful. “Aah, thank you. I’ll try to remember.”
"But not bad!"
Reigen put the energy of a blush into rubbing the back of his head. Then nudged Serizawa’s bicep encouragingly, grin unrestrained. “Serizawa Katsuya. Man of international mystery. Great teacher and, ah, learner.”
Serizawa rubbed the back of his neck, smile genuine, despite the internal wave of complex emotions. Not being perfectly bi-lingual came with it certain emotions of ‘not enough-ness’. Feeling not Japanese enough, not Brazilian enough - with the added years of being in his room not helping. Though these were sentiments Serizawa rarely brought up, or offered to talk about. For the most part he tried, very hard, to be patient with himself.
He decided to move the conversation along. “And what about your mom?”
“Ah, well… in good health.” Reigen looked upwards, and placed his hands behind his head. He considered deflecting, but wondered if he could be brave …and at least try to be genuine, and deflect at the same time. Then again, Serizawa deserved better.
Reigen took a breath, and braved, “I’m still getting emails from her, from time to time, and calls. She worries a lot.”
“Did something come up?”
“Ah, no. I meant her usual worries.”
Serizawa nodded, he remembered Reigen mentioning this before. The details were sadly a bit fuzzy, as it generally needed a lemon sour and a half to get out of Reigen.
Off Serizawa’s serious expression, that felt almost electric to Reigen’s skin to see, Reigen quickly tried for some levity: “Haha! Truly shameless of me to cause such worry haha I know.”
Serizawa nodded solemnly. “She cares about you a lot.”
Reigen slowly deflated from his airs. The arms behind his head gradually lowering. A breath, and a steady exhale. “Yeah. Though I wish she’d…I don’t know…worry about herself too… Anyways! Kaho-san is changing apartments with her boyfriend.”
“Oh? That’s great news!”
Reigen leaned to the side conspiratorially, his smile a curl of impishness, “personally, between you and me, hehe I think she’s having a child out of wedlock, and needs to cover it up.”
Only child Serizawa straightened, and gently hit Reigen. “Reigen! How could you say something like that?”
“Whaat? All I’m really saying is I think there’s wedding bells in the future.”
All Serizawa could do was fight back the curl of his mouth, and shake his head. “Honestly now.”
Reigen’s pout bordered on the cartoonish.“You know I meant no harm.”
“I know, I know,” said Serizawa unable hold back his smile.
Reigen smirked and rubbed the underside of his nose, “if she were here she’d probably hit me too, hehe.”
“When’s the housewarming party?”
“Oh…ah,” Reigen shifted in his seat, “…I’m not sure…”
“Don’t tell me you’re not going to go.”
“She’s all the way in Tokyo! That’s too expensive just to crash her house and make a fool of myself. Besides, I can just as easily make a fool of myself with a video call.”
Serizawa made a comital hum in the tones of ‘well it’s something to think about’. Then, after a bit of silence, he asked the least favored of topics when it came to Reigen, “and your dad?”
Reigen braced himself against a wave of emotion, and said, “He… we’re still not on talking terms.”
“That must be hard.”
Reigen shrugged, his expression hard to read.
Serizawa frowned.
Reigen glanced upward, gaze looking beyond the train’s ceiling, to somewhere, unknown. After a while he said, “maybe I could crash Kaho’s housewarming.”
“Is it really crashing if you’re invited?”
Reigen waved his hands in a vague deflecting sort of pinwheel. “Bah. Let’s talk about something else,” said Reigen.
“Alright…” Serizawa conceded, then gently nudged Reigen’s arm to get his attention. To look face to face when he said, “Thank you for telling me.”
Reigen blinked, felt his face heat, and whirled his arms about going into half a diatribe of whatever his brain could dredge up, and grumbling in annoyance about his misplaced sudoku magazine.
Serizawa smiled, and likewise wondered how long it would take Reigen to realize he was sitting on the magazine.
The train rattled on.
The landscape gradually changed from city, to suburb, to clusters of villages, to lone houses and farms, some abandoned overgrown with ivy some not, to villages, to suburbs, to cities, again, and again. From streams to marshes to rolling hills to mountain ranges still capped with snow.
Sometimes there would be abandoned factories with graffiti, or tunnels with graffiti, or train stations with graffiti. Making the so called abandoned spaces feel not so abandoned after all. Neglected spaces not whole abandoned, not with art, and those who created it.
There was a desolate farm house - alone to the world except to the plants and nature that had reclaimed it. Trapped between on-going and in-going train tracks. Who did it belong to before? What did the occupants feel as they watched their surroundings change with industrial trains. Where are they now? Or their descendants?
Some of the passing mountains had abandoned quarries - leaving rocky open wounds scarred on its side - but - as nature would have it- even these had signs of forestry returning.
The land is patient.
Soil and dirt settle, seeds arrive by pollen or birds dropped while eating a nut, germination - and growth.
Proving again and again, that to the earth, nothing is wholly abandoned.
The regional train was slower, clunkier, but at least it had more stops along the way. Giving the option to leave the train any time. Not that Reigen would, but it was good to have options. Though towards the end, Reigen felt like he wanted to jump out of his own skin.
This urge was calmed, however, whenever he looked up from his sudoku, or vague aisle stretching, or whatever Reigen tried to invent for himself to keep himself from having Train Thoughts, and spotted Serizawa admiring the landscape.
How Serizawa leaned and turned against the curve of the train to try and gain a better view.
It was a good landscape. Reigen whole heartedly agreed. But there was a special softness to how Serizawa tried to soak every new experience and sight in with every blink - searing it into his heart.
Smiling to himself, Reigen returned to his sudoku, as an attempt to give Serizawa privacy between him, this moment, and the landscape. Not that Reigen was able to concentrate afterwards. He mainly squiggled lines and circles and 3 dimensional doodles of boxes of various shapes and shades in the margins. It was a miracle no little hearts were involved. Though certain geometric shapes could certainly look heart like.
A small gasp interrupted Reigen’s doodles. He first glanced up at Serizawa - but the actual source of the gasp was from a pair of seats in front of them. A small child of unknown gender was standing on their seat, and pressing their little hands to the water stained windows.
“Auntie! Sheep!!”
“Oh! That’s right Kimiko-chan. An’ what yeh say ta sheep?”
The child gasped again, this time with the effort of trying to remember, followed by the delight of remembering. “Hey-o Sheep. Thank yeh!” The child waved out the window, looked like they were collecting something invisible, and pocketed it.
There had been a lot of stops since the departure of the second train, but this was how Reigen knew they were getting closer to the final stop. He leaned back in his chair, inhaled slowly through his nose, closed his eyes and did the same gesture the small child did, without a word. Effortless.
Reigen remembered his own Auntie saying the same thing. The explanation of how it was to thank the sheep for their wool, and invite more money into your life.
He peeled his eyes to open up again, as if there were weights on every lid. Gave a cursory glance at Serizawa, who seemed to not have noticed, enraptured by the scenery. Reigen leaned to the side, and angled his head to see the rest of the landscape.
The other way Reigen knew they were getting closer to the final stop - was the mountain.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get much sleep last night,” said Serizawa after a while, “how are you holding up?”
Reigen gave an unenthusiastic, “meh.” Leg starting to bounce in place.
“Do you think the forty minute bus ride will be enough? To rest I mean?”
Reigen barked a laugh. The sort of laugh of one who couldn’t wait to see something play out. “More than enough.”
Serizawa shrugged.
An hour and a half later while still waiting at the bus stop, Serizawa understood a bit more.
Since the bus entered into the village twice a day, it made sure it had enough passengers before continuing on its route. This felt… well not excessive, but Serizawa could understand the rudimentary logic. If not enough people are coming and going why waist the gas. On the other hand, well, it felt a bit cumbersome.
Serizawa stamped his feet to bring life back to them, between sitting for the majority of the day, and the cold snap, it seemed like the right thing to do. Besides it felt nice to stand in the sun. Since leaving his room years ago Serizawa never missed the chance to stand in a patch of sun if he could help it - especially now that he didn’t need the umbrella.
Though despite all his growth Serizawa tended to try and not risk getting too lost in the profoundness of cloudless skies. Day or night, the cloudless skies sometimes invited thoughts of ceaseless profoundness - the vertigo of falling up to a space that would have no end - no ceiling.
Catching himself breathing a bit heavier, Serizawa managed to coerce his eyes away from the blue vastness, and focus on birds, the tops of trees that shifted with the wind, and finally back down to the horizon of roads, buildings and houses. On a balcony someone was beating a duvet, and other spring cleaning activities. Two old men walked side by side with hands behind their back, the sound of their idle chatting carried by the wind. An old woman sat on a public bench staring out at nothing in particular, for the joy of sitting on a public bench staring out at nothing in particular. Maybe she was waiting for someone.
“You doing okay, big guy?” Drawled Reigen’s voice, distantly.
He couldn’t stop the smile if he tried. Serizawa nodded, “I’m good. Honest.”
“…alright.” Reigen’s voice sounded laid back, but Serizawa knew it was a front.
Serizawa eyed Reigen, who had turned his scarf into a pillow and was making the most of his impromptu bed made out of the bench. Arms casually behind his head. As comfortable as he seemed, Reigen’s foot bounced irritably as a cat’s tail tip twitched.
In an idle fantasy, Serizawa wondered what it would be like if it was his lap that acted like a pillow for Reigen’s head - instead of the scarf. Realizing his warm face was from a growing blush instead of the sun, Serizawa dragged his eyes away to look elsewhere.
“Oh, there’s another person coming from up the road.”
Silence returned, every so often punctuated by a passing car, or truck,
or an over burdened moped. Bumping and hiccuping on a road that was re-paved sometime in the last five years, until the roots of trees and potholes had other opinions.
Serizawa, in all his patience, let out a long sigh. “How many more people until you think we can go?”
Reigen’s voice did the work of a physical shrug. “Well, we got old timer’s playing cards over there. Three biddies. A woman with a newborn. A tourist from the city bothering the person transporting chickens.” The sound of their clucking and a very interested young woman filled the air. “…maybe a band? or a fisherman, I didn’t really pay attention.”
“So…not long?” There was a touch of hope in Serizawa’s voice.
“Where’s the bus driver?”
“Oh. Uh…” Serizawa scanned his eyes about. “Last I saw him he was right here…oh, he’s in the corner talking …and smoking,” he added on, in a lower voice, as though the mention of it might give Reigen ideas.
Reigen cleaned his ear with a pinky finger. “Seven minutes then. …give or take on the conversation.”
Serizawa sighed again, this time with a touch of voice that could have been a groan.
Reigen lazily opened one eye, then closed it. “Makes you hate it, huh?” He asked with a smirk.
“Hate might be a strong word,” said Serizawa gently, “a bit of getting used to though, yes.”
Reigen hummed, and recrossed his legs. Now bouncing his other foot.
“Ah. I think she might need to sit down.”
“Who?”
“The lady coming up the road.”
“The other benches are taken?”
“Reigen.”
“I’m up…I was kidding, I’m up…” Reigen groaned, dragging his scarf to his lap before stretching, with hands interlocking above his head as he gently leaned this way and that, face scrunching into the delight of the stretch.
Serizawa sighed.
Another thirty minutes, and a half hearted round of shiritori, and finally, they were ready to move. Which meant Reigen could return to trying to nap.
It was a good nap.
He felt weightless, he felt…
“Do you understand Arataka?” Said a deep baritone voice with the touch of gravel from years of smoking, and full gravitas from years of pretentiousness. There was also an over articulation to the pronunciation of words - over compensating to hide a regional twang.
Arataka looked up at his father, and nodded. Deadpan matching deadpan. Sometimes he wondered if his voice would ever turn out as deep, and rich as his father’s.
“Yep,” said Arataka, voice more for a dark comedy than the required solemnity of the job, yet to drop at all, and rich in twang. He knew he should have responded better, that helping in his father’s business was very Serious Business, that customers had certain expectations… his father certainly did. But would he even be Arataka if he didn’t push buttons?
Besides they had gone over this for days. It felt excessive. And dry as a bleached bone his father might be, he too occasionally dabbled in the comedic - albeit dryly.
“Arataka.”
This was not one of those dabbling times. Arataka knew that, however, despite the attempt. His father was almost the physical opposite of comedic, especially at work.
Arataka looked down at his shiny shoes. Then said, with twang hidden away, stored like pickled bracken. “Sorry, sir. Yes, sir.”
His father’s silence proved the apology wasn’t going to be enough.
Arataka straightened to attention, and raised his eyes to meet his father’s steady gaze. Weighty as always. But this was to be expected from a man who could look at a human and guess what the dimensions of their coffin should be. Not only, but also how to show the most expensive option for a coffin with enough grave panache that no one would bat an eye. The funeral industry was still an industry after all.
“I am ta -”
“To,” corrected his father.
“To stand- without fidgeting,” added Arataka if only to make up for the previous slip. “At the reception. I am to collect the condolence money envelopes of the grieving, that will later be given to the bereaved. I am to also stand to the side towards the back of the service, at the ready.”
The only sign of his father being pleased was a stiff nod.
Life returned to Arataka’s solemn deadpan. “Will Bhante Daito be at the memorial?”
For a moment his father looked like he was about to reprimand his son for ‘over-liveliness’, but relented, thinking better of it. “Yes.”
Arataka opened his mouth.
“No. You are not to pester him with questions after. It is not the time, nor the place. Nor are you to try and peek at the body during the wake.”
Arataka deflated.
His father leaned a fraction of a hair forward, but with a specificity that spoke volumes. It somehow made his lean father, already impressive in full black with his signature white gloved hands firm to his side, look very intimidating indeed.”And if you do, it’ll go very hard for you, young man.”
Arataka eye’s widened.
His father was not an overly cruel man. But had certain firm expectations on how things should run, especially in his funeral halls, his life, his family. The unshakable expectations of a man aware that night follows day, and everyone, at one point or another, dies. It was difficult to go against the expectations of a man like his father.
But he wasn’t cruel.
“Arataka,” his father said, voice a pinch softer, “this is not a playground. I know you’re smart enough to know that. The passing of a life should never be handled light heartedly. There are services more jovial than others, yes. Grief is complicated. But we are not part of the mourning, we are helpers. Dirtying our hands so others don’t have to. We provide the best service possible so the bereaved have one less worry. A mind full of tears gets muddled, young man.”
“Yes, sir.”
Perhaps there was a certain expression on Arataka’s face, or the way he responded that made his father’s own expression soften into something… more personable, less detached. Shock overcame Arataka when he watched his very serious father bend to one knee, and place the immaculately white gloved hand on his shoulder.
“I understand the frustration. The fascination. The curiosity. And there will come a time all those feelings will be satiated. This business… is not an easy one. It can lead to a sort of…reflection. You’re still too young for some aspects of it. But this business will be yours in time, as it was passed to me in time, and was passed to my father in time.”
“Y-yes, father.” The prospect brought something complicated into Arataka. Like it always did when it was brought up. The way his father said that, left little room for discussion, but then he never did leave room for discussion.
Perhaps his father just wasn’t used to the concept of a healthy discussion. On darker days, among stormier thoughts, Arataka wondered if perhaps his father respected the dead more than the living.
“Can I rely on you?” Said his father, snapping Arataka out of his morose line of thought.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good man.” A rare twinkle entered his father’s eye. “If all goes well, you may stand in the room after the cremation, and quietly watch while I explain to the bereaved the leftover bones to take home.”
“What about sounding the bell when the hearse leaves?”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Sir, the flower arrangements are ready for inspection,” said the voice of a vague faced employee. Which was odd…Arataka usually remembered all the names of the people who worked for his father.
“Excellent.” Arataka watched his father stand, back straight as a tombstone, his hand was still on his shoulder. “Come, Arataka.”
Arataka dutifully followed.
What was strange was how the hall started to distort, and curve with each echoed step. The acoustics never had their footsteps echo this much before either.
What was once a level hall, started to incline upwards, and upwards, and upwards, while the air grew colder and colder. The details also seemed fuzzy, rounded, soft - like the edges of a watercolor.
Where was his father taking him again?
The morgue?
No… that wasn’t right… that wasn’t where…
The vague faced employee turned, and gestured to somewhere beyond. Arataka couldn’t hear him, it was as though his ears were underwater. Could barely read the employee’s lips…it almost gave Arataka vertigo trying to look at the employee…
The sound of laughter…
His father said a response…lips moving, but barely legible from seeing half of his face…
Arataka had an urge to take his father’s gloved hand…white as…
<< reigen-san? >>
“Reigen-san?”
“B-wawa?” Said Reigen in an exhaled puff of air. He cleared his throat, and made an attempt to nonchalantly dry his lower lip from drool. “We there yet?” He tried to get his eyes to focus, and reorient himself to the sound of idle chatter …and clucking.
“Ah… not quite.”
“Hm?” Reigen tried to blink his eyes out the window, anticipating a parking lot, and blearily met the landscape of the valley from high up. He micro flinched away from the window.
“The bus broke down,” said Serizawa, followed by that clucking sound again.
Reigen inhaled slowly, then exhaled slowly. His smile placid, while his voice was as dry as bleached bone, “of course it did.” Then stretched feeling into his arms, grunting. “With a bike we’d have been there by now.”
And then Reigen thought, why’d I go and say a thing like that?
This was followed by laughter.
Reigen turned to see the miscellaneous biddies from earlier, chatting over a makeshift table to play cards on. Someone was having a far too lucky time. Teasing ensuing. The old men who were playing cards were also offering commentary on the game.
“Are you alright Reigen? You look…dazed.”
“Hm? Uh,” Reigen sniffed and straightened his coat lapels with the surety it would likewise straighten out his lingering …dazed-ness. “I’m alright, thank you.”
“Well…we’ve been here a while, but I let you sleep because it looked like you needed it.”
“Ah.”
“I talked with a few passengers, that was nice…and had, I don’t know,” Serizawa contemplated how to explain the sudden urge to look in on Reigen. It was strange. Well, not entirely strange, considering his barely contained feelings for Reigen. So Serizawa shrugged and said, bashfully, “…just wanted to check on you.”
“Serizawa Katsuya?”
“Yes, Reigen Arataka?”
“Why do you have a chicken on your lap?”
As one person they looked down at the chicken in the bus.
It was indeed on Serizawa’s lap. Clucking contentedly between pets.
“Oh! Mrs. Endo said the chickens needed to stretch their legs.”
“Ah. Sound logic.” Reigen studied the chicken. It was a rather handsome specimen. Rich brown as a freshly polished table, with hints of red in the feathering. Reigen found himself smiling at it, especially the way Serizawa was idly petting it.
“Her name is Suki-chan,” cooed Serizawa.
Reigen bit his lip, and tried to will his face not to explode into a furnace of red. “Hello Suki-chan.”
“Go ahead pet her.”
Reigen looked between Serizawa’s beaming smile, and the beady, constantly moving eyes of the chicken.
“Don’t be scared.”
“Pff! Me?! Scared!” Reigen guffawed. The irony!
“Well, maybe you should be scared if you’re going to whirl your arms about like that,” said Serizawa, watching as the chicken’s head tried to keep up with the location of Reigen’s arms. Feathers poofing gradually.
Reigen settled, and lifted his hand to stroke the chicken on Serizawa’s lap.
Which wasn’t a euphemism. Although they both took a moment to physically fight back from saying the dirty joke they were both simultaneously thinking.
Reigen lost the fight. “Do you think a rooster would be this chill?”
“Reigen.” Serizawa had no free hands to burry his face in.
“Serizawa, is that a chicken on your lap or are you just-”
“Reigen!!” Serizawa bit his lip and swallowed a snort. Reigen’s face was nearly neon-red through his deadpan. Somewhere, a pen was experiencing zero gravity.
Neither of them could handle it, and like very mature adults, they snickered and laughed like teenage dorks.
“Thank you for putting up with our very adult and mature jokes, Suki-chan. Serizawa,” Serizawa gave Reigen a warning look through his barely held together giggles, “thank you for letting me stroke the chicken.”
Serizawa, not wanting to encourage Reigen anymore, and face very very red, said, “Sorry for having to put up with us Suki-chan.”
Reigen nodded and let out a sigh, “Sorry Suki-chan. And thank you.”
Then after a few more pets, scratches, and contented clucks, Serizawa said, “are you sure you’re alright Reigen?”
Reigen halted mid-pet, hand resting on Suki for a moment as he contemplated his response. Then gave a final scritch, and leaned back in his seat. “I had a weird dream.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Serizawa stared intently as Reigen opened his mouth, then creased his brow.
“…I, the thing is, I don’t remember it well enough…
“Well, what were your feelings when you woke up?”
“It’s… hard to pinpoint… I know what it didn’t feel like though.”
“Well that’s still something,” Serizawa encouraged.
“…it wasn’t… zealous, or, uh…joyous - but not depressing, you know? …somber? Monochrome? Oh well,” shrugged Reigen, “it probably wasn’t important.”
“Oh…” Serizawa frowned in thought, gently petting Suki.
Reigen brightened and lightly tapped Serizawa’s knee. “Have you seen the view yet?”
“Not really.”
“Lets stretch our legs then!”
“Well…” hesitated Serizawa with the anxious hesitation of thought that if he moved to do something else now, it’d be time to go back to what he was originally doing.
“Go on,” encouraged Reigen, gently shaking Serizawa’s knee. “It’ll be a while until we’re moving again and,” he looked out the window, “yep, there it is. Some youths have busted out the soccer ball. We’ll be fine.”
Serizawa smiled, “well, alright then.”
“Bring the chicken too.”
“I think I’ll return her to Mrs. Endo, if it’s all the same …I’d hate to risk Suki-chan falling,” explained Serizawa, psychic extraordinaire.
“But,” Reigen squinted as non-judgmentally as possible, “your powers?”
Serizawa held the chicken closer to him with a gasp. “Think of the emotional damage to Suki-chan though!!”
Reigen nodded, and also wondered if it will probably be a while until Serizawa will want to eat chicken.
Returning the chicken to Mrs. Endo who was still talking to that city girl, (was that the one who nearly ran into them at the station earlier?) they exited the bus, and dodged and laughed through the youth’s game - not that Reigen could halt himself from cautioning them to not loose their ball over the edge.
The view was breathtaking. Standing by the guardrail, wind gently tousling their hair and jackets, they looked out into the vastness. The valley. With the smattering of houses downhill tucked between trees, and paddy fields. Hills that rolled and curled over themselves. The green of fresh leaves, the spattering of color from flowers, and the few bareness of vegetation yet to wake from their winter slumber. With the sun angled how it was, the blue highlight of irrigated streams shimmered, reflecting.
Somewhere an eagle sang, its lone cry bouncing between the dips of fields and greenery.
Somewhere a farmer was weeding.
Somewhere earth was being tilled.
Somewhere snow still lingered, in the small spaces where the sun’s warmth had yet to reach.
What sign of a road could only barely be caught by the glimmer of a windshield twinkling between branches.
Serizawa followed the natural undulations of the valley. It was its own kind of hypnotic spiral. The illusion of movement, easy as the waves of the sea, while very silent, and very still.
Somewhere a teasing song about time idly passing and the song of skylarks mixed with the laughter of youths playing soccer, and the swearing of the bus driver trying to salvage the bus.
Serizawa couldn’t look away. Distantly he heard Reigen drawl, “not bad, huh?”
Serizawa nodded. Words stuck in his throat.
“Yep.” Reigen chuckled, and took a sip of an energy drink.
Was he breathing hard? Serizawa couldn’t tell. All he could think was trying to pin point some end of the horizon. A fixed something. Which was odd, because he usually tried to do that when looking out at the seaside. Trying to spot the difference between the seas and the vast sky in the fuzzy blur point of the horizon. But here, it was everything rolled and tumbled in and around itself.
He didn’t normally get like this unless it was when he stared at a clear sky for too long, or the sea. He was normally fine when there were breaks in a horizon. This should be fine.
“Serizawa?”
There was also this, feeling Serizawa couldn’t quite pinpoint. Was it just him being in awe of his surroundings? Or something else? Magnetizing?
“Ah…Serizawa? Big guy?” Distantly Serizawa felt his arm being tugged. “You’re looking kind of pale- whoa now!” Less distantly Serizawa felt Reigen’s hands steady him. Grip tightening.
“Serizawa if you keep leaning like that you’ll fall! C’mon big guy. Please, can you look at me?”
First Serizawa felt something warm on the side of his face, then the scenery slowly moving along to a panorama, and then Reigen’s round face - he looked worried.
“You, ah, need some water? Can you try breathing less fast? H-hey, I might start worrying, you know?” laughed Reigen awkwardly, already worried. “Let’s take a step back.”
Serizawa registered he was gently being guided to move. Reigen’s face suddenly took up the majority of what Serizawa could see. It seemed to snap him out of the trance. Why was this happening, wondered Serizawa, he was rather confident it was the clear sky and sea that occasionally caused such reactions. Something to reflect on.
To which, when Serizawa felt more in his body, he said, “ah…Ah!” He blinked rapidly, “Ara- Reigen. S-sorry. I mean.” Serizawa wilted some. “It’s a very beautiful view… I might have…”
Reigen waited patiently.
“Got a bit carried away by it, I suppose. …might still be a little nauseous.”
Reigen frowned, “nauseous?” Serizawa nodded, then slid his eyes to the side realizing in the same time as Reigen, that Reigen’s hand was still on the side of his cheek. Reigen removed it so fast he might as well have accidentally touched heated iron.
Serizawa laughed nervously.
Reigen coughed into said offending hand. “You didn’t mention you were nauseous earlier.”
“Oh…ah. It didn’t seem important, the curving roads started to upset my stomach. That’s why Mrs. Endo initially approached me.”
“I see…” Reigen leaned forward face a grin of mischief, “now look whose being cagey hehe.”
Serizawa rolled his eyes, refusing to take the jovial bait.
“Try pressing your thumb to the roof of your mouth.” Reigen demonstrated.
“Pff, that’s an old wives tale.”
“No it’s not!” Said Reigen, casually wiping his thumb against his coat.
“Yes it is. Mrs. Endo told me to do the exact same thing.”
Reigen practically squawked, arms whirling until they settled into a position across his chest. Serizawa couldn’t help but laugh.
“Thank you,” said Serizawa.
Reigen sighed, if eyes could hug. “Anytime, good buddy.”
“It really is a beautiful view,” said Serizawa not looking away.
Reigen’s spine felt like jelly. Unable to handle the surge of emotions, he looked back out to the view. “Yeah. Not bad.”
“It just keeps going, almost rolling in on itself, and there’s no sea or water to cut it off. I mean the paddies sure.”
“Well, there’s the irrigation, and man made streams.”
“Oh?”
“Right there, see?”
“Ah… could you, well, could I…” Serizawa blushed into himself, arm awkwardly raised, gesturing vaguely. “So I, well, don’t fall, or risk- well, no need to repeat-”
Reigen wrapped his arm around Serizawa, cutting off his words, with a tight side hug. Grounding. Unable to handle looking at Serizawa or whatever expression he could be making, Reigen fixed his stare to the view. Smiling sheepishly as he scratched his nose. “How’s that?”
“V-very good. Thank you,” Serizawa cleared his throat, “the uh, stream?”
“Right! See there?”
“Yeah?”
“Man made. And ah, so are the fields.”
“I should think so.”
“Most of all, this scenery wouldn’t be possible without nature and humanity working together. From the planted tree clusters, and flowers, encouraged mushrooms, berries, wild garlic. All through a lucky accident spanning back to our ancestors - a sort of a joint venture between people and the earth.”
Serizawa squinted at him, “you’re quoting something, aren’t you?”
Sweat dripped down Reigen’s hairline, smile frozen.
“You so are!” Serizawa gave a full bellied laugh at Reigen’s reaction.
“No!” Squawked Reigen. “Am not!”
Serizawa stared.
“…maybe” Reigen conceded.
A smile bloomed on Serizawa. He nodded, satisfied in himself.
It was Reigen’s turn to squint. A suspicious side long one. “How’d you know?”
Looking very pleased with himself Serizawa said, “you do this thing when you quote something.”
“Thing?? What Thing??”
Serizawa sniffed, looking away. Giving a go at being petulant. “I’m not telling you.”
“Wha! As, as your boss I, ah, ask very sternly for you to tell me what’s the thing.”
Without missing a beat Serizawa said, “as your deputy, I decline.”
Reigen pouted. “Not even respectfully?”
“Mmm alright, with cautious respect.”
Ever the dramatist, Reigen struck a one armed pose, inconsolable “Oh! How I’ve fallen!” And just as quickly bounced back, tightening into Serizawa’s space with his side hug, prodding him. “Cmon! Tell me what’s the thing.”
Serizawa pushed Reigen’s face away. “You’ll change it if I do. It’s my only advantage.”
“Tell me what the thing is!”
“No! I’m going to keep spotting the thing!”
“I don’t want you to keep looking at my thing!”
“Well I’m gonna!! Gladly!!”
It was at this moment that they realized how loudly their voices were carrying. Not to mention the silence that quickly followed as they both considered the suggestiveness of ‘seeing someone’s thing’.
After a beat of time, Serizawa and Reigen erupted into laughter. Serizawa reached his arm around, giving Reigen a side hug. He squeezed his shoulder, grateful. Lingering anxiety softened.
They stared at each other. Each wishing to say things they didn’t have the courage to say.
With heart tugging regret, Reigen looked away. “Were you able to sense anything, you know, while I was asleep? Talking with the other passengers?”
“Beyond the nausea, and Mrs. Endo…” Serizawa took a moment to reflect. Finally, he admitted lamely, “not a lot.”
“That’s okay! We barely just got here, hell we’re not even at our destination, it’s to be expected.”
“I know. And you’re right. It’s just,” Serizawa sighed, frustration apparent on his face even if it didn't reach his voice, “considering everyone on the bus is heading to the same location it would have been better if we could get - I don’t know, some sort of head start.”
Reigen gave Serizawa’s arm a consoling squeeze. “C’mon big guy, please don’t be hard on yourself. You know as well as I do sometimes it takes time. And we both know this will take time considering - it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
Heart doing strange loop de loops and stretching in a way that made Serizawa’s earlier nausea return for other reasons, Serizawa resigned himself to a nod. “You’re right.”
“Damn right,” Reigen shook Serizawa encouragingly.
Each of them was about to say something else when they stopped talking all together to watch an old woman walk towards them. Her face wrinkled with years of smiling and working in the sun. Deep as the grooves in a tree.
Reigen and Serizawa bowed respectfully in greeting, which she returned. Then she spoke.
Serizawa had absolutely no idea what she was saying. He only knew she was saying it in gentle tones that oozed with kindness, with the slightest warble and signs her mouth was probably dehydrated. Whatever she was saying it was not in Standard Japanese.
Serizawa looked to Reigen to see if he was just as lost as he felt, but Reigen only seemed to be concentrating.
“Pardon?” Serizawa finally asked, nervous. The last thing he wanted was to be rude.
The old woman gave a gummy smile in response, and pressed a tinfoil wrapped something into their hands.
“Um? Thank you! But, ah,” Serizawa looked at Reigen helplessly. Reigen remained silent, bowing his thanks which reminded Serizawa to hastily do the same.
“I, I’m sorry I don’t quite understand,” hazarded Serizawa passing the wrapped tin foil gift from one hand to the next, nervously.
The old woman looked from Serizawa’s eyes, to Reigen’s. Lingering on Reigen, her eyes twinkled with mischief. She continued to not speak in Standard Japanese, and said something else. A farewell perhaps.
They bowed again, and were met with a cackle, and hand wave. The old woman then gestured to Reigen to lean forward, speaking words Serizawa couldn’t grasp, and pinched Reigen’s cheek when it was close enough. Then she patted what she could reach of Serizawa’s arm before leaving.
Serizawa and Reigen watched her leave. In the lingering silence Reigen unwrapped the tin foil package - it was a sweet potato. The last few from winter, lingering on with the temperature.
Serizawa stared dumbly.
“You know,” said Reigen around a mouthful, “it’s been a while since my cheek was pinched like that.” Despite his efforts, the weight of his words were not lost in the nonchalance.
Reigen turned away from Serizawa, and stared out at the scenery. The taste of sweet potato rich, and heart tugging.
After a while Serizawa said, “did you understand any of what she said? I felt so bad for not knowing.”
Head facing away, Reigen gave Serizawa’s arm a sympathetic pat.
Serizawa didn’t know how to take that. He ventured again and said, “did you catch that?”
Reigen looked skyward, a few larks were passing overhead looking, at a distance, like flying watermelon seeds. Then, as if hearing something from far away, or maybe even from the sky, he said, “a tractor is coming down to tow the bus.”
It wasn’t a yes, or a no. Damn the caginess of this lovable man.
Serizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have a headache.”
“Me too,” laughed Reigen, voice sticky with sweet potato and emotion. He took another bite. “I hate this place.”
Serizawa nearly missed his bite from his own sweet potato. Reigen had said it with such an undercurrent of love it was palpable. A complicated near resentful love - straight from concentrate.
Those who have ever lived in a space so near and dear to them with specific aspects that can render and draw out a sensation of hate, resentment, and knowing love, sure they couldn’t feel something like it anywhere else, know exactly what this complicated feeling was.
With every ‘I hate’ there was with a care, equivalent to a gentle kiss on the eyelid of a lover, saying: never change, and if you do, please change for the better.
Serizawa and Reigen finished their sweet potato in silence, the puffy red quality of Reigen’s eyes were politely not remarked on.
Thankfully the tractor didn’t take too long to arrive. There was a mild song and dance show of watching the tractor make a three point turn on a narrow road that barely managed to fit two cars. In fact, when the bus was good and hooked up, making its steady trajectory on the road - Serizawa couldn’t repress the full body flinch he’d do whenever an on-coming car passed. Managing to pass by some miracle, and probably geometry. Serizawa was very grateful there weren’t that many on-coming cars.
After a particularly deep flinch, Reigen leaned to the side, hand on his arm, and said, “do you think this towing would be easier going downhill, or is towing uphill easier?”
Nerves, and delight, bubbled through Serizawa as he gave a hearty laugh, “now don’t start that again!!”
Gotou Kouji was there to greet them at the bus stop. Face in a deep frown that said more about his resting features than how he genuinely felt.
“Oi,” said Gotou, uncrossing his arms and putting out his cigarette, “y’all them, uh, psychics?” His eyes passed from Reigen to Serizawa, their clean shoes, and back again.
Reigen brightened, a smile oiling its way onto his face with a beam megawatt customer service stare, (another of his signature moves). “That’s right! The one and only - ah,” he gestured to Serizawa flailing his arm, and struck a pose, “two! I’m Reigen Arataka 21st-“
“Yep. I remember,” intercut Gotou, “I hired-s ye.”
Reigen’s smile fell only a fraction, but rallied magnificently, “and this is my trusty deputy Serizawa Katsuya.”
“A pleasure, sir.” Serizawa bowed politely.
Gotou leaned into Reigen’s space. Studying his face without hesitation, as if trying to decipher something that was nagging at him. “Reigen-san? Right? Rei-gen?”
Reigen discreetly leaned away, smile bordering on polite mania, “ye-yes?”
“We tried getting here sooner but the bus broke down,” said Serizawa.
“Yep. It can happen.” Gotou squinted his eyes back at Reigen. “Where’d I see your face before?”
Reigen felt himself get sweatier. “Ah, well I am the 21st Century’s Greatest Psychic …and I, ah,” here Reigen tugged at his scarf to loosen, “was on tv. Briefly. All slander cleared of course-”
Gotou waved this off. “Don’t bide by television much. Got chores ta do.”
“Of course,” said Reigen.
Gotou stared long and hard at Reigen, studiously, “could-a sworn…who do you remind me of?” A pause, then he shrugged, unbothered. “Meh. It’ll come to me.”
Reigen cleared his throat, and straightened. “So! The little problem here? Any new developments?”
“Nothing new that I haven’t told ye before. Trucks up this way,” gestured Gotou. “Have ye eaten?”
“A bit of this and that,” said Reigen.
“We were given some sweet potatoes when the bus broke down,” provided Serizawa, "she was a kind old woman... ah there she is, coming off the bus now." Upon noticing he had been spotted by her, Serizawa waved politely. Reigen nodded.
Gotou wheezed a laugh, and smacked a cigarette out of its pack before putting it to his lips to droop. “That old witch?” Said Gotou fondly. “That’d be Ogawa.” Then gave a relieved sort of sigh, “I knew ye’d be good people - an I’m glad Ogawa confirmed it. She can tell these things ye-know. Don’t go an ask me how. Probably comes with age.”
Gotou offered the pack of cigarettes to Serizawa wordlessly, who politely declined, then to Reigen, who politely accepted.
“So,” said Reigen, ignoring Serizawa’s looks, and declining the silent offer for a light for his own lighter, “how do you feel on the matter, Gotou-san? On the case, I mean, not Ogawa’s sweet potatoes.”
“Straight ta business I see. Welp, I won’t lie, Reigen-san, Serizawa-san. I’m worried.”
Serizawa rushed to keep step on the uphill walk. Their carryons rumbling and rattling obnoxiously on the uneven pavement, teetering when hitting a stray rock or pebble. Bouncing on an occasional root. Sliding on loose gravel.
“You mentioned most of the activity happened at night, correct Gotou-san?” Said Serizawa while trying to nonchalantly right his carryon. His hand was nearly numb from the bumpy vibrations.
“Yep. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened during other times as well.”
“We’ll try and do a, well a stake-out of sorts, tonight. And perhaps ask around tomorrow, right Serizawa?”
“Right,” said Serizawa, loyally.
“Is there anyone you’d suggest we look in on Gotou-san? Someone who mentioned something to you in particular?” Asked Reigen.
“Welp, there’s Inoue, and, ah, Takeda’s boy …probably Sasaki if ye can manage ta weasel it out of ‘im.”
Reigen and Serizawa nodded with solemn determination.
“An’ Ogawa, of course,” exhaled Gotou through a plume of smoke. “One of the oldest residents here. Course you’ll need a regional lad ta speak with her. She won’t speak Standard. Respect her for it too.”
“We’ll see what we can do,” said Serizawa giving a sideways glance at Reigen.
Reigen took a hearty drag, face contemplative.
How did that quote go again? There are only two kinds of stories: a man goes on a journey, or a stranger comes to town.
As Gotou drove them off to his house for them to stay, on the truck’s radio came the bombastic tunes of Ikuzō Yoshi’s Ora Tōkyō sa Iguda.
I hate this village, I hate this village / I’m going to Tokyo, once I get to Tokyo I’ll save my money and drive a horse cart.
From high above an eagle let loose its cry.
No discos, no peeping Tom, who is “laser disc”? / We do have karaoke but never seen a machine that does it.
The branches of trees shifted with the breeze.
No newspapers, no magazines / sometimes there is that one newsletter.
Ripples occurred on the surface of rice paddies.
No traffic lights, not like there even would be / my village doesn’t even have electricity!
A rabbit ducked for cover.
I hate this village, I hate this village / I’m going to Tokyo, once I get to Tokyo I’ll save my money and raise cows there.
A spider wrapped a fresh meal.
I hate this village, I hate this village / I’m going to Tokyo, once I get to Tokyo I’ll save my money and buy a mountain in Tsuga!
And on a mountain trail - laughter.
Notes:
wrow
I’m a little too proud of myself for coming up with the name Suzaku Meri (if you can catch the goof you earn a cookie), I swear she will seem less random in chapters so come. I hope you hate her, and love her.
Also also Reigen’s dad is Fascinating to write - I hope he comes / will come across as deliciously complicated.
Also also also, please forgive me for taking creative liberty with the sheep waving bit. As far as I am aware the Tōhoku Region (where the majority of this fic takes place) doesn't have this folk practice of waving at sheep and pocketing/inviting potential money. It was something my aunt told me when I was little, that I still find myself doing to this day.
Chapter 5: Fúvom az Énekem
Notes:
Don't let the fluff fool you, there are horror elements. You read the body horror tag, right?
And now a message to future binge readers who are reading when the fic is complete: This is a great time to take a quick break, grab a snack, use the restroom, STRETCH, unclench your jaw, etc.
All and all, to all, take care of yourself out there! ♡ Please enjoy
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
fúvom az énekem
de nem jókedvemből
mer a bú fúvatja
szomorú szívemből
I sing my song
But not out of gaiety
It’s sorrow that sings
From my sad heart
-Hungarian Songs as performed by Márta Sebestyén
❧❧❧
“Bom dia, mãe,” said Serizawa into his phone as he slid the window open to look out into the vast darkness of Gotou’s unlit property. Having lights on when unnecessary was a waist of electricity and, most of all, disturbed the surrounding wildlife. What little Serizawa could see, was from the yellow glow light that spilled from Gotou’s house windows. Which, as the members of Gotou’s family went to sleep, went out one by one, until there was only the light from the room he and Reigen were sharing.
From the other end of the receiver he heard the vague tinks and chimes of espresso cups being rested in saucers, idle chatter, other noises associated with ten in the morning, and, of course, his mother: “Meu filho! Bom dia! Or should I say good evening? Haha,” she laughed in the certainty that repeated jokes never truly loose their steam.
Serizawa gave a polite chuckle in response. “How are you?”
“We’re very good. Having breakfast.”
“Am I interrupting?”
“Ma no! It’s barely started, we’re having coffee- your Tia says hi.”
“Bom dia Tia Rosa,” said Serizawa dutifully.
“Do you want to be on speaker?”
“Erm, ah…well…” Serizawa shifted from side to side.
He had been practicing, dutifully using an app to learn Portuguese, despite this his cheeks burned with hot embarrassment at the thought of speaking it before his extended family. Which, in a way Serizawa knew wasn’t correct. Language is learned by practicing, by failing and getting words and expressions wrong, he knew this. But it felt all too heavy on his tongue, and he could still imagine the disappointed face his grandmother made all those years ago.
Serizawa lightly scratched against the windowsill for something to do.
“Okaay, I understand - no worries - oh your Tio also says hi.”
“Bom dia Tio Marko,” said Serizawa dutifully - then, hurried to add, before any other miscellaneous family members said hi, “I just wanted to say we arrived safe and sound. Nothing to worry about!”
“Well tell me about it. No really, tell me. I want to hear everything.” The smile in her voice was palpable. “How was the trip? What’s it like up there?”
Serizawa switched his phone to the other ear, “well,” he started idly rubbing his posterior at the memory of the bumpy road to get to Gotou’s. The way, on the narrower dirt road to reach the property, hanging branches would scratch against the truck. Like reaching hands. “The way up wasn’t too bad. Had its ups and downs, and uh, bumps.”
His mother hummed on the other side of the receiver. “And your business friend?”
The dual complexity of how his mother used ‘friend’ was not lost to him. He knew she found a motherly delight in teasing him.
With a measured breath Serizawa leaned to the side. Observing the room. Reigen was still in the bathroom. “He’s. Hm. Being cagey about something, but I don’t know what. …maybe he got some bad news he doesn’t want to talk about.”
“Oh? That’s a shame. What makes you say that?”
“He was staring at the Gotou family’s butsudan for a while. Well, longer than a cursory glance at least.” Serizawa remembered the far away look Reigen had while looking at the photo of an elderly gentleman. Remembered the remark that barely escaped Reigen, about how new the picture frame seemed.
“It’s normal to contemplate before one,” came his mother’s patient voice - reminding Serizawa he was still on the phone with her. “They can also be quite beautiful. Perhaps he was admiring the craftsmanship? I’ve heard you two discuss the cases that were more Stuff than Spirits. Quite the handy-man, your business partner.”
Serizawa smiled. The ‘Spiritual Belt of Necessities’ Reigen kept hidden away somewhere, (which at the end of the day was a utility belt of screwdrivers and other tools), came to mind. “True, true…” Then said, “maybe I’m thinking too much about it.”
“Oh my sweet sensitive boy,” his mother cooed fondly.
Serizawa ran a hand down the side of his warming cheek, “Mooom.”
“You’re right,” Mrs. Serizawa said, “I shouldn’t state the obvious. But I just can’t help it!” A wistful sigh followed. The content sort, that sounded of bittersweet smiles, and relief. “I’m so proud of you tesouro meu - I know, I say it too much, but I can’t help this.”
“Thanks mom. I love you.”
“I love you too.” A sniffle. A quick releasing exhale followed, as if jettisoning a sticky emotion into the air. “So! What else can you tell me? How is this Gotou family? Are they treating you well? How is the North? Are you cold? Did you pack enough scarfs and sweaters?”
Serizawa refused to hold back his smile, he couldn’t if he tried. Heart swelling with warmth for his fond, doting mother. Even while on vacation in another continent, Serizawa could feel her love.
With a smile that oozed with ease into his voice Serizawa explained how, despite the evident stress and concern, Gotou was warm upon receiving him and Reigen at the station. His wife, lean like a whip, held a thin smile that reached her eyes, was likewise warm and accommodating. Especially on insisting that both he, and Reigen had extra blankets while staying in the upstairs room that was certainly used as an attic when guests weren’t over. The house, two or three generations old after a reconstruction due to a fire, lacked central heating. Relying on a medium sized iron boiler/oven, that ate up firewood. Gorgeous in design, though not ornate.
Gotou’s brother on the other hand, was a quiet man, who reserved his thoughts for the bottom of his sake glass. He had the air of one who, normally, was perhaps rather jolly in nature, but such jolliness has slowly been drained out of him, like a stuck pig, for reasons unknown to Serizawa.
Serizawa then went into an in-depth description of how beautiful the landscape was, leaving out how weirdly absorbed he got on the side of the road. How vibrant the colors were. How interesting it was to hear the slow change of accents from fellow passengers the further North their train traveled. How hearing the real thing was nothing like on television - though this was always the case. Serizawa was delighted by the musicality, even if the accent sounded a bit like talking with a twanging head-cold.
Keeping in mind that an accent should not be confused with a dialect, which not only included a certain pronunciation, but also enough rich vocabulary and grammar that made it closer to its own language than anything else.
This brought Serizawa to describing the fascinating encounter with Ogawa and her gift of sweet potatoes. Her words a mystery to him, but her kindness was more than evident. Serizawa looked forward to meeting her again.
“That’s my boy,” said Mrs. Serizawa brimming with pride, “always inspiring kindness. Good as bread, and sunshine.”
Serizawa tilted to the side, rubbing the back of his neck, and with an awkward smile that he hoped didn’t reach his voice, he accepted the compliment - and kept deprecating comments of ex-terrorism or other less than happy emotions he was still working through, to himself.
Like a swimmer pushing off the side of the pool for another lap, Serizawa continued on, off to another thought. It wasn’t too hard to do considering how much of an impression Ogawa’s interaction left. In fact…just before Ogawa came over Serizawa was experiencing a Moment. That strange leaning as if he were being suctioned towards the panoramic landscape on the side of the road. Maybe that was why she came over in the first place…and yet, there was something about how her eyes lingered on Reigen at the time.
Not only that, but there had been two cases of people eyeing Reigen, at least, so far. Then again, Reigen did have a way of naturally drawing people’s attention…yet. Here, Serizawa wondered just who Reigen reminded Gotou of.
He filed this away for later consideration.
Serizawa then explained to his mother how, yes, it was slightly nippier than he thought it’d be, and was grateful to have listened to Reigen’s advice to bring warmer clothes. Despite running warm, Serizawa wasn’t the biggest fan of extreme temperatures, or shifting climates, perhaps it was a result of staying in a room with perfectly regulated temperature, only a button press away. What couldn’t be adjusted with internal heating, was made up for with Serizawa’s favorite hanten. All and all, he liked to stay warm.
This line of thought brought Serizawa to notice, not for the first time, how Reigen managed to get by in cold temperatures with a cheap gray suit, scarf, and tan trench-coat that Serizawa highly doubted had much insulation.
In fact, this, and the cumulating strange details that have been building up since they arrived, brought Serizawa to notice something rather important. He’d laugh at himself if he wasn’t so baffled by this realization. After all, it’s one of the easiest first topics to bring up in casual conversation. Every handbook on etiquette and small talk brought it up for goodness sake!
“Hey…mom, has Reigen ever mentioned to you where he’s from? I always assumed he was born, and raised in Seasoning, but now I’m not so sure.”
“If he hasn’t mentioned it to you, what are the odds of him mentioning it to me, querido?”
Serizawa shrugged, despite her not being able to see it. “True. You’re right, I just… I don’t know, maybe he mentioned it between your lessons on swear words.” He tapped his bottom lip, and glanced behind him to make sure Reigen was still in the bathroom. A sigh escaped Serizawa then as he admitted,“the downside to him opening up more than usual over drinks is: I have to drink too. Not that I mind. Of course.” Especially with Reigen, it was a very interesting experience. It just lead to fuzzy recollections of half held discussions and…moments. Which on the surface probably sounded ruder than the reality.
Most of these moments were mainly the pair of them dropping any and all barriers of personal space. Not that there was much in their deepening friendship. Reigen was tactile to begin with. But perhaps... the quality was different. The lingering hand overlapping another held the beating pulse of a deeper rhythm.
Serizawa coughed into his palm as he re-boxed a memory of Reigen having his arm around him, draped like a lazy satisfied fox who finally made it into the coop, and was about to have his way with several chickens. It was certainly a thought Serizawa didn’t want to think about while talking to his mother.
Mrs. Serizawa laughed, needling and knowing. “Its a very tricky pickle. And he’s a tough clam to open.”
“Yeah. Though when I do remember something and bring it up, heh, you should see his face.” As Serizawa ran a hand against his cheek the fond smile fell ever so slightly, “I just wish…being open wouldn’t take so many steps…I just have to be patient, I know. Everyone has their own things.”
A humming sound came from the receiver.“…and it can be frustrating too,” added Mrs. Serizawa sagely. “It can be hard wanting to help, and not knowing how, I know. …Oh, how I know it.”
Serizawa bit his lip. He didn’t want to go down the path of memory lane, and what ifs. Not again. Not this late in the night, or early in his mother’s morning. “Did I tell you about the chicken I got to hold in my lap when the bus broke down?”
As Serizawa hoped, his mother brightened considerably. The conversation turning into a more delightful, and light hearted cadence once more.
At some point Reigen was out of the bathroom, evident by the loud, “Yo! It’s all yours Serizawa.” Reigen was in the action of thumbing behind him when he stopped in his tracks seeing Serizawa on the phone. “Is that your mom?” Mouthed Reigen.
Serizawa smiled, and nodded.
“Tell her I said!! I said…!” Reigen petered off, lost between tiredness from travel, fatigue, and the short list of Portuguese he knew. “Um…hello,” he finished lamely.
Serizawa snorted, and relayed the info to her. Then turned to say, “She says hi back. And to keep warm.”
“~Only because you asked Mrs. Serizawa~”
Serizawa mouthed: suck up.
Reigen gave an impish grin, barely hidden behind his hand. Posing like a shoddy halloween decoration. The pose was broken when Reigen’s own phone chimed. It was Teruki.
With an expert wrist flick, Reigen flipped his phone open, “go for Reigen.” A pause. “…the number you called can’t be reached at this time-” Reigen pulled the phone away from his ear as Teruki yelled something filled with bright enthusiasm. “Yer- you’re gonna blow my speaker, kid. Yeesh. Hm? No, allergies. Yeah I saw the photo. Where did you even find- Cause I was pooping that’s why!! Oh now you’re grossed out, heh heh, serves you right punk.”
Serizawa watched Reigen pace as he spoke on, gesticulating with whirling arms no one but him could see. Reigen’s pacing only paused when his phone buzzed with another message. Serizawa watched as, with a quick, “hang on, hang on! I’ll look now,” Reigen removed the phone from his ear, and looked into the pale light of the screen.
Serizawa placed a hand over his growing smirk as he watched Reigen fight back a cackle, only to grin cartoonishly while speaking in the receiver, “where the hell did you find my earrings? You better not be taking advantage of my dark secrets! Also don’t let them be clipped to the leaves for too long, it might cause bruising. …yeah, yeah, Oooo you punk!” He paused again, listening to Teruki with a kind smile, nodding as he did so. “Knock yourself out, kid. You can wear them all day if you want.”
The conversation continued on.
Afterwards, when everything was settled, and their respective conversations were over, Reigen and Serizawa sat side by side by the window.
As a stake outs go, it was rather cozy.
Not that there was more they could do at the time than sit by the window, feel the crisp cold night air while bundled, and squint out into the night. Unsure of what to look out for until they saw it.
Reigen fidgeted briefly, fighting some internal battle Serizawa was sure was something nicotine related. He was content in the knowledge Reigen had won out, as soon the sound of a wrapper rustling added to the other sounds of the night.
“Want one?” Whispered Reigen presenting a lollypop. His own swishing side to side in his mouth…distractingly.
“I’m good, thank you,” said Serizawa averting his eyes…politely.
The uneventfulness of it all continued. Serizawa passed the time inhaling deeply from his nose. Trying to differentiate all the different earthy smells that would waft in with the breeze. The smell of encroaching night frost, or the way the humidity tinged the smell of bark, and so on. Reigen, who snuck a few glances Serizawa’s way, smiled gently around his lolly-pop. He was always a fan of how Serizawa enjoyed quiet moments, basked in them even. Though it did cause Reigen to fight back the urge to take Serizawa’s hand in his.
Reigen shook the thought out of his head, and focused on the delicate small chirps of passing bats.
It was quiet, and calm, with a serious risk of falling asleep while leaning shoulder to shoulder into the other. Secretly they both hoped for such an outcome, in a quiet, selfish way.
“It’s so quiet,” whispered Serizawa, for the sake of saying something. But it held the same level of amazement that followed Serizawa when he appreciated the smaller things. Like how truly magical the absence of sound pollution could be. Every time he’s reminded of it, it’s like he can sigh contentedly, and wrap himself up in the velvety quiet. Relax into it.
…for the most part at least.
There were some days the quiet was too grating, too much of a reminder of staying in a dark room, with barely a breeze that would enter from the air-conditioning, alone. With memories of feeling like a ghost haunting his own home. Those days he welcomed the white noise of the city’s natural bustling rhythm. The car alarms that went off at three in the morning, traffic lights vocalizing to pedestrians that it was safe to cross the street, garbage trucks and street work, chatter and laughter.
Reigen hummed, holding back from the urge to crunch down on his lolly-pop noisily. “Are you going to be alright sleeping in this quiet? It’s alright if you need to pull up white noise on your phone.”
Touched by Reigen’s concern, Serizawa said gently, “I think I’ll be alright for now, thank you.” He twirled his thumbs to relieve some built up energy.
“You’ll let me know if it gets, well, too much?” Reigen watched Serizawa nod amicably. Then without much forethought added, “it isn’t good to keep it to yourself.”
Serizawa gave a sidelong look. “Look whose talking.”
Reigen crunched down on his loll-pop, blaming the loud crunching to pretend to not hear Serizawa.
Serizawa looked skyward, gathering patience, leaning back as he grabbed his ankles as he did so. “I’ll let you know,” said Serizawa.
“Cool, cool,” said Reigen, grateful as always of Serizawa’s patience with him. But like most resources, hardly anything is infinite. Reigen dreaded the day Serizawa’s well of patience for him would dry up. As he looked out of the window he contemplated this. In order for wells to not run dry, the occasional rain helped. Besides, watching Serizawa work hard to better himself, as always, inspired something in Reigen, he just had to be braver about it.
Change of a habit is hard. Cycles are hard. But just as nature is always in a cycle, change is always part of that nature.
How terrifying.
How beautiful.
After a while Reigen said, softly, “I heard you, by the way.”
This earned him a smile from Serizawa, and left it at that. “I’m enjoying this type of quiet. There’s something about it, I don’t know how to describe.”
Reigen nodded, knowing very well what Serizawa meant. “Quiet, but not void of sound.”
Serizawa hummed contentedly. “Like the quiet is… alive, somehow.”
Reigen closed his eyes to an incoming chill breeze, hair ruffled in the process. “Yeah,” he said, a little wistful, “exactly.”
“I like it,” said Serizawa again.
“I’m glad.”
A bird cried, Serizawa tried to make an educated guess, was it an owl? A pheasant disturbed? Somewhere a mole was causing trouble to the irrigation of a rice paddy. Elsewhere a pregnant fox scratched at the earth, contemplating a future den.
Quiet, and alive. Watchful, and suspended. Amplifying any sound louder than a whisper. And this was only the type of quiet at the forest’s edge on Gotou’s property. As a deeper, more profound silence waited in the unknown of the mountain.
The pleasant, relaxing silence continued on, and on, and on…and lack of sleep, stress from traveling with the train, among other things, nagged at Reigen. Like a car’s warning light about to blink before shutting off completely. Reigen found it hard to keep his eyes open. Every so often he’d list to the side, or furiously rub the heel of his palm into his eye.
Serizawa raised a brow on occasion, but did not comment. He was curious to see if Reigen would admit to his exhaustion.
The clock read one thirty, and all was still calm, and wretchedly uneventful.
“What do your psychic eyes see, big guy?”
Serizawa’s lip curled into a smirk at the reference. “We really should finish our Lord of the Rings re-watch when we get back. But no, nothing on my end.”
Reigen groaned loudly, only to quickly clap a hand over his mouth when he remembered they were staying at someone’s house. He hoped he didn’t wake the sleeping Gotou family downstairs. Serizawa’s shoulders shook a little with a restrained snort.
Reigen watched, leaning back on his arms, smiling. When Serizawa finished he said, ”how about you?” Reigen nudged his shoulder gently into Serizawa’s. “How are you feeling? Headache gone yet?"
It was Serizawa’s turn to sigh. Weary.”No. Not really.”
"Do they usually linger this long? Have you drank enough water - or medicine? Or-"
“Reigen,” said Serizawa, soft in his fond exasperation.
Reigen stilled.
"It's just a headache."
"What if it isn't?"
"Then perhaps it'll turn into a clue."
Reigen huffed, frowning as his arms crossed almost cartoonishly. ”I don't like that."
"That's rich coming from Mr. Self Sacrifice,” said Serizawa calmly, without much bite.
Reigen opened his mouth, which was met with Serizawa raising his eyebrows like a silent challenge. Reigen closed his mouth. There really was no way to dispute it without going through the usual routine, and repeated arguments. Something Reigen really would like to avoid if he could help it, especially at this hour, tired as they both are.
They both had good points.
On one end, Reigen had a horrible habit of being overly reckless, acting before thinking without a second thought of what would happen to himself in the process, nor caring too much. Damn the consequences, and himself, if need be. Just as long as he could get the result he wanted.
On the other end, Reigen’s brand of recklessness had a method behind it: he wasn’t the sort to stand around and do nothing if he could help it. Be it a roadside vendor of psychic bric-à-brac from a fellow psychic con-artist, or a teenage girl who, if left alone, would die if nothing was done.
The If I don’t do it, who will? of it all, without waiting for an answer.
Serizawa and Reigen had gone in circles on the argument, and had, momentarily, come to a tentative stale-mate of sorts. Despite the occasional poking of the argument.
So Reigen grumbled,”no reason to pick up my ‘bad habits’.”
Serizawa hummed, and chose to ignore the implied indentation that was neatly placed around how Reigen said, bad habits.
“Tch.” With a click of his tongue, Reigen wondered if he was a bad influence.
They continued to sit there, staring out into the vague darkness before them. Hardly a clue what was beyond the line of soft light the house gave off, outside the shifting ruffle of trees, the smell of soil, and the occasional owl.
The forest’s muted silence invited a rare moment of raw thoughtfulness. "Hey, Serizawa-san."
Serizawa's brows rose marginally, not anticipating the unprompted formality. There wasn’t even a teasing subtext to it either. "Y-yes?" He turned his head a fraction of an inch to get a better view of Reigen's face.
Reigen's eyes stayed glued to the woodland, as if through staring alone he could will it to whisper the secrets needed to solve this case. Or was he trying to will himself resolve? Or was it both? Instead he only heard the gentle slow waving sounds of the wind, through branches full of leaves.
Finally Reigen said, "Do you think...if we had known each other when we were kids...we'd have been friends?"
It was a question that took Serizawa by so much surprise he could barely contain the huffed laugh that escaped him.
It caused Reigen to blink back from wherever his thoughts had taken him, deep in the forest perhaps, and returned to his body. His chest expanding in shock, looking perplexed and embarrassed.
"Ah! I'm sorry Reigen-san, it, just -you caught me by surprise!"
"Oh," deflated Reigen.
Serizawa quickly shook his head, grin unrestrained, "What I mean is - of course! I, if, if it had been possible to have met as kids well..." Serizawa trailed off, a thoughtful expression growing.
Reigen leaned forward, worried his question catalysed Serizawa into an unwanted territory of thought - or at least one Serizawa hadn't planned on revisiting to talk about.
Finally Serizawa said,”...my life changed for the better having you in it now. …why wouldn't that be the case if we had met sooner? Or as kids?”
Reigen bowed his head, grappling with emotions too big for the hour, and his exhausted self. His face cast in self made shadow, as his chin curled to his chest, the light of the room spilling on his back, and over his hair, illuminating more of the outside by result.
“Reigen…is there something you want to talk about?”
Reigen squinted his eyes tightly shut, to help will the watery look in them away. He mumbled something about pollen counts, then shook his head.
“Are you sure?”
The pause before answering made Serizawa hopeful. “Maybe later…is, would…” Reigen bit his lip, guilt seeping into his action of putting something off. “Would that be alright?”
“Of course,” said Serizawa, shocked but almost amused Reigen would have to ask. Though for the most part the promise of later, or any promise, felt like progress of a sort. “Whenever you want. I’m here.”
Reigen repressed a full body shiver, and uncurled himself quickly as if batting whatever sticky emotion was risking to climb out of his throat. “You too! Of course!! Obviously!” Said Reigen in a flurry of camaraderie. “I’m here for you too, and don’t you forget it,” gesticulated Reigen with emphatically flared nostrils.
Serizawa snorted. “I won’t Reigen, I promise.”
“You’re my trusted deputy after all!!”
Serizawa smiled. “Of course. I already said I won’t forget, didn’t I?”
“Right!”
“Right.”
“…right.” Reigen sighed all the air out of his lungs, energy escaping him all in one go. This caused him to list to the side once more, to such a degree that Serizawa jerked his hands out, and caught him. Unthinkingly. Pure impulse.
Serizawa’s sudden hands on him brought Reigen to gasp. He contorted it to an awkward, breathy chuckle. “Ah, sorry big guy. …I don’t think I can handle another night without sleep.”
“That’s alright Reigen,” said Serizawa, trying to keep a handle on how he beamed in relief. Delighted that Reigen admitted to his tiredness. “Rest up, I got it from here.”
Reigen nodded, grateful. Then opened his mouth.
“Don’t call it a burden,” interrupted Serizawa. “Goodness knows you’d give me an earful if I even tried the same,” then in a good natured, Reigen inspired gesture, Serizawa pushed Reigen a bit.
“Whoa. Watch it Serizawa, you keep this up, you’ll turn into a punk.”
“Tch.”
“Tch?!” Reigen stood and placed his hands on his hips, a show of baffled disbelief.
They stared in their faux roles, and expression, which melted into smiles and light breathy laughs. Which, as is the nature of laughing when trying not to be heard, made it all the funnier.
They sighed out of the laugh, nearly in unison. Unable to stop smiling.
“It’s not a burden,” repeated Serizawa, patting Reigen. “It’s my pleasure.”
‘It kind of is, it could have been avoided’, was the unspoken expression radiating from Reigen. But he relented and nodded, “I’ll be sure to be in better shape tomorrow.” Reigen patted Serizawa’s hand that was still on him, wishing he could curl them into his own. “Thank you,” added Reigen.
“Alright.” Serizawa reluctantly removed his hand from Reigen. Feeling like he might make the house jump in the air. Somewhere snow that had yet to melt, spun into interesting shapes. “Goodnight Reigen Arataka.”
“Heh. Goodnight Serizawa Katsuya.”
They stared at each other. Another owl hooted in the night. Bats fluttered. The moon shined on.
Reigen forced himself to be the first to move.
Serizawa, watching him go, managed to drag his eyes away. He looked down into his hands, palms still tingling with the memory of the fabric and warmth of Reigen’s night shirt.
As Reigen settled, so did the the objects Serizawa had inadvertently floated. The tell tale sound of toothbrushes returning to their designated area was heard, but mercifully not commented on.
A few things occurred in the hours that followed, some slightly more important than the others.
While doing his business in the bathroom, a very vulnerable place to be no matter the occasion, Serizawa couldn’t help but feel watched. The gnawing, back hair tingling, spine crawling sensation of suddenly realizing: you’re not as alone as you thought. Perhaps, you never were. It reached somewhere in the hind part of Serizawa’s psychically talented mind, and touched something primal, from the dawn of humanity.
It was a very rare sensation for Serizawa. It was as close to understanding what a non-psychic could feel when suddenly finding themself in the presence of a ghost.
Heart racing, he tried to scan the bathroom.
Door closed. No one at the window. Or somehow, in the way that only made sense to fear itself, behind him.
It was maddening, and made all the worse when he saw something from the corner of his eyes move. A small minute movement. Fear gripped him with the flooding imagination that a fearful mind could provide. What if he hadn’t seen the small movement? What would have happened to him? Should he put up a barrier?
Gulping, Serizawa lowered his line of sight to a more Not Human Eye-line.
Small beady black eyes stared back at him.
They belonged to a mouse. Tan fur, and as small as his palm. It just sat at the door, staring. Looking, if possible, just as surprised as Serizawa to be in this embarrassing situation. At least, that was the human emotion Serizawa projected on the small creature as its whiskers twitched at him. Sniffing what could be smelled in a restroom. Soaps, minty toothpastes, drying brushes, and so forth.
Serizawa, helpless, stared back.
He finished his business, all while in a staring contest with the small rodent, trying very hard not to reenact the tale of the elephant and the mouse.
The small visitor started cleaning its nose with its small paws, and sniffed a hair closer than Serizawa was comfortable with.
Serizawa’s calm didn’t last long. He had never experienced anything like this before. This was beyond finding a spider or roach.
Alerted by the strangled squealing sound, Reigen, who had not been sleeping for too long - but just enough to fumble, and have to wipe drool off his chin, rushed over. Reigen opened the door in eager helpfulness, only to slap his hands over his eyes so hard, that the force sent him him skidding to a fall, on his bottom.
“Ah! It! I! I’m! Reigen!”
“What is it?!” Whisper yelled Reigen. “What’s wrong?!” Reigen dared to check through his fingers to see if Serizawa was decent yet. “An pull your pants up!!” He added with a hiss, closing the gap between his fingers tightly.
“A mo-m-mouse! It! I! It was just!! There!!” Serizawa pointed fruitlessly.
“The-?!” Reigen cut himself off and groaned, scrubbing his sleepy face. He leaned far enough to stretch his back against the ground. Then, far calmer, he said, “It’s the country side, it's only natural.”
“But it,” Serizawa deftly continued to scan the ground, not finding hair nor whisker of the small visitor, “it was just here! And now-!”
“And now it’s probably somewhere else,” said Reigen with a sympathetic patience. He rested his arm over his eyes, closing them. Willing his heart to calm down.
“Should we, tell the Gotous?”
Reigen couldn’t help but smirk, and joke, in an offhanded way, “you mean, on the off chance they aren’t awake already?”
Serizawa deflated. “Oh.”
“Oh?” Reigen frowned into his arm, that wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for. Rubbing his eyes, he propped himself up on his elbows “Hey, you’re not feeling bad about this, are you?”
“No,” Serizawa lied while washing his hands. The cold water was a shock, and a relief all in one. He sighed.
Reigen frowned all the more, and sat up all the way. Clutching his ankles as he crossed his legs. “C’mon now. Don’t give me that.”
Serizawa bit his lip. Closed the water tap. He dabbed his wet cool hands against his neck and cheeks and arms by means of drying. It was a welcome sensation. Grounding even.
After a while Reigen said, “Serizawa?”
“Okay… I do feel…” Reigen nodded along encouragingly, “…silly.”
Reigen bit his lip to hold back a smirk.
“I just didn’t expect it!”
“That’s okay!!”
“It was just there! Staring at me! With those eyes.”
“I get that,” said Reigen with a crooked smile.
“Like, hello? Can I help you??”
“Maybe it was bringing you a message. Did it say ‘nice to squeak you’?”
“Reigen,” snorted Serizawa.
“Sorry,” said Reigen without too much remorse.
“…it is a bit silly now that I think about it.”
“There’s nothing overly silly about being surprised to see something you didn’t expect to see.”
Serizawa turned off the bathroom light and offered his hand to help Reigen up. “Sorry I woke you.”
“Think nothing of it,” said Reigen, taking Serizawa’s hand and being pulled up with ease. He blinked at how fast the assent went, hopping on his toes. Reigen patted Serizawa by means of orienting himself, but left his hand there in a more comforting gesture. "I’m sorry you went through a mouse scare.”
“Mm. It’s okay. It was kind of cute.”
A kind expression passed between them.
“I was serious about alerting the Gotous though,” said Serizawa.
“Nah,” Reigen waved his hand, which morphed into covering his mouth from an on-coming yawn. “The little squeaker is probably already hiding somewhere, munching on some rice, or about to be eaten by a cat or owl. It’ll be fine.”
“Well… alright then.”
“You want me to switch in? So you can catch some sleep too?”
“I’m still good for now, head back to sleep.”
Reigen studied Serizawa’s face, “you sure? I don’t mind. Honest.”
“Very. Get some rest Reigen. You promised you’ll be in form tomorrow after all.”
“Heh, I did. Well… alright then.”
They returned as they were. With Reigen settling into a futon, and Serizawa re-bundling himself by the window. They shared a look, and a small, soft smile.
“Well… goodnight then,” said Reigen wishing he sounded less desperately sleepy. It was as though his body didn’t realize just how deeply he needed to be warm and cozy until now.
Serizawa felt his cheeks warm at the sound, and the sight, “goodnight then, again.”
They smiled on. And again, when it was breeching towards unbearable, Reigen clutched the duvet, and turned away from Serizawa.
Serizawa looked down at his other hand, the one he offered to help Reigen up with. Then, realizing his own fawning, used said hand to scrub his face. “Silly,” muttered Serizawa under his breath, and tried to focus all his attention towards outside the window.
The night went on.
Velvety and muted, with soft barely audible sounds of movement from animals, wind rustling… Mole crickets chorused. Bats made meals of insects fluttering too close to the light.
Joining the late night sounds was a sound that barely passed Serizawa’s notice.
The sound of a door sliding open, and close. A barely there grunt. The tell tale flicker of a lighter being flicked on. Its little red orange flame, almost lost amidst the light from the window.
“Gotou-san,” gasped Serizawa who leaned out the window all the more. He stood up briskly, eyes switching between Gotou leaving and Reigen whose chest rose and fell with sleep. The internal debate of whether or not to wake Reigen, at the risk of losing sight of Gotou.
This case was important to Reigen. That much was obvious. And it wasn’t as though Reigen has had a lot of sleep. Plus Gotou was their client. Who was putting his full trust in them.
Oh, how Serizawa wished his headache would pass. Psychic aura extending around himself to gently levitate through the window, Serizawa made his choice.
His slippers touched down on the muddy grass, and, quietly as he could, Serizawa followed Gotou deep into the unknown of the forest.
One said, “so we meet again.”
One said, “look whose come back.”
One said, in a shifty unsure way, “is…is that a problem?”
“No, not at all,” said the One from before, haughty, “just, unexpected.”
“Oh.”
“Will you be playing a part in this, I wonder?”
“A part… of what?”
They laughed as one. “You mean you don’t remember?”
“…no,” said the newest voice, soft as a cricket’s song.
“What a plain little thing.”
“It is to be expected.”
“Are you sure they should be here? They could be dirty.”
“Like you’re one to talk.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“Oh, here we go.”
“You think you’re so better than us.”
“You stole from us.”
“You stole me.”
“And you dare?”
“And you dare?” Chorused the group.
“Yes. I dared,” said the haughty One, though not without a tinge of guilt, a tinge of deep sorrow.
“Yet you are not daring. You can’t halt us.” In the dark, the sound of a bow being strung. “We will never stand down!”
“Halt? From which cycle are you talking about?”
“Which cycle are we in now?”
“No, wait,” said One voice growing with concern as others veered off the topic of discussion, “we weren’t talking about that. Put that down! We were discussing another matter completely.”
“Oh, tranquility!” Started One, reciting. “Penetrating the very rock, A cicada’s voice.”
“Silence.” This voice reached out through the centuries. Commanding order with but a hiss. Like burnt sun dried leaves crinkling against a rock with a footstep.
One said, “this has all happened before.”
One said, “it is happening still.”
One said, “it will happen again.”
“I… I don’t understand,” said One, the smallest and newest.
“Don’t worry,” said One, gentler and kind, the One that had called for silence and order, “it’ll come to you.”
“If it’s all happened, happening, er, will happen… then why is me being here unexpected?”
One said, in a gentle, wise tone, that made the others hush, “the seasons are what they are in their cycles, and yet do we not find newness within them? Nothing is ever the same, and yet, in its own way, it is.” This voice had a more solid quality to it.
In the dark, heads bowed. Thoughtful. Respectful.
“So…” said the tentative new voice from before, “what shall you have me do?”
In the dark, a smile. Then the revered voice said, “nothing. Just, be. Enjoy the cycle. All of you. Who knows what this season will bring.”
Respectful silence followed.
After a while One said, “There’s a presence here. Formidable. Different than the other.”
“The one we woke up?”
“Shut up.”
“Will it be able to help us?”
“Is it a friend, or foe?”
One said, “I don’t know.”
“We should talk to them!”
“Quiet,” snapped One, “we will observe them. But first, we shall test them. Deep in the dark of the forest.”
“Are… are you sure?” Said One, the voice from before, the so called newest.
One said, “who are you to question?”
One said, “why do you care?”
One said, “who are they to you?”
The newest voice said nothing, but thought many things.
“Who will loose them, then?” Said One, of the Many.
“The one the presence is already following, of course.”
“Of course,” they all agreed, except One.
One said, “you’ve always been insolent.”
“As if you’re one to talk.” said another, challenging with rage.
“I didn’t say anything,” said the supposed insolent One.
“Exactly.”
“Besides if I’m so new, how do you know I’ve always been insolent? Huh?”
“Because I know.”
“Ya puffed up wind-bag! You are no better than-”
“Than what, peasant? Dirty One.”
“Than worms. Worm food. …All of us.”
“Why. You. Insolent. Dirty.”
“I’m not just going to stand here while someone should do something.”
“You were told to do nothing.”
“I was told to be.”
“You shouldn’t even be here. We thought you left for good.”
“…Maybe none of us should be here.”
“You should never have come back.”
“Leave it.”
“Yeah. You’re always so harsh.”
“Lay off.”
“I’m harsh? That little, little accursed brat-”
“Lets not start arguing again. Please.”
In the dark, laughter.
One said, “what’s so funny?”
One said, “you find our bickering amusing?”
“Yes. You are all so …amusing. It is one of the reasons why I love you all so dearly.”
Silence.
Then, One said, “Hey… where did they go?”
It was quite remarkable how quickly someone who seemed to be in a trance could move with so much agility. Despite occasional tripping, and attempts to keep quiet while bumbling through the underbrush, Serizawa did his best to not loose sight of Gotou. An act that earned him a few scratches from branches, and thorns from wild blackberries. Distantly, past the ever growing headache, and worry, Serizawa wondered if he’d end up brushing against poison ivy as well. That’s when Serizawa remembered he could put a barrier around himself to protect from such things.
Gotou certainly wasn’t sticking to a trail that Serizawa could tell. Nor did he slip and trip as much as Serizawa.
His eyes had a hard time adjusting between the hurried swinging of his phone light, and the darkness beyond the phone’s light. Made sharper because of the light.
“Gotou-san?” Hissed Serizawa half heartedly. Not entirely wanting to commit to calling out Gotou’s name. Wasn’t there something said? Something about how you shouldn’t startle a sleep walker? Not that this was exactly similar.
“Gotou-san?” Serizawa tried again, a hair louder.
He waited for a response, despite knowing he wouldn’t receive one. Ears feeling like they were stretching by their tips to try and catch every possible sound.
The footsteps ahead of him was reassuring at least. It could only be Gotou, after all.
…right?
As that moment of doubt passed through Serizawa’s mind, a series of footsteps rushed passed him, rustling the undergrowth like a sudden cold breeze.
Serizawa gasped, holding his phone tighter. Whatever it was it didn’t feel… spectral? He couldn’t put his finger on it. Serizawa, once again, was torn between following Gotou, and the quick foot steps that had rushed by.
Choosing to follow his client, Serizawa told himself, “probably a rabbit. Or, or the mouse from before.” He didn’t sound entirely convinced. He certainly didn’t feel convinced.
Serizawa pressed on, following the footsteps ahead of him.
This was rewarded by seeing, in the moment his phone swayed one way adding light to the left, in the sharp dark to the right: another light. It was pale, bioluminescent like. It seemed to ripple outwards in a pulsing sort of way. Teal.
“Gotou-san?”
Back within the Gotou household, Reigen still slept. It was a fitful sort of sleep. As if he were running in a dream. Chest rising and falling with effort, and exertion.
Small hands shook Reigen’s arm. When nothing happened, they shook him again, fiercer this time, desperate even.
“Eruki? Bwawa? Was wong?” Reigen stirred, though not enough. Dreams that made no sense clung to him. Like he had to be somewhere, to do something, get somewhere, and fast. Or was it that he was dreaming of being a Reigen Shape made out of hundreds and hundreds of moths, jumping from light source to light source, while slowly being picked apart and unravelled by owls and bats.
Was it a fortuitous dream? Auspicious? Bats and owls were good luck, after all. But he was just a Reigen, made out of moths… no he had to be somewhere.
The shaking continued, frantic, and wouldn’t stop. Reigen forced his eyes to open all the way, and rubbed them. He wondered why this touch on his arm felt so cold. His eye lids remained heavy, the doors from the realms of deep sleep were always hard to push past.
A sound followed, if a sound could feel like the color of teal.
Opening his eyes again, clearer this time, Reigen didn’t see Teruki, or Serizawa.
“I have to still be dreaming,” croaked Reigen.
Staring back at him, was none other than himself. Give or take fifteen years younger.
The punch to Reigen’s forearm to get him to focus felt cold too. There wasn’t much time, and the more Reigen became conscious and woke, the paler and less material this supposed younger self became.
Distantly, Reigen remembered something his grandmother once said; about being awoken by her younger self in the dead of night, to warn her that one of her children had a dire fever. Or was it that grandmother was woken by her mother’s younger self? An ancestor? Either way, it saved Reigen’s mother’s life.
Another cold punch. Unless punching was an impulse that ran deep in the family, it could only be himself. Reigen could hardly imagine his father throwing a punch. Not to mention all those bandaids…
When Reigen’s supposed younger self opened his mouth, no words came out - instead, his supposed younger self mouthed a name.
“Serizawa!” Gasped Reigen, sitting bolt upright as wakefulness crashed into him like a landslide. He turned about the room, and felt his stomach drop. “Serizawa where -?!”
Looking no more than a faint outline and motes of dust reflecting candlelight, Reigen’s supposed younger self’s last action was to point out the window, into the darkness, where the thick forest, and paths deeper into the mountain were. Then, with a blink, was gone.
The gesture arrived to Reigen like a gut instinct. Something that made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end.
Grabbing his scarf Reigen tripped and fell over himself in his attempt to hustle down the stairs, and race out into the night. He even forgot to put his shoes on.
Mud and dirt squelching between his toes, cold spring night air burning into his lungs, bugs lured closer to the light, bats chirping in the night, Reigen ran, and ran, and ran…
Serizawa took a deep breath, and for the third time that night made a choice, he turned the light off. He waited for the darkness to feel less sharp, less like a void. But rather, a more rounded darkness, gently illuminated by the pale moon light.
In fact the night wasn’t all too dark like this, without the sharp contrast of the phone’s light or his eyes constantly adjusting. The forest still held its imposing gloom, but there was no shaking that.
Eyes adjusted, Serizawa saw it again.
The bioluminescent glow, the pulse. It looked all the brighter now too. Stronger.
Serizawa, toes curling in his slippers, gathering his bravery, stepped onwards. So mesmerized by what he must do, by the strange light, Serizawa forgot about his growing headache. The hairs on the back of his neck tickled, the hairs on his arms and chest and back stood on end. A full body shiver followed, but Serizawa didn’t try to repress it, rather he tried to de-code it, like it held a secret only he could decipher. In a way, Serizawa wasn’t wrong, only he could decipher it. Probably.
Gotou, or who Serizawa thought was Gotou, seemed to slow his pace. Then, he started to turn around. Slowly, seconds at a time. The pulsing stopped but little rings of light were still around his feet, as much as Serizawa could summarize. Like rays of light through clouds. Except, these rays seemed to wiggle.
Because they weren’t rays they were-
It was here when a force Serizawa didn’t notice, crashed into him. He was so focused on Gotou, he didn’t even notice Reigen calling his name, causing a loud ruckus in the underbrush, slipping and running purposefully into him.
“Serizawa Katsuya! You! You! You dummy! What were you thinking running into the forest in the dead of night?! Do you want to die of exposure?!!!” Reigen, gripping Serizawa’s shoulders, shook him with all the anxiety and tension he had left from trying desperately to find him. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is? Why did you go alone?! Why didn’t you wake me up?!”
“But Gotou-san,” started Serizawa, but he couldn’t get far in his explanation.
“What if you got lost, and the search party couldn’t find you?! What if you tripped? What if you, you rolled down the side of the mountain and and-!! You can’t underestimate a mountain, you!! You double dummy!” Reigen’s chest huffed and expanded as he tried to catch his breath. His grip on Serizawa’s shoulder’s tightened, before fluttering and hovering around and over him, “are, are you hurt? Why won’t you look at me? What are you seeing?”
Serizawa bit his lip, heart swelling at Reigen’s blatant worry and concern. “I can’t risk loosing sight of Gotou-san. I’m sorry Reigen, I didn’t mean to worry you.”
Reigen sputtered, worry was not the word he would have chosen to use.
Then, quietly, as he reached out to try and grab Reigen’s wrist, Serizawa said, “could you lecture me later?”
“Lecture?!” Reigen squeaked. He allowed his wrist to be grabbed, and said, squinting out into the dark. “Where is Gotou-san anyways? I can’t see a thing.”
“You managed to find me,” said Serizawa starting to walk towards the distant light only he could see. He still hadn’t looked at Reigen. Duty compelled him. Couldn’t risk loosing Gotou. But he did give Reigen’s wrist a light squeeze.
“I think that was more dumb luck,” mumbled Reigen, before slipping on a mossy rock. “Watch your step,” he cautioned.
“Then we were both lucky. You could have gotten just as lost as I could have.” They each blushed furiously, not that it could be seen in the dark. Or in the growing teal light.
“And Gotou-san is double lucky then, to hire us,” Reigen managed to say through the burning embarrassment of toe curling feelings.
Serizawa gulped, and kept walking.
“It must be a psychic, erm, ghost light then? Or…?”
“Something like that. I can’t really pin it down,” said Serizawa. So focused on what he had ahead, on trying to solve what he was seeing, on not looking back at Reigen that…
Focus. He had to focus.
The teal bioluminescent light illuminated Gotou all the more. It was him, and yet he seemed different. Was it the effect of the light’s glow? Gotou didn’t stop his walking, and because of this Serizawa could see the ripples better now. How the ripples expanded as he walked, that it was as if each step sent vibrations to the earth calling forth …something, an entity of sorts. Maybe. Or multiple. Serizawa didn’t know, it was too early to say. But since the distance between Gotou and himself had closed he could see what he had thought was undulating rays of light.
And how wrong he had been.
They burrowed upwards from the earth, moving in listless undulation, like carp banners in summer. Slowly, lazily, as thick as udon noodles. Once reaching a certain hight they branched off, outwards, upwards - perhaps it was more like watching the sped up cycle of a tree’s growth?
Only to fade into little motes, or fungal pollen, at the steps end. Movement did not act in its favor. At least, that’s what Serizawa hypothesized. Another theory brought the image of angler fish to Serizawa’s mind.
Though to his mind’s credit, the glowing was quite mesmerizing, beautiful even. As if the light to pierce into his mind, and bring about…what exactly?
What did the color of teal make him feel like?
Another question: what would happen if Serizawa placed a little barrier in front of Gotou, to stop him from walking, so he could observe what would happen when still?
“Hey, I can see Gotou.”
“Can you see anything else?”
“You know I can’t,” said Reigen, making a face between embarrassed and shame.
Serizawa squeezed Reigen’s wrist again. “Just checking …I’m going to try something,” said Serizawa letting go of Reigen to raise his hand. “To check something else.”
“Okay, please be careful.”
This earned Reigen a small huff of laugh from Serizawa.
The light hearted feeling, however, dropped off him to a nauseating inducing degree, as Serizawa became instantly horrified upon turning to, finally, glance at Reigen.
How did he not notice the glowing teal sooner? Serizawa assumed whatever was happening to the village was happening to those who lived here, and yet…
Whatever test he was going to do on Gotou was dashed aside in Serizawa’s growing terror.
“Serizawa? What is it?” Asked Reigen, who stared back at Serizawa, oblivious to the teal undulating worms that were growing up, around, and even through him.
“Are you feeling okay?” Reigen continued, perplexed. Heedless to how a worm slowly phased out and through his eye, its teal glow casting Reigen’s face in all sorts of crude and strange illuminations.
Serizawa slapped a hand over his mouth to hold back a scream.
“Serizawa?! What are you seeing? What’s wrong?!” The worm that was perturbing from Reigen’s eye grew in length, and started to branch out in slow oscillating ways. Meanwhile another worm started to wriggle, and lengthen from the side of Reigen’s neck. Some phased through Reigen’s stomach and seemingly pushed out from his back, curling and swaying in the process.
Serizawa gulped his breaths, hand trembling with the battle to vaporize this presence here and there. The biggest reason Serizawa held back was the absolute dread and fear doing anything that could cause greater harm. Neither of them had any idea what they were facing. Serizawa gulped. What if it ate Reigen from the inside out? Or tore him apart? Tore everyone in the village?
This could end in disaster.
He absolutely had to handle this carefully.
“Talk to me Serizawa, you’re ah,” Reigen braved a crooked sort of smile, “I’m starting to worry …should I worry?”
Not for the first time did Serizawa wish Reigen truly had psychic powers. He had heard the knife argument a hundred times, and thought it a hundred times over, and appreciated that everyone had their own strengths and talents. But in this moment, oh how he wished… but wishing wasn’t practical. It wouldn’t help Reigen in the here and now.
Serizawa steadied himself, then said, with willed calmness, “how do you feel Reigen?”
“Um?”
“Please be as honest as possible. Please.”
There was something in that ‘please’. Something solid, full of meaning and worry. Something that highlighted to Reigen that this was not the time to be deflective, and coy. Not if he wanted to see the dawn again.
“Ah.” Reigen licked his lips, throat feeling suddenly very dry indeed. “Um… well, a bit sleepy. Nervous,” here, Reigen smiled apologetically. He searched himself, trying to pin down any illusive feeling he could grab. Why did it suddenly feel hundred times harder? “Hungry? Well, maybe not hungry, um. Strangely grounded?”
Serizawa’s eyes followed the path of these worms, from the slow undulating above Reigen, coiling, branching, more and more the longer Reigen stood still. Almost becoming thicker with time. To how it weaved in and through Reigen, as if he were a rock or statue that a tree had to adapt and grow around, that, given enough centuries, could even incase deep within its bark. Then finally to the base around Reigen’s feet, and ankles, entering down into the earth, and soil, pulsing. Pumping.
Serizawa swallowed thickly, “grounded, huh?”
“Yeah. And…” Reigen took a steadier breath. He closed his eyes to concentrate. It didn’t impede the worm that was still growing through his socket. “…sad. Yeah, I feel, sad.” Reigen opened his eyes, it wasn’t met with resistance, the worm just undulated and continued its slow lengthening pace. “I think that’s the word I’m looking for. Or…maybe something else.”
“Any aches?” Serizawa asked, quicker than he would have liked.
“No not…” Reigen pinched his brow. While he considered this, Reigen scratched his eyebrow in a slow, thoughtful way.
As he did so, in the back of his head, as light as barely realizing the presence of a mosquito, he remembered a time he got a black eye. The memory came to him like an echo, from far far away, on the edge of memory even. Beyond. It wasn’t his first black eye, and it wouldn’t be his last. Gosh, he hadn’t thought of that incident in ages. Years even.
“Does your eye hurt?” Serizawa asked, looking pale as he watched Reigen’s hand cause another undulating effect to the worm that was growing from his eye. A worm slowly started to poke and billow from the back of Reigen’s hand, meeting that growing from his eye.
The worms moved like seaweed at the mercy of a current - or branches of a tree to the currents of the wind, (Reigen being the current in this scenario). Though the fact Reigen could move at all was somewhat hopeful.
“Huh?” Went Reigen as if being drawn back from a far away place. Some hind part in his brain felt communicated to. The hairs at the back of his neck stood up.
“Your, um, eye.” Serizawa gestured to his own while trying not to wince. “Does it hurt?”
“Nah, just an itch,” he sniffed. That’s right, during the incident his nose was bleeding too. So many years ago. He was right to get into that fight, no one could convince him otherwise.
Serizawa made a high pitch affirmative hum. Then with clammy hands he gestured towards himself. The moment of truth. “Could you walk towards me?”
Reigen, returning from the far shore of a distant memory, did so, and was met with zero resistance from the worms. They waved sadly in his direction, but did not follow, having sprouted and grown from where Reigen had halted.
As soon as Reigen was close enough, Serizawa pulled Reigen closer, into a tight side embrace, and raised the barrier around the both of them.
Reigen squeaked, surprised and flustered all in one. But squinted fiercely in the direction Serizawa was still staring at, despite knowing he wouldn’t be able to see anything. It was better than acknowledging how his hands were shaking.
Meanwhile Serizawa watched as the strange thick streamer worms were loosing its teal glow. How they paled to a bleached white hue, like sick dying coral, and crumbled back into the soil. The ever patient earth, with its long long memory.
Reigen gulped, smile forced and crooked. “Ah-huh. Was… is it safe to assume I was in peril?”
The hold around Reigen marginally tightened. “I’m not sure. That’s what worries me the most. It’s too soon to tell if it’s malign or benign or…what it exactly is.”
“Oh. Well. That’s comforting.”
Serizawa turned to half heartedly scold Reigen for making light of the scenario, and perhaps likewise make an attempt at levity. But was quickly distracted by something else.
Serizawa gasped, “Reigen! You’re crying!”
Reigen furrowed his brow with disbelief. Gingerly he thumbed the soft flesh just below the bags under his eyes. Sure enough, it was damp. “Huh. I, I didn’t realize… Heh. Would you scold me if I said it was allergies?” The way Serizawa’s mouth became a hard line was answer enough. “Yeah, I thought so,” sighed Reigen.
Serizawa turned closer. “It’s still going.” His hand hovered awkwardly by Reigen’s neck and shoulder, full of want to gently thumb his other cheek.
“I’m sorry,” said Reigen feeling small.
Serizawa huffed, surprised, “why on earth are you apologizing?”
Reigen huffed as well, equally surprised. Fighting some lingering smallness. “I’m not sure. Kind of silly, huh?”
“Not really,” said Serizawa full of concern.
Reigen frowned, misunderstanding, “oh.”
Serizawa rested his hovering hand on Reigen’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. It seemed to jostle him some. “What I mean is, if whatever happened left a lingering effect, then it’s not silly at all.”
“Could it be shock?” Sniffled Reigen.
“Maybe.”
“Has it stopped?”
“You can’t tell?”
“I didn’t even notice when it started,” shrugged Reigen.
“No,” said Serizawa, gently, softly, “it hasn’t stopped.”
Reigen found this tender attention unbearable. Made him want to cave to impulses he dared not act on. Reigen tried to look anywhere else, but trapped between the side embrace and shoulder squeeze, well, there was little wiggle room.
“We need,” sniff, “to find” sniff, “Gotou-san” sniff. “Damn it!!!”
“We’ll find him. You should give yourself time to, I don’t know. Let it all out? Certainly Gotou-san is going through something similar. If we know what can help you, we can help him.”
Reigen shook his head, eyes fiercely shut, as if to try and squeeze out as many tears as possible. Gently, with immense emotional weight, Reigen stepped back peeling away from Serizawa’s warmth. Ignoring the ache in his bare feet, the shaking in his hands, the tears still falling from his eyes, and the deep urge to relent into Serizawa’s arms.
“No,” said Reigen in a way that left little room to dispute, “Gotou-san is out there. Alone. It’s dangerous out here in the dark. There could be slopes, and slipping. We find Gotou first. Deal with the rest later. In a safer place.” This was punctuated with a long watery sniffle.
Serizawa gave a reproachful look, but relented. “A safer environment would be better.”
Reigen nodded, and flung the scarf he had brought over Serizawa’s shoulder, who was in nothing but a t-shirt he used as a pajama, sweat pants and house slippers. Unsure he could handle Serizawa saying thank you, or anything else, Reigen marched on in a random direction.
The moment Reigen stepped out of the barrier, Serizawa could see the ripples echo out from Reigen’s steps. The quick, although bumbling, strides, didn’t linger long enough for any of the strange worms to start to slowly rise. Not that Serizawa offered a lot of time to study the scenario, with his own long strides, he quickly caught Reigen’s wrist again.
The glowing ripples faded away, with Serizawa’s presences, and barrier. As if he had draped a blanket over a parrot’s cage to quiet it. “Reigen-san,” he said in that very particular tone that didn’t leave room for debate of his own. Especially when Reigen was being reckless. “If you move fast like that, without warning me, I won’t be able to move my barrier. Let’s stick together.”
“Right. Right, of course,” moving his other arm in a fast expressive way.
Serizawa sighed. “You didn’t even bother to put shoes on.”
“You’re one to talk, you’re still in slippers.” Reigen rubbed the underside of his nose, “…besides, I was in a hurry to find you.”
“You certainly found me,” said Serizawa, low as the softest whisper in the dark.
“Yeah,” a blushing beat followed. Reigen cleared his throat yet again, though it had nothing to do with crying. “Anyways. Now. Let’s find our client.”
Serizawa smirked, they had already started walking for some time now, but he didn’t bring it up. “Yes, sir.”
“Oh, shut up,” said Reigen, fondly.
They found Gotou. How they found him, was something to behold.
He was staring out at a lake’s edge, standing on the bank of it, amongst reeds and tall grass. In his stillness the long worms had grown plentiful, up from the last rippling echo of Gotou’s steps.
They flowed upwards, through him, and had become thicker than before. Truly as if he were encased within a growing glowing tree. The offshoots of the worms high above him, made even more offshoots, smaller, like branches. The swaying and undulating was still there, but slower in the worms’s thickness.
From the ‘branches’ soft bulbs and bumps were forming, a tell-tale sign of a worm about to branch out? Or something else?
This was answered to Serizawa as one of the bumps opened like the flower of an almond tree, with it, powder.
To Reigen, who lacked this psychic sight however, Gotou was just standing by the bank of the lake, indifferent to whatever insect or animal that might have passed. As if he were just another reed in the landscape. “Is he in a trance?”
“Y-yes.”
Reigen looked from Gotou to Serizawa, studying his face. “You’re seeing something I can’t again.”
Serizawa gave a singular stiff nod.
“Can you describe it?”
Serizawa did so. To the best of his ability.
“Well, shit,” said Reigen looking back at Gotou, trying to imagine it. A shiver ran down his spine.“Did that happen to me?”
“I think it started to, but I didn’t give whatever this entity is a long enough chance to go, erm, this far.”
“Right… thanks again.”
“You got it.”
“So, uh… hm.”
“How do we go about this?” Offered Serizawa.
“Yeah…” Reigen pinched his chin thoughtfully. “I was able to move. You think he’d be able to? I mean part of the case is people going into the forest and staying out for long periods of time. Is he now immovable? Only to later be released in some way.”
“If he’s stuck then that could be a possibility. Just need to speeding up the process.”
“Right,” nodded Reigen. Then, reckless as ever, Reigen cupped a hand to his mouth and yelled, “YO! Gotou-san!”
“Reigen!”
Reigen started walking closer, awkward in bare feet that sunk slightly in the damp muddy earth, as if suctioned inward. Serizawa’s eyes bulged, and quickly fell in step beside him, less awkward in his house slippers, though sliding ever so slightly.
“We should try talking to him,” said Reigen by means of explanation, “like how you talked to me.”
Serizawa let out a strangled like voice, reinforcing the barriers he had put around himself and Reigen. As they walked, the motes of pollen that shimmered from the almond flower leaves lightly stuck to the barrier. Like fresh winter snow, wet and sticky.
“Gotou-san, there you are,” said Reigen in a less shouty tone. Casual. As serendipitously catching a friend on the side of the road.
Serizawa eyed the worms that surrounded Gotou. They undulated on, unbothered as the reeds surrounding them.
Reigen hiked up his dirty sweat pants up to his knees, and stepped around to stand in front of Gotou. The lake’s water, holding the winter’s chill not yet warmed by a hotter sun and, not to mention it being the dead of night, was freezing. Like a liquid knives, numbing and burning against Reigen’s ankles and shins. Sending a shiver up to the crown of his head. Reigen ignored this with a strangled whine, and pushed on.
Standing in front of Gotou, he studied his face. “Gotou-san?” He said again, looking for signs of recognition.
Gotou’s eyes fluttered, but did not look from its fixed state. Looking outward, beyond the panorama.
“Beautiful night out, huh?” Said Reigen, not taking his eyes off of Gotou’s face. He blinked again, eyes moving ever so slightly.
To Serizawa’s sight, the worms remained docile, slow and listless. Neither responsive or reactive.
“Gosh, I wonder what kind of fish you can find in a lake like this,” continued Reigen, in a drawling conversational tone.
Gotou blinked again, tears falling slowly from his eyes, dampening his cheeks. Though, much like Reigen before, he didn’t seem to notice. Was it from emotion, or staring without blinking.
Taking any sort of reaction better than nothing, Reigen pressed on. He jutted his hip to the side and placed his hand on it, “Ya know? I think I heard there’s a fishery ‘round here.”
Gotou blinked his head, and slowly, surely, like magma moving in depths of the earth, started to turn. Following Reigen’s movements.
Serizawa, pressing his fingers to his mouth in surprise, observed how the worms began a new sort of undulation. like the tell tale starting tremors of an earthquake about to arrive.
“What was it for? Trout? Fresh water crabs?” Reigen snapped his fingers with thought.
Gotou, to both Reigen and Serizawa’s surprise, stepped forward toward Reigen. Pace slow. As if he were walking underwater, each movement feeling the natural resistance of liquid. This, as Serizawa could see, was caused from the worms giving a minimal sort of resistance. Not as if they were actively trying to hold Gotou back, but because they had grown so large and thick. Difficult to walk through. But Gotou managed, and the worms broke with his movements, like a torn mushroom stem, then hovered suspended, blanched as Serizawa saw before, and crumbled.
Serizawa strangled his own whine as he joined Reigen’s side, his own eyes tearing up to the sharp shocked pain of cold water. Gotou however, shuffled on forward towards Reigen, unbothered by the water.
The ripple of teal pulsing out, following Gotou’s steps, meshed with the ripples of the lake water, causing a spectacular cross cross pattern of waves and light that, sadly, only Serizawa could see. Reigen certainly couldn’t, while Gotou’s eyes seemed fixed elsewhere, beyond Serizawa’s imagination.
Gotou raised his hands. Serizawa stepped closer. Reigen waved at Serizawa to gesture it was alright. Gotou opened his mouth, trying to remember how his vocal cords worked. Managing to gasp a bit, looking a bit like a fish in the process.
“Oh?” Reigen said, sweating in his schooled calm, “did ya remember what-“
All at once, Gotou was gripping Reigen’s shoulders like a vice. The contact of something physical seemed to help Gotou greatly.
Serizawa shifted nervously, looking between the two of them.
Reigen, continuing his discreet ‘let it happen’ gestures, all while smiling that sweaty on brand customer service smile back at Gotou, “yes?”
Gotou opened his mouth, and a wispy sound came out, airy. After a while a touch of sound. In the dark of the forest night, with leaves rustling, owls and bats flying, mice stealing rice, bears lumbering, foxes scavenging, fish sleeping, freezing cold lake water lapping against ankles, Reigen waited with patience.
At last, with breath, and sound, and the movement of tongue, Gotou managed to say, “Etsuko,” and went limp. Drained with effort.
Being the closest, Reigen caught him, buckling under the grown man’s weight. Quickly joined by Serizawa to help with Gotou’s weight. Between them, they shared a look.
Who, or what, was Etsuko?
Between the two of them and added help of Serizawa’s psychic powers, bringing Gotou back home didn’t take long. It would have been a shorter journey if there was a little less bumbling in the underbrush trying to find the way back. Then, glancing at a trail marker, and a specific tree, Serizawa heard Reigen make a barely noticeable, “huh,” and made quick work of the direction.
Now the three of them were on the Gotou family porch, washing their muddy feet with well water, and soft cloths. They also washed any other muck, or scratches to be treated they had earned along the way.
“Well,” whispered Reigen in the way nightly talks nearly always demanded, especially outside someone’s house, “how’s that for an interesting first night?”
Serizawa looked at the still unconscious Gotou, who had a soft cloth over his forehead, “the night’s not over yet.” He sighed, “I wish he’d wake up.”
Reigen nodded solemnly.
“Reigen?”
“Hm?”
“He’s crying.”
“Interesting. And emotional,” amended Reigen, standing to get a glass of water, “he’ll probably be dehydrated when he wakes.”
“Get some water for yourself, too,” said Serizawa gently.
Reigen halted, back to Serizawa, expression hidden. He cleared his throat, tapping a fist against his upper thigh, “you want some water too?”
Serizawa smiled into himself while wringing a cloth, “sure. Thank you.”
The quiet returned. Serizawa didn’t want to think of what time it could be. The sky seemed a shade lighter thought.
When Reigen returned he had in one hand a tray carrying a glass of water and two cups of tea, in the other, a few blankets. “I doubt Gotou-san will mind,” said Reigen gesturing to the blankets and tea he helped himself to.
Serizawa nodded, and helped take the tray from Reigen’s hands to set aside. Reigen draped a blanket over Gotou, and placed the other to the side as an option.
When Reigen settled, Serizawa passed one of the cups to him, which Reigen accepted gratefully. "Felt we might need warming up," said Reigen, explaining his thought process. "I'd have made some for Gotou-san too, but, well. Maybe not the best drink while sleeping."
"True," said Serizawa, smoothing out a blanket with his free hand. “Is anyone else awake?”
“Not that I’m aware,” said Reigen, “can’t imagine the shock his wife will have.”
Silence. The steam from their tea raised and billowed upward. It reminded Serizawa of the worms. Holding back a cringe, he blew on his drink.
They drank from their cups. Predictably, Reigen burned his tongue, hissing like a strangled goose in the night, his flying drink caught with Serizawa’s abilities.
“Oh hush,” muttered Reigen who, with averted eyes, held his hand out to accept the cup that floated back to him.
“You’re welcome,” hummed Serizawa, not bothering to to hide his amusement.
Mole crickets chirped. Frogs dug deeper in the earth for warmth.
Serizawa adjusted the positioning of Gotou’s glass, anticipating a potential accident if he woke with a start.
Silence.
“What are you thinking about?”
Reigen lifted his head, his chest expanded with breath. “Nothing really. Tomorrow we should talk to the people Gotou-san mentioned, see if they had something similar happen to them. Maybe when Gotou-san wakes up will get more clues, perhaps a detail that can help in our questioning.”
Serizawa smirked, huffing a little. Reigen always sounded like a private detective when he got like this.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Serizawa mildly. He adjusted Gotou’s blanket some. “Keep going.”
“Ookay,” Reigen lingered his eyes on Serizawa, then slid them away trying to remember his train of thought. “Ah, after we talk to the other people, seeing if there’s perhaps some sort of through line…well, we’ll probably have a better idea of what to do.”
Serizawa nodded in agreement. “We should also bring up Etsuko.”
“I agree.”
“What about Ogawa?”
Reigen stilled. Then said, casually, “what about her?”
“We’ll need to find someone to help us talk to her.”
“True, true… let’s save her for last. I’m sure along the way we’ll find someone.”
Serizawa looked at Reigen in a side long way, “I’m sure.”
The quiet that followed felt a little stickier. Reigen turned to look at Gotou, watching the rise and fall of his chest. He debated, not for the first time, on whether they should try and wake him. Meanwhile, Serizawa observed Reigen. The way his eyes still looked puffy, face a shade red.
This brought Serizawa’s thoughts back to the moment of Reigen crashing into him, how he barely heard Reigen’s steps in the underbrush. But this was because Serizawa was so concentrated on following Gotou. Yet, a small thought crept in, into the back of Serizawa’s mind. Like a thief in the night.
“Reigen?”
“Hm?” There was a pause, and, considering the weight of the pause, it made Reigen look at Serizawa, whose expression had become serious and thoughtful. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t think we were alone in the forest tonight.”
“As my aunt used to say: no one is ever really alone in the forest.” Reigen turned toward the forest line on Gotou’s property, beyond the edge of his crops and garden. “Though, I guess you’re referring to something else? Like, beyond the random rabbit or mole?”
Serizawa nodded, solemnly. “It’s possible,” said Serizawa, watching as Reigen slowly scratched the side of his cheek. Memory of those undulating worms growing out of Reigen were still very fresh in his mind. Though there was a significant difference between what had happened between Reigen and Gotou. Reigen hadn't sleep walked out into the dark of the forest.
“After all," continued Serizawa, remembering the discussion at hand, "if Gotou was out walking in a trance…”
“…then who else could be out there,” nodded Reigen. “We already know that, whatever this entity is, it can go after more than one person at a time.”
“Exactly.”
Together, with the night pressing on over their heads, they looked out into the dark of the forest. The trees bowing to the current of the wind. Moths gathered by the light above. Plucked off one by one by bats.
Notes:
Fun fact! The bit with the mouse in the bathroom is based off a true event that happened to me -staring contest in the middle of the night and everything, though I’d like to think I handled the situation slightly better lol
Chapter 6: Eccolo maggio
Notes:
A few things get revealed! Like the author's preference for Reigen's manga hair color lol
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Eccolo maggio, piano piano piano
con l’acqua in grembo e le mezzine in mano
eccolo maggio, chioccola di pepe
si canta maggio, signori se volete:
e bene venga maggio, e maggio l’è venuto!
Eccolo maggio, fa fiorì l’ortica
se c’è bimbi ’n casa, che Iddio li benedica
eccolo maggio, fa fiori’ le pere
a voi capoccia vi si chiede da bere
Here comes May, slowly slowly slowly
with water on the lap, and bacon held in hand
here comes May, little pinch of pepper
we’re singing May, gentlemen if you want:
and wellcome be May and May has just come!
Here comes May, it makes nettles bloom
if there are kids at home, God bless’em all
Here comes May, it makes pear trees bloom
to you, bosses, we are asking for wine to drink
- Folk song celebrating May and Spring typically sung during the Calendimaggio (or May Day), found with various variations from the regions of Tuscany, Liguria, Piemonte, Emilia, Umbria. Author unknown
❧❧❧
<< what is the difference between a man and an undertaker? >>
<< well? >>
<< reigen-san? >>
Fire.
Smoke.
Funeral Incense.
No.
Tobacco.
That ever familiar smell, that’s what roused Reigen from his sleep.
He blinked blearily, wincing at the pale morning light. Humidity and morning mist clinging to his skin, seeping into the bone. As he sat up, he felt all the creaks, and fallouts of having slept out on the porch. Why had they slept out on the porch again? Oh, that’s right, to act as door stoppers if Gotou started wandering again.
The night before, or rather, several hours earlier, when both Reigen and Serizawa realized Gotou wasn’t going to wake up any time soon, they placed Gotou inside. Not wanting to wake Gotou’s wife, yet not wanting Gotou to sleep on the porch, they decided on placing Gotou on the couch with a blanket over him, his glass of water still beside him. Likewise, as Serizawa deftly pointed out, neither of them were in a condition to return to their beds in the upstairs attic (nor did they want to wake anyone with further washing). Not only, if Gotou started walking again, he’ll hopefully trip over them on his way out.
Reigen smiled at the memory, the way Serizawa’s brows bunched as he concentrated in his explanation. That’s when Reigen’s mind started to wander into fanciful ‘what - if’ scenarios.
What if, after the adrenaline of the night, he had reached out and cupped Serizawa’s cheek, then? What if he stopped Serizawa’s explanation with a kiss? Slow and fiery as all the magma encased in the earth? Or would it be as brief a kiss, as a butterfly touching down on water? (Is that why they called it butterfly kisses?)
Reigen’s heart twisted in his chest. Feeling hot and cold and nauseous all at once.
Truly sick with love. (Or was this the result of sleeping on the porch? Or the entity?)
What if he told every, little, feeling and bared himself before Serizawa, like a raw, gutted fish, a voice crescendoing until he woke the whole house up? What if, while he bared his soul and guts out, Serizawa stopped HIS mouth?! With the wild thought that said feelings could ever be reciprocated?!
Reciprocated?!
Rapturous Reciprocation!!
What then?
Huh??
What then??!!
Reigen pressed the heel of his palms into his eyes and groaned his frustration. As if he could will the resignation back into himself. A face scrubbing reality check. Ridiculous hope. Unspoken. He should keep to the task at hand. There were more serious things to deal with than whimsical flights of fantasy.
Just that. A fantasy. They were only fantasies. Rare fields of thought he hardly let himself wander through.
Reigen dragged his inner elbow over his eyes, frowning into it. After finishing the mental equivalent of savoring the smell of a fine liquor, before stoppering it up again - and his cheeks didn’t feel burning hot anymore, Reigen lowered the arm.
He tilted his head to look at the sky, hazy with a sort of morning mist as the tip of the mountain started to heat with the oncoming sun. Bird’s flittered and swooped in the air, so high up, that the underside of their wings caught the few rays that oozed itself between mist and mountain. At the sight, another part of Reigen’s soppy heart jumped.
Shaking this off quickly with a shake of his head, Reigen stoppered this feeling too. If he sat around feeling soppy nothing would get done. Nothing good would come of it. Of reflections that circled itself like a snake eating its tail. Or, in this case, swooping birds searching for morning meals.
It’s time to get up, thought Reigen, and try and not mess the day up.
So he did.
Reigen was surprised to find he could move quite easily. He met no resistance, no pull against his muscle, as if everything was underwater. He didn’t know why he assumed such a bodily resistance would happen. He awoke and moved like any other morning, as if any other night had passed.
Yet Reigen knew better. He remembered clearly the look of horror on Serizawa’s face, and although Serizawa recounted what he had seen, Reigen’s imagination wove its wicked imagery with liberal creativity.
Reigen shuddered. And yet, despite the shudder, he couldn’t help but shake his head at himself. Leave it to him to first think of his heart aching crush, before considering how the previous night might have affected him. Because something did happen…even if he wasn’t fully aware of what.
Reigen gently tapped his cheeks, bringing slight feeling to them, re-grounding himself to be less in his own head. A breeze rustled his bangs, and he sighed.
Looking around, he saw Serizawa was still asleep. His eyes lingered on how Serizawa curled under his blanket, face relaxed, with a slow, gentle rise and fall that made Reigen want to gingerly brush a curl from his forehead. He restrained this impulse.
Instead, Reigen pulled the blanket up for Serizawa, so his neck would stay warm, and covered. Grinning as he watched the shoulders relax away from Serizawa’s ears as a result to the warmth. Reigen hitched the blanket a little higher, just to be sure. Smiling as he did so.
Then, after an added thought, Reigen added his own blanket on top of Serizawa.
Turning the other way, Reigen found Gotou, wide awake, the surprise of seeing him there, sent a shock up Reigen. Gotou was smoking a dog-end, his arm resting on a raised knee, pensively observing his fields and paying no mind to Reigen.
So much for being door stoppers. Reigen cleared his throat to make his wakeful state known, and joined Gotou’s side.
Wordlessly, Gotou turned his head to him, stiffly nodded a good morning, (which Reigen likewise returned), then proffered a small pack of cigarettes. Reigen hesitated, if he could manage, this would have to be his only cigarette for the day. Not only that, there was a sort of sadness in Gotou’s eyes. Reigen knew all too well, the look of a man in thought, smoking alone.
With a stiff nod of thanks Reigen accepted the cigarette, and light.
They sat there, with a weighty silence, watching the pale rays of the morning sun dance through the leaves of trees, its strength only growing, as more light creeped its way over the mountain’s shoulder. The ever present mountain.
“So,” said Gotou, voice gruff with tobacco and clinging sleep.
“So,” said Reigen, voice not as gruff, but with tobacco and rich with sleep.
“‘Suppose I went a-walkin’.”
“Yup.”
“Thank ye for findin’ me.”
“It’s what we were paid for,” shrugged Reigen, modestly.
“Heh.” Gotou took a drag, “Did-ya put me on the couch?”
“It was a team effort,” said Reigen, with a small wry look.
With the casualness of which they both spoke, they could have easily been talking about a drunken escapade gone too far. Bringing a friend safely home.
“Hope I wasn’t too heavy.”
“Psh, naah.”
Gotou nodded. “Thank ye, all the same.”
Here, the deeper sentiment broke through. Here, Reigen felt his cheeks burn with praise, and the double edged feeling, of feeling undeserving. If they had really done their job, Gotou wouldn’t have wandered off in the first place.
Reigen took a deeper drag of his cigarette, and forced himself to say, “you’re welcome.”
Gotou flashed a brief smile, and nodded again.
The silence returned.
Reigen rubbed his eyebrow with his thumb, and eyed the ash on the cigarette end. Gotou passed him an ashtray, painted ceramic, in the amusing shape of a tanuki holding out its testicals to catch the ash. Reigen arched a brow, then, with a deadpan, flicked the ash of his cigarette into the amusing ashtray.
After a while Reigen asked, “how are you feeling?”
Gotou tilted his head this way and that, considering. “Foggy. But, foggier than ah usually feel.”
“Like, in the morning?”
“Yep. But that’s normal. that’s what this is for.” Gotou raised the dog-end.
Reigen, who had more than his own fair share of breakfasts that consisted of tea and cigarettes, nodded in understanding. When alone, solids for breakfast was something that happened to other people.
“Thing is,” continued Gotou, through an inhaled drag, “the fog - headedness of the mornin’ has been lingering more an more.” He exhaled a long stream of smoke as he spoke, “It’s hard to differentiate, but, usually after a night of walkin’… it’s harder to shake off.”
“Oh?”
“Can last all day,” said Gotou, grimly.
Reigen nodded. Then he asked, “what usually helps? Outside the obvious,” Reigen raised his own cigarette as demonstration, then took a drag.
Gotou ran a hand over his face, then rubbed his jaw. “Workin’. Like to keep mah hands busy. Gets the shakes out.”
“Shakes?”
“Ah don’t usually have shaky hands, or feelin’s” Gotou raised his hand as demonstration. There was indeed a shake to them. “After a night of walkin’ it’s like… like ah am a live wire. Doin’ something tends to help. Not so much on a bad night. An ah get so thoughtful- in a…thinkin’ sense, mind. Pensive. That’s the word. Though ah think that’s just my age showin’. At least, that’s what ah believed before noticing it happen to others.”
“The lethargic quality you noticed, that you explained on the phone.”
“Right.”
“Do you feel that right now?”
“…Ah don’t right know. Ah feel…” he considered this with serious internal digging. “Fuzzy. Wish ah had a better way to explain,” grumbled Gotou.
“It’s alright. Take your time, the words will come.”
Gotou crossed his arms over his chest, brow crinkling with determination. Reigen looked away, in an attempt to give Gotou and his thoughts privacy. Though he listened intently.
Gotou tried again, slower this time. As if the journey his words have to take from the realm of Thought and Feelings had a long way to travel. The words came out, carefully, “it’s like there is two of me, see? The me ah know is here, talking with you…and another me…is elsewhere…it’s like …like gradually stepping into cold water. Or a fever happening to someone else that I’m…I’m emotionally listening in on? …I don’t know sounds silly I know.”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all, Gotou-san,” Reigen was quick to reassure. “In fact, that was really helpful!”
“Oh…that’s nice,” said Gotou.
“The bit with the cold water is interesting.”
“How so?”
“I’ll get to that, um, do you often feel that gradual stepping into cold water feeling?”
“Often enough to comment ah suppose.”
“We found you standing at a lake’s edge.”
“Oh.” Then Gotou said, “the one off Archer’s trail?”
Reigen bit the side of his cheek for a moment, then said, “I’m not sure.” Cigarette drag.
“Right. That makes sense.” Gotou sniffed then said, “it’s a good fishing spot.”
Reigen nodded, then said, with an exhale, “do you suppose you walk out there often? When in that state?” Reigen waved the smoke higher so it wouldn’t get in Gotou’s eyes. “That is to say, has your wife commented on you coming back like you’ve been standing on the bank of a lake?”
“Oh,” Gotou did a sort of half grunt half laugh, "she’s commented quite a bit, I’ll tell you what.” Gotou shifted then, looking fully at Reigen as he said, “but you asked me what I’m feeling right now. And right now,” Gotou raised his shaking hands, “it’s that cold watery feeling- maybe pins and needles. But like, uh, second hand fever of sorts. Simpatico like.”
Reigen wasn’t sure if that was the best way to use the word simpatico, but he nodded without comment. The cigarette swirled in Reigen’s mouth, following his thoughts.
Shaky hands, tremors, a sort of sympathetic fever chills …a million things could cause that, in a singular sense. Yet Reigen had to remember that this was an entity that is compelling people to sleep walk out into the forest in the night. Something he experienced, not to mention him and Serizawa witnessed first hand. Well, Serizawa witnessed more of, but that’s beside the point.
Was it a compulsion? Or something else…a call? Even if correlation doesn’t prove causation, it’s a reasonable place to start looking for clues. And Gotou was one of many. Reigen had to remember that.
Another drag, as, in a casual way, Reigen leaned back onto his palms, “if you don’t mind me asking Gotou-san.”
Gotou grunted a ‘go on’ while flicking ash.
“What’s your night routine like?”
Gotou raised a brow, he didn’t anticipate this line of questioning. He scratched his scruffy chin, “same as anyone’s ah suppose. Bathroom stuff, chit-chat with Kikko,” here, his expression softened, “sometimes ah ask her to read out loud passages from the book she’s reading.”
Reigen nodded, though inwardly he screamed about how adorable that was. His cigarette swirled before settling on a droop as he spoke, “let me rephrase my question… though that is adorable,” Reigen couldn’t help but point out.
Gotou nodded, appreciatively, knowingly. “It has come to our attention we’re cute.”
Reigen couldn’t help himself, he snorted, until loose saliva tickled his throat, and he coughed. Gotou leaned and patted his back amicably.
“Dare I ask what she’s reading lately?” Asked Reigen once his cough settled. If this entity wasn’t effecting a whole village, Reigen would have wondered if perhaps there was something up with the book. Unless it a farmer’s almanac, or something every person would have in their home, Reigen doubted it.
“Oh,” Gotou smiled, fondly, “somethin’ soppy… a period piece about lords an ladies.”
“Is it popular?”
Gotou shrugged. Then said, “Ye think it’s relevant?”
“No, no - sorry that was just my generic curiosity - what I was really getting at with those questions is: have you noticed something in your nightly routine that, well, a connection of sorts between what you do before going to sleep and going, uh, walking?”
“Oh…” Gotou furrowed his brows thoughtfully. “Not that I’m aware, but, if somethin’ come’s ta mind you’ll be the first ta know.”
Reigen nodded. They took a drag of their respective cigarettes, exhaled, ashtray. Silence.
Then Reigen said, “we talked before about you nearly getting into an accident? Care to expand on that?”
“Yeah,” said Gotou making a grim face, “was helpin with a neighbor’s tractor. Somethin’ in the mechanism, won’t bore you with the details, an well…it was a delicate process, but my hands…” Gotou raised them, the tremors noticeable.
Reigen nodded.
“Funny thing is, it reminded me of something…”
“Oh?”
“It wasn’t the first time I had to help fix a tractor. The first time, well,” Gotou pinched his chin, eyes shinning with memory. He could remember it like it was yesterday.
Reigen waited for Gotou to share what was clearly a lovely memory, but Gotou only deflated. With a shrug he said, “the scenario felt different than gettin’ distracted with my own thoughts. It was like, this overlap… ah don’t rightly know how ta explain it. Honestly ah wanted to chalk it up ta old man’s nostalgia. Maybe this thing’s playin’ with an old man’s memory, heh, never said that out loud before, feel’s silly, don’t it?”
“Not really…ghosts and entities do tend to work with emotions. And what’s a memory if not an echo?”
“Huh, well, likes I said before, nearly losing a limb was the last straw. …ya gave me somethin ta chew on though.”
Reigen nodded solemnly. Then said, for a change of pace, “I’m surprised your wife hasn’t found us out here yet.”
Gotou gave a raspy, yet fond laugh, “she could sleep through an earthquake. Almost has. Nah, she won’t be up for,” Gotou raised his head to the sky, inspecting it in a sidewise look, “an hour or so.”
“I could make us some tea if that will help. Especially with the, the cold water feeling?”
“Nah, want to use mah hands. Besides, I’m late. Should-ah been up hours ago.”
“There were a few more questions…”
“Nope.” Gotou let out a long sigh, having already decided it was time to work there was no stopping him. “It’ll hafta wait. Chores comes first.”
“Right,” said Reigen, looking at Gotou’s slightly shaking hands, “I’ll help. Ah, if you want. I also like to use my hands.”
Gotou stared at Reigen. A long, quiet sort of stare. Studious. Reigen fought all impulse to squirm under it. He wouldn’t have been offended if his offer to help was refused, after all, no one needs some guy blundering and making a mess of a season’s worth of crops.
Instead, flicking his ash into the amusing ashtray, Gotou inclined his head in a direction, “Fetch some gloves, an we’ll get to toilin’.”
Reigen’s smile was slow to grow, gradual, and hesitant. It brought the smallest smirk to Gotou.
“Well go on,” said Gotou, extinguishing his cigarette with a licked thumb and forefinger before placing it behind his ear. “We’ve burned enough daylight.”
Reigen sprung to his feet. Gotou pointed to some spare galoshes, and looked away with a grin as Reigen hopped over a ditch with growing watercress to get to the shed.
Serizawa slept on. Rough night, and use of psychic abilities aside, he had never been much of a morning person. Absently, he swatted a fly away from his ear, and buried himself deeper into the blanket that Reigen had adjusted for him. Face smoothing into comfort once more.
Reigen, stepped out, lively as ever (despite the ill-fitting galoshes). If he knew he wouldn’t fall on his rump, Reigen would have clicked his heels to boot. Instead, he schooled his step from a livelier pace to something calmer, lest he disturbed the soil, or inadvertently stepped where he shouldn’t.
“Arataka! Quit yer jumping like a goat,” called his aunt, who was still putting her boots on, on the porch. Her breath puffing up in the chilly morning air.
“But then! But THEN! Mogami was like,” here, Arataka demonstrated expansively with his hands, spittle spraying with added whooshing noises to what Arataka imagined beyond what television screens could pick up. It stood to reason, television cameras could only pick up so many things when it came to the supernatural.
“Right,” said his aunt, patiently, with hands on her hips. “I’m glad yer father’s business is doin’ well enough ta get a new tellah-vision. But will Mogami help me lift this vinyl sheet, and plant potatoes? I think not.” She gave Arataka’s shoulder a light nudge, in a friendly way. “Let’s get at ‘er.”
Arataka dutifully followed. Galoshes sinking in the wet thawed earth. “Why ain’t Koichi here ta do this?”
“Koichi is busy elsewhere. You’re here. I’m here. An a job needs doin’, so we might as well do it. Right?”
“Yeah, yer right,” said Arataka, sounding less than enthusiastic.
His aunt bent down to lift one end, and waited for Arataka to get to the other side, and lift his end. Eyes following him. Twinkling as she watched her nephew fondly.
Together they lifted the agricultural grade vinyl sheet, and folded it to the side. Beneath it, waiting for them, was a dry patch of soil that was already ploughed the previous year before the snow fell.
Arataka looked at the dry soil as if his aunt had performed a magic trick far greater than he had seen on tv. Beautiful in its simplicity, and right before his eyes. Enthusiasm beyond restored. Arataka knelt before the soil, and, gingerly, poked at it with a finger, grinning from ear to ear. Amidst the soggy mud that came with thawing snow. Dryness.
His aunt, smiling to herself, watchful, jutted her chin to the side. “Go on, fetch the seedlings. We’re goin’ ta need ta set them evenly.”
Arataka was already to his feet, springing to action.
“Don’t. Run. In mah field!!” His aunt called, warning without much bite.
Arataka rushed to get the seedlings. He carried them out with the same enthusiastic hustle, and, predictably, fell on his rump. Scrambling, and fumbling, and juggling the seedlings as he fell. Protecting them over his tailbone.
His aunt, crouching and watching with a gaze of being inevitability proved right, rested her chin in her hand. Her nephew had never been one to learn things by words alone. Another inevitability crossed her mind, “now whose gonna explain ta yer ma what happened ta yer clean clothes?”
Arataka looked over the seedlings, and brought them over. “What’s ta explain?” Asked Arataka with an arched brow, and stoic blunt drawl. Perplexed by his aunt’s question.“Whose ever heard of clean choring?”
At that his aunt guffawed with all her chest. What really got her, was the delivery. For in that moment, without meaning or even knowing, Arataka looked like his father then. The same noble resigned look when faced with inevitability. People died, and people got messy when farming. There was no escaping this way of things.
“Too right, too right,” said his aunt after her laughter died down. “Though that could-ah been avoided if ya didn’t, what?” She waited patiently for Arataka to answer.
“Run,” said Arataka, down into the seedlings.
His aunt nudged him so he’d look at her. She gave a single nod, satisfied, and moved on. "Now let’s plant them taters.”
The smile returned to Arataka, bright as sunshine. Together, they set the seedlings in the dry soil. Spaced evenly, later covered in soil. Above skylarks trilled.
Then, as they placed the vinyl sheet over the soil to keep insulation and protection from potential frost, Arataka asked, “why are potatoes planted as soon as possible?”
“Tha first thing ta do after winter is over, is prepare for next winter.”
Reigen turned to look behind him, expecting to see his aunt crouching by the soil, adjusting a vinyl tarp, and dabbing her forehead with her favorite hand towel she kept wrapped around her neck. The periwinkle one with a little zig zag design. Or the potatoes he had planted with her.
There were potatoes, yes, but not his and his aunt’s. Nor was his aunt sitting there, smiling with those twinkling knowing eyes. In that moment, he didn’t realize just how badly he wished he could see her. His heart ached.
The only thing that was there, however, were indeed potatoes. But they were already planted, little sprouts pushing up from the soil. They might even need to be pruned soon, in a week or so.
Above skylarks trilled.
Reigen let out a long breath, steadying himself. He had to keep his head on, his wits about him. Recovering he said, “Ya-ou, you planted potatoes already?”
“Yep,” said Gotou, unaware of Reigen’s mini day-dream. What felt like minutes was actually a brief glance, and a second. “Thaw came earlier this year. It’s comin’ ah little earlier every year. The rain’s tricky though. The occasional cold spurt don’t help much either. Makes it tricky, tricky, trick-ee. But with a cover an a prepped land, well, potatoes are a sturdy crop.”
Reigen hummed, and joined Gotou. Gotou stood before a patch of dry soil. Flourishing in it were horsetail roots, and mugwort roots, and, of course, bracken roots. It was time to till the soil, and weed.
“Soil’s good an dry here. Finally. I’ll deal with the hoe, you can handle the weeds. Make sure ya pull em straight from the root, alright? It’ll just grow back.”
Reigen nodded in understanding.
“Mind how ya go, city boy,” said Gotou, in a good natured manner, throwing a hand towel for Reigen to catch.
Reigen smirked as he caught it, enjoying a private joke with himself. “I’ll do my best, Gotou-san,” he said, wrapping the hand towel around his neck. “Thank you.”
So, despite being in pajamas, groggy from the hectic night before, they tilled the soil, and pulled roots. With so many horsetail roots it was hard to not have thoughts of tsukudani swim to the forefront of Reigen’s head.
Reigen dabbed his forehead with the hand towel. His vision blocked with the fabric. Yet, just behind his eyes, as if he were there, years in the past while also in the present, he could see his aunt smirking at him, those watchful twinkling eyes.
“Go on, get ta huskin’,” said the memory of his aunt’s voice, full of mirth. A wide bamboo basket full of pulled horsetails. Ready to nod along and ignore the streams of complaints that would bubble up between Reigen and his cousin. About how time consuming husking horsetails were, and aching shoulders - only for the horsetails to later shrink in volume after boiling, and simmering them in soy sauce and mirin.
So much work, from a full heap of weeds, only to get a little outcome. His cousin, Koichi, called it, “ah waste of work.” With youthful loudness that wanted all the world to know his unfair plight.
This would then spur his aunt, to give a full lecture. How humans , by opening up the forrest, were the cause of creating an environment to have horsetail weeds flourish. How the weeds were their price to pay. How, after all, it wasn’t a bad thing. How even weeds had importance.
“Just think. Back in tha Jōmon period there were scarce many environments for tha humble horsetail ta grow. Our ancestors might have considered it a precious find, even. A delicacy, even. An it’s been growing for millions of years, an millions of generations. From ancestors, an now, ta you my lads. …Ah blessing from the mountain …a mark of spring.”
Head in the present, Reigen lowered the hand towel over his face. Perhaps even focusing on the eyes a bit. His exhale long and steadying.
“Don’t tell me yer already tired,” huffed Gotou.
The hand towel dropped away from his face. “Not at all!” Reigen beamed, smile shinning in a fine tuned practiced way. He held up a horsetail in all its humble glory, “just, enjoying spring.”
Gotou grunted a laugh, and went back to hoeing.
After a while Reigen asked tentatively, “how, uh, if you don’t mind gettin’ into it. How old was that memory of yours? The one with the tractor?”
Gotou swung the hoe at a precise, studied angle, “Ah was pretty young at the time.”
“Yeah?” Reigen straightened.
“Ya think it might have somethin’ ta do with what’s goin’ on?”
“Doesn’t hurt to ruminate.”
Gotou leaned on his hoe, thoughtful. “The memory… well, memories… these thoughts, well, they tended ta have have my father in mind.”
Reigen nodded.
“Other than nostalgia ah chalked it up ta… ta…” Gotou’s voice tightened in his throat, “sorry. Ah know ah shouldn’t get like this…”
Reigen’s brows furrowed, momentarily confused. Then, something clicked into place. The furrow relaxed as his voice dipped into a gentle consoling tone, “when did your father pass, Gotou-san?”
Gotou lifted his head, surprised. “How’d ya …?”
Reigen lowered his head modestly. Eyes on the soil, and weeds. “The picture frame on the shrine looked slightly newer than the others. It was a hunch.” That, and he had many years of watching his father talk to the bereaved.
“…I see,” said Gotou at last. “Ya prove yer merit yet again Reigen-san.” Gotou paused after saying his name, tasting the familiarity but not sure where to place it. He pushed through, looking at the potatoes, “he’s been gone for over a year now.”
Reigen, voice low and soft in a tone learned from funeral homes and consultations, said, “you have my condolences.” He paused, then, when he felt it wasn’t enough said, “when it comes to grieving, there is no fixed schedule, nor a correct way to grieve. Grief effects everyone differently. It’s alright.”
This seemed to touch Gotou more. He rubbed his neck and sighed. “Heh, I know… my brother has it worse. Our father lived with him, ya see, before he, well… my brother can’t stand to go back to that house now. Too empty. Too many memories. too…yeah.” Gotou looked at the hoe, to the tilled earth. “So that’s why he’s livin’ with us.”
“No shame in that.”
“No, no… absolutely no shame.”
The silence returned, heavier this time. Spiced with a sorrow too hard to hold alone. A mind full of tears gets muddled, echoed a deep baritone voice in Reigen’s head.
So, Reigen filled the silence, “what was he like? Your father?”
And Gotou smiled, and told him. Life returned to his sullen face the more he did so.
Gotou Senior was a cheery man, a sensational flirt, who knew everything about everyone, and a sense of humor that could repeat itself like clockwork. Not to mention a fine, fine passion for making bush wine, and approached the art fermentation like an alchemist seeking the secrets of turning coal into gold. And for a moment Gotou Senior was there, come alive while spoken about. With memories shared.
A person lived, they were here, yet not. They left a mark, and live on through the lasting ripples of having existed. Lasting in the people left behind, with their actions rippling out, and out, and out. No matter how seemingly small. A person lived. They had been here. Influenced countless people, even more than Gotou, or Gotou Senior will ever know.
A person lived, and their having been there rippled out and out and out…
“We still have some of his wine, you’ll have-ta try some.”
“Oh…well,” said Reigen, reluctant. “Perhaps after the case is solved.” That way it would feel more like he had earned it, or, the off chance Gotou would forget his offer by then.
“Oh quiet. Ah insist. An he would too, sure of it. Don’t make me ask again.”
Reigen bowed his head. Face on the red side, and feeling a little cornered. He’d be rude to decline further. “You’re too kind. Thank you.”
Gotou waved this off with a grunt. As if he hadn’t just thrusted a generosity at Reigen.
“It sounds like he knew everyone here.”
“Oh sure! Big as his heart was, he was as nosy as a boar sniffin’ for mushrooms. He wanted ta know everything about everyone. Just a hint of a whisper and he was there. Hardly anything could get past him.”
Gotou laughed, and Reigen politely joined him. The sun had finally made its way past the mountain’s shoulder. They continued with the field work. Serizawa rolled in his sleep. Mrs. Gotou, and Gotou’s brother’s presence were made known by lights turning on inside the house.
Gotou looked up into the window where his room was. “Might get an ear full from Kikko,” he said in a fond, resigned way.
Reigen smiled into his work. He had separated the roots into different piles, on the off chance either Gotou or Kikko would want to use it in their cooking. Or perhaps he could cook something for them with it.
“Ya know, she threatened ta tie me ta the bed so ah wouldn’t wander off?”
Reigen snorted, “and how did that go?”
“Badly, obviously. Ah could undue the knots even in my sleep.”
“Oh!” Reigen packed that little detail away for later.
“Kikko was so disappointed too. Ah think she had a lot of fun trying ta make the right kind of knots. …Ah wouldn’t mind tryin’ again - ta be tied down by her, after this whole thing is over.” Gotou nudged Reigen’s knee with the hoe, while wiggling his brows with meaning. It was like watching caterpillars give a rendition on the word suggestive. “Ta be tied down for, other reasons.”
Reigen arched a brow. Gotou laughed till his chess rattled, and a cough was brought on.
Reigen gave a polite laugh of his own. Then said, “I see the art of cultivation helps bring about other cultivated thoughts.” This attempt at a joke wasn’t as well received. Reigen coughed into his fist and moved the conversation along, “what about your brother?”
“Yuta?Ah don’t rightly know if he’s wanderin’ at night too. He never mentioned…he doesn’t talk much these days. …An Kikko hasn’t mentioned anything regardin’ dirty clothes.”
Reigen nodded in understanding. “I see… what about locks, and things? Blocked doors, and such.”
Gotou rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Ah suppose we can give it a try.”
They started back on their work, they were almost finished too. Reigen was about to suggest his offer about cooking the horsetails when he saw Gotou lean on his hoe yet again. A frown deep in his thoughtful face. He stood there, quiet, pensive, making the same face Reigen saw when he first spotted Gotou on the porch. Reigen kept an eye on him while he pulled another root. Was this a side effect from the night before? What was Gotou seeing? Or was he deep in thought? He wished Serizawa would wake up, perhaps something was happening that Reigen couldn’t see. Then he felt guilty for thinking that.
Reigen was on the verge of worry, about to say Gotou’s name, when Gotou’s brows pinched, and his head tilted. He almost looked pained. Panic surged in Reigen, and dissipated almost instantly as Gotou finally spoke, “ah hate myself to ask it. Reigen-san… do,” it was clear whatever the question was, was causing Gotou great distress. “Do you think my father is causing this? It sounds so hard to believe - he wouldn’t hurt a soul! An, an we sent him off properly. The funeral was, well modest, but beautiful…”
Reigen could imagine it vividly. He didn’t even have to close his eyes or think hard. Down to the types of flowers used in the memorial arrangement, to the coffin that would be sold to Gotou. Because caskets were more expensive, and since it’d be cremated anyways… Reigen pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I don’t know if your father is the cause,” said Reigen truthfully. “If he’s still here, perhaps he wants to see what happens next.”
“He’s nosy enough haha, …hm…it’d be just like him to get in to everyone’s business…you’d tell me if you knew?”
“If and when I know - and am fully certain, I’ll tell you, Gotou-san.”
Gotou relaxed, face watery with grief, but somewhat relieved. It was evident this question had been pressing on Gotou’s mind for some time. It was a good question, a solid possibility. Reigen would have to bring it up to Serizawa later.
They finished tilling the soil, and pulling roots.
When they were done, Gotou let loose a mighty stretch with a full belly groan of delight. Satisfied with his work. Reigen stretched his wrists and arms gently, smiling as well.
“Ya did good,” said Gotou resting the hoe to the side against a bare scarecrow pole. “That’s quite a lot of weeds.”
Reigen, thumbed at himself and posed, “Nothing to it for ~the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century~!”
Gotou nodded, this made sense. Though one thing made a little less sense, “hey, speakin’ of - why didn’t ye just use yer abilities ta weed, huh?”
Reigen dabbed his face with the hand towel, the amount of sweat was starting to grow, “Ah, well, uh, you see,” he was off kilter for only a moment before his wrist twirled and, like a magician showing the coin was behind the ear the whole time said, smoothly, “excessive use of psychic abilities when it comes to the natural world and farming don’t yield the same results as just using your hands. I experimented such a thought in my youth, of course, trying to find a shortcut in growing a summer melon instead of waiting for the right season.”
Gotou leaned forward, face brightening, “oh? That could solve quite a hefty amount of food shortages.”
“Indeed! That’s what I thought too at the time,” nodded Reigen with the expert stillness of a professor. While his thoughts added: that and the amount of cash yield that could, heh, cultivate. “But the result turned awful. I even tried it on seed packets once.”
“Ye know,” said Gotou, rubbing his stubbly chin, “when ah heard from a friend, of a friend, of a friend’s cousin down south about being paid in seed packets, why, that’s when ah really felt inclined to call ye. Just knew that was a good sign, right in my water.”
“Oh, well,” said Reigen feeling undeserving in such praise, “thank you.”
“Yep, done a good thing calling ye, ah know it.”
Reigen smiled, awkwardly, hoping it didn’t look pained as he internally fought against the rising tide of self loathing. Oh boy. Nothing worse than when a client was so, so trusting. The pressure to solve this was on before, but doubled. He couldn’t fail Gotou, he couldn’t fail this town. No matter what.
Gotou, unaware of what his kindness and trusting was doing to Reigen, went on, “an I know ye weren’t alone that day either.” He gestured to Serizawa, still asleep, peaceful, under the warm cocoon of blankets like a bear in hibernation. “Was Serizawa-san with ye then, too?"
“No,” said Reigen, eyes lingering on Serizawa, smiling in a small private fond way. “No I wasn’t alone that day, but I didn’t have my trusty Deputy either. I, ah, I was with my student then.”
“Fair, fair,” nodded Gotou sagely. “It’d make sense one as great as ye call yerself ta have an apprentice of sorts.”
Reigen awkwardly cleared his throat. Then said, with feeling he couldn’t hide, “well, when that happened, it was another time.”
“What do ye mean?”
“My student, well, heh heh, he isn’t much of an Office Regular as he used to be. Which is fine! Good even! Very very good.” Reigen rubbed the back of his neck, then observed the sky as he collected his thoughts.
When Reigen spoke again, he tried to strain the self deprecation out of his words, like pulp. Mob not coming around as much was a positive thing, he had grown for the better. Emotes more, lets himself laugh more. It was a good thing, “kids are always growing, and, uh… needs change. He can stand on his own two feet, doesn’t have to rely on my, uh, teachings. In a way,” Reigen smiled, soft with a familial feeling that pinched his chest, “he never really did. I’m glad I was able to help in my own little way. It’s good that he’s grown. That he can look and search, and reach for what he needs for himself. Surrounded with so many friends, and a whole bright future just waiting to be shaped by him.” Yes, what will the world become for Mob, for Kageyama Shigeo? Reigen was happy he’ll be able to watch and find out. The beauty of a future full of unknown possibility, how exciting.
“My door’s always open, of course, and he insists on still calling me Shishou,” Reigen shook his head, disbelieving with a smile.
He remembered the initial discussion on the matter, it had almost become an argument. Mob was still new to handling his own unrestrained emotions, and Reigen had been too busy trying to prove he had Learned His Lesson, that he wouldn’t hold anyone back. It had turned into a Miscommunication au Flambé, or whatever, he didn’t know Italian.
The point was, once Reigen got over himself, and they took a moment to talk and actually listen, well, everything became significantly easier. Mob was still Mob, and Shishou was still Shishou. The same, but still different. Growth.
“But well, yeah…he’s a good kid. He’s bound to go far. I’m sure of it.”
That wonderful budding sprouting seedling. Reigen looked out at the field, and the potatoes, and smiled. The rare genuine sort, unshackled by self loathing. His familial love for Mob out weighing any internal boxing match against his negative thoughts toward himself.
Gotou nodded, amused by this young man before him who sounded like a seasoned parent trying to make do with their kid leaving for university, or growing faster than anticipated. Who had so much more life to live and grow through as well.
Such was the way of things, one never fully notices just how old, or young, they appear to someone else. It was like comparing tree nuts, to saplings, to sycamores. Their relationship and interaction with the other keeping a healthy forest structure. A forest made out of trees all the same age, made for an unhealthy, and easily to burn forest. A mix of saplings and young trees among the old growth is needed, and necessary in the kingdom of forests.
And so, the forest surrounding them, growing on and on, on the ever present mountain, grew on. Slow, and patient.
After a beat, Reigen coughed and said, “Anyways, where was I getting at? Oh right, psychic growing. Yeah, it’s best to leave such things the old fashioned way. There are no shortcuts to growth. Hands, soil, seeds, and toil.”
Gotou beamed and nodded, clapping the back of Reigen so hard he nearly fell over. “As it should be! Glad that’s the case. Ye can’t rush nature. Some things need time and sure as shit means no cuttin’ corners.” Gotou shook Reigen’s shoulder some, righting him in the process. “An I’m glad yer here Reigen-san.”
Reigen righted himself, suddenly feeling like a right fool. Utter fraudster. Blue ribbon winning to boot. Which couldn’t possibly be his imposter syndrome surging up. Gosh, worse than a water dispenser salesman. Wait, water dispensers at least had its use. Mentally he rectified with: Worse than any cartoonish old west snake oil salesman.
Here Reigen was talking about farming and ~psychic powers~ he couldn’t dream of before a man whose whole livelihood depended on farming, and him solving this case. The whole village depended on the case being solved. He wasn’t a farmer, and he sure as hell wasn’t really a psychic. Who was he kidding? Deep guilt rose in Reigen for even daring to pretend otherwise. What if he failed Gotou, failed everyone here, spectacularly? Not only, what if they realized this whole time he was-
“Oh!” said Gotou, breaking Reigen from his less than happy thoughts, “that’s quite a lot of horsetails.”
Reigen looked down at the hefty pile. He cleared his throat, trying to unstick the self deprecation from his voice, or at least hide it elsewhere. “Mm, I, ah, I dunno. Wondered if.” Goodness he hated how bashful he suddenly sounded. “Well. It’d be a waste not to try to use them for something…maybe tsukudani,” Reigen shrugged bundling himself in casualness as one would bundle against a blistery piercing wind.
Gotou nudged Reigen again, “ah like the way ya think more an more. Never throw anything away that can’t be used up.” They looked down at the horsetails together for a moment. Then Gotou added, “or maybe an egg drop dish.”
Reigen brightened, “how would you make that?”
“Boil em in a pot of dashi, sake, soy sauce, an mirin - mind the pot’s gotta already be heated up.” Reigen nodded along. “Boil it all. Then ye bind it together with scrambled eggs.”
“I’d love to try it.”
Above skylarks trilled.
Reigen sat down on the porch to pull the borrowed boots off. After a hefty bit of resistance, caused from sweat and swelling, he finally managed. Reigen lowered himself down to his back and stared up at nothing in particular.
“Damn. I forgot to ask about Etsuko,” said Reigen covering his eyes with a soft groan. He scrubbed his face. Then considered his chin and cheeks with his fingers. A shave was in the near future.
"Mmm, you're awake already?" Came the croaky voice of Serizawa from under the blankets.
Reigen turned, and propped himself up by an elbow, resting his chin in his hand. A lazy soft smile grew. “Afraid so.”
“But,” Serizawa’s brows pinched, brain connecting to words in a sluggish way. All there was, was the emotion he wanted to express. “You barely rested...last night…”
Reigen waved this off, “of course I did. You were the one awake during the stake out. Don’t you forget it.”
Serizawa grumbled, not entirely agreeing, but not quite connected to articulation enough to dispute. Especially not with Reigen.
Reigen looked out to the field, away from Serizawa’s soft, kind, groggy eyes. Mrs Gotou had come out to meet her husband. Chiding and scolding while lovingly placing a warm drink in his hands. They weren’t as shaky as earlier, which pleased Reigen. He watched the domestic scene before him, in a wistful quiet way. The pair of them certainly seemed a happy old couple.
Reigen glanced back at Serizawa, and nearly jumped out of his skin to see he was still watching him. He wondered what Serizawa was looking at, or was Serizawa going to mention his inability to sleep in?
Before any answer could be reached, almost fearful to find out, Reigen cleared his throat and asked, ”how are you feeling, big guy?”
Serizawa's brows furrowed, ducking deeper into the blankets. "My back is going to hate me. It's cold. It's bright."
Reigen nodded along to the list sympathetically.
“I mentioned the back?”
“Yep.”
Serizawa groaned, ”...I don't want to wake up."
"I'm sorry,” said Reigen smirking with amusement. “…Will the promise of a warm breakfast help?"
"...A little,” Serizawa relented. He peeked out from the blankets, eyeing Reigen with a more focused eye, "you've dirt on your cheek."
"Hm?"
Serizawa reached his arm out, and, lightly, with a finger, rubbed at Reigen's cheek with singleminded gentle concentration. The cheek grew warmer, and warmer under Serizawa’s touch. Made all the more intimate by the fact that the soft touch was near the pale little, hardly there, scar on Reigen’s right cheek that he got during the Mogami incident.
"Ah...thank you..." Reigen watched the hand retract back into the depths of the blankets, and forced himself to clear his throat. Steadying himself to not follow the hand deep into the blankets. "So, uh, you want to know the game plan for today is?"
"Sure," said Serizawa, slightly muffled behind cupped hands that hid his face. Deep in the blankets, he was beside himself with the dawning realization of what he had just done.
Reigen politely ignored this. Refusing to think more into it. "We should wash up before breakfast. Eat, obviously. Oh, I'll fill you in on what I learned from Gotou-san."
Serizawa sat up more, blankets sliding as he propped himself on his elbows, "that's right! Gotou-san! How is he?” He looked around wildly, “where is he? Is he-?”
Reigen was fast to place a reassuring hand on Serizawa’s tight shoulder. “He’s fine! Fine, from what I can tell.” The bunched tightness relaxed with relief under Reigen’s hand.
“Oh,” yawned Serizawa relief whooshing out of him and quickly replaced by morning sleepiness again. He sank back into the comfort of the blanket, “okay, that’s good. Good to hear.”
Reigen bit back a snicker. Witnessing early morning Serizawa was a gift. Distantly Reigen wondered what time it was anyways. Seven thirty? Eight?
The office usually opened at nine thirty in the morning, and Serizawa was absolutely the sort to never waste a second that could be better used with closed eyes.
Realization seeped into Serizawa’s sleepy mind as he became more self aware. There was something very important he still had to ask, and he couldn’t do it in a cozy haze under not one, but two blankets. Two?
Serizawa sat up, the two blankets sliding off of him like an ice shelf, “Reigen.”
“Y-yes?” Went Reigen leaning back from the intensity of Serizawa’s stare.
“But. After all this. How do you feel? Are you alright?”
After the moment of shock of being asked such a question passed, Reigen said, in a small squeak of a voice, “oh. Ah.” The intensity of Serizawa’s stare suggested he wasn’t accepting any sort of slanted answers at the time. “Uh…” continued Reigen with the eloquence of one who often avoided internal inspection. “I’m alive?” Even as he said it, Reigen wish he didn’t.
Serizawa’s lips frowned marginally, and he continued staring.
Reigen sighed, and sat up. Hands in his lap. Serizawa watched as Reigen considered his still standing question with more thought, and the slight frown changed to a slight smile.
“I…don’t know. I’m not sure. I feel fine. Nothing too unusual. In fact I thought I’d feel…something different - sluggish maybe? But… yeah,” Reigen patted himself down as if to confirm his suspicions of being whole and in one piece, “yeah I feel…okay? Tentatively okay? Same old same old.”
“Okay,” accepted Serizawa.
Then before Serizawa could say anything, Reigen added, “and I’ll mention something if anything is off. But so far everything feels….normal?”
The hint of a smile turned to an actual smile, “that’d make me feel easier. Thank you.”
“Don’t think you’re off the hook!” Reigen gesticulated pointing about, his, well, point. “How are you feeling?” Asked Reigen as if he just raised the pot on a round of poker, and went ‘what now, punk?’
Serizawa covered his mouth with his hand.
“That bad, huh?”
Serizawa’s shoulder’s shook.
“Grave, huh?!”
The tell tale sign of definitely holding back giggles. To which Reigen relaxed his puffed up bravado, and simply took in the sight happily.
Finally Serizawa sighed out the rest of his giggles, waving a hand in warning to not try and make him laugh again. Not that Reigen would ever promise such a thing. “I’m good. Rough from sleeping on the porch, but good.”
“No residual gunk from…whatever we encountered last night?”
“Not that I’m aware.”
“What about the headache?”
Serizawa considered this more, “no, no headache. I hope it stays that way.”
“Me too.”
Serizawa smiled his thanks. It reminded Reigen of the way sunlight caught on the underside of birds in the dawn.
“And you’re sure Gotou-san is okay?”
“From what I, Reigen Arataka can tell. But I was curious if perhaps you can catch something that might be… well, you know.”
Serizawa nodded in understanding.
“Like I said,” continued Reigen, “he’s a bit shaky, I'll fill you in more while we wash up. He managed to get some chores done. I, ah, helped, a little.”
“Chores?”
“Y'know... field work, uh, stuff …farming.”
“That must have been fun for you,” said Serizawa earnestly.
Reigen rubbed the underside of his nose in a modest, yet puffed up sort of way. “...a bit, yeah. It was nice. Very nice.”
“Better than a balcony of vegetables?” Said Serizawa in tones of fond teasing.
Reigen placed his arms behind his head, rocking a bit, “eh, you could say that.”
Serizawa smiled knowingly to himself, morning or not, the casualness didn’t fool him for a minute. He looked out at the field. It didn’t look too different from what he remembered.
“It wasn’t much,” said Reigen, guessing Serizawa’s thoughts, “just tilling, and weed pulling. Which can’t start until the soil is dry enough - though Gotou-san mentioned lingering snow, which causes mud, and more rain than usual. Thankfully the spring season isn’t in full swing yet - still in that funky lingering winter scenario, so he doesn’t feel too behind in planting. But, I don’t know, I think he’s a little nervous hehe…what?”
“What?” said Serizawa fully enjoying how deeply, and easily, Reigen seemed to light up when talking about gardening.
“What, what? That look.”
“Look? What look?” Asked Serizawa, absolutely having a look. His own smile spreading on his not so innocent face.
“Tch,” went Reigen, but in a fond way.
Serizawa pointed to a patch of field, “what’s that?”
“Potatoes,” answered Reigen without hesitation, “the tarp is to protect the roots from cold snaps, though it’s already well along its way. Might need pruning in a week or so.”
“And that?”
“Spinach, though its season is ending. The natural sugar in its leaves means it has a lower freezing point than other crops. Perfect for, winter…” Reigen trailed off in his explanation. Serizawa was giving him a Look.
It was also a that Reigen was starting to realize meant: ‘you can’t hide your joys from me, in fact there’s very little you can hide from me. Not that I want you to hide from me at all’. And it absolutely terrified Reigen. It was a look that was absolutely bad for Reigen’s heart. Or, Reigen countered, he was reading waaaay too into his friend’s - yes friend’s- look.
Though, most of all, Serizawa had proven his unspoken point.
“It,” started Reigen, not realizing how dry his mouth felt. He licked his lips and tried again.“It was nice to get my hands in the soil, yes.” admitted Reigen, and finding himself surprised that he had managed to not flinch at his own honesty. Hell, he was even smiling. Though with the nerves he probably looked constipated, and sweaty. Reigen cleared his throat, “despite the borrowed gloves, heh heh.”
“I’m happy for you Reigen,” beamed Serizawa and meaning it. “That sounds like you had a nice morning. I know how much you enjoy plants and gardening. Feel free to wake me up next time, I’d enjoy trying to help out, or even watch. Or, well, try to watch at least, apologies in advance if I end up falling back to sleep. But yeah, I’m happy for you.”
If it was said by anyone else, Reigen would have wondered if they were pulling his leg, but not with Serizawa, never with Serizawa. He seemed to carry the incredible ability of meaning every word he said, and that meaning carried weight.
Reigen admired how Serizawa did it. How he didn’t flinch away from the power of his own honesty. Admired him for it. Inspired him even.
“Oh! Well, I’ll… I mean, I’m sure you’ll get your chance to test your green thumb soon enough - just a hunch. But uh… yeah, sure. I’ll…I’ll do that,” said Reigen trying not to squirm, “and, you know… thank you. You’re right. It was a nice morning.” Reigen cleared his throat, “questioning aside.”
Serizawa thumped his own forehead, returning from his own soppy mental meanderings, and remembering that there was, indeed, a very serious case afoot. “Questioning aside, yes.”
Reigen smiled at that, in a way it relaxed him. All at once it felt like they were back on normal footing again. Work stuff, he can handle.
He nudged his elbow into Serizawa’s arm amicably, and said, “speaking of, do your psychic eyes see anything on Gotou-san, uh, lingering?”
Serizawa straightened, and stared.
“T-try not to make it too obvious we’re talking about him,” said Reigen awkwardly, very aware of how intense Serizawa’s Business Stare can seem. It left little to no room for subtlety. Something Reigen had resigned himself to accept, despite the occasional small request.
“He’s too engrossed with his wife. Besides, of course we’d be talking about him, he hired us.”
“Right,” accepted Reigen, finding interest in the grain of wood of the porch.
“Nothing is lingering on him. No ripples echoing from his footsteps that I can see, either.”
“Huh, interesting,” said Reigen thoughtfully making a mental note as he traced wood grain lines in their mystifying patterns, “…that’s good.”
“I don’t see anything on you either.”
Reigen lifted his head at that, and came face to face with the full mega-watt force of Serizawa’s Business Stare on him. It was like his bones would be obliterated into jelly. He looked back at the wood grain for his own sanity, “Oh right, me. Yeah, that’s a relief. Um, thank you. Though it was such a brief encounter last night it would make sense there wouldn’t be something, uh, too lasting…or latching.”
“True, though you can never be too careful,” said Serizawa in a sweet-tempered way that also made it very clear he wouldn’t be letting his guard down any time soon. The last thing Serizawa wanted was a repeat of last night to happen to Reigen. It had been so sudden, and such a shock. No, it wasn’t something Serizawa would forget for quite some time.
Reigen gulped through his stiff nod, being subject to Serizawa’s waves of, what he liked to imagine as protectiveness, did things to him. Then said with a lighthearted air, “which reminds me, Gotou-san said we can borrow his bicycles to get around, and we should probably prepare to help people out to get information out of them...what?"
Serizawa drew his legs close to him, picking at the fabric of his dirty sweatpants. Bashful as the first day he came to work for Reigen.
Reigen leaned forward, all at once alarmed. "Is something wrong? Are you okay??"
"I...ah...I'm fine, it's just..." Serizawa gulped and closed his eyes. Then he said, all at once, as if the faster he said it the easier it was to admit it, "Idon'tknowhowtorideabike."
"...one more time?" Reigen bit his lip, "take a breath. It's okay."
Serizawa did so, dutifully. Then tried again. “I ...don’t, um, know how to ride a bike..."
"Oh!" Reigen was about to add 'is that all?' but cut himself off before doing so. "That's alright. I, ah, can try to teach you? If...if that's something you're interested in. And, ah, in the meantime we can share one."
"Isn't that illegal these days?"
“Tch.” The panicked realization of what he just offered caused him to double down in a way that made nerves look like frustration. “Whose going to stop us? Here?!? The bear eating trash, the rat snakes, or the moles?!"
"Well," said Serizawa furiously twiddling his thumbs, feeling his cheeks burn up, “since you put it that way... and, if that's alright with you...”
"Of course it is!I offered!!” Said Reigen leaning into his offer like a lifeline to keep his own head from exploding. The back of his sweater felt sticky. “Okay. So. We can bike to the other people, and uh...perhaps squeeze a bicycle lesson before lunch...and maybe an added nap,” he added poking Serizawa’s arm.
"A nap sounds like a great idea," Serizawa sighed, releasing all built up blushing tension. In way that made Reigen want to reach his hands out, and close the distance between them.
Instead, Reigen stretched with a groan that compensated for his frustration.
How the hell were they going to solve this case in these conditions? Maybe Teruki was right, maybe he should have brought Dimple. His floating and leering about would have helped to keep focused. It was hard to wistfully daydream when the phantasmic revenge of bad halitosis was jeering at you, though not impossible. Shou was right too, Dimple would have made it easier to cover a lot of ground…
No, no, the kids needed Dimple more.
Besides, Reigen didn’t think he’d be able to bear the teasing on top of everything else.
Any further ruminating was cut off by Gotou Kikko bringing over a tray of hot tea to warm them up, full of thanks and praise for: “keeping my man out of further trouble.” While also politely underlining that they’d both be sure to wash up before breakfast.
When they came back down for breakfast, washed and ready, they were in their work suits. Which, Reigen knew was something exceptionally silly to be dressed in, considering the possibilities of having to help out for information. But that wasn’t the point.
When Gotou inevitably asked over breakfast, Reigen answered with his point, “I know, it’s pretty ridiculous. We’ll probably look ridiculous regardless. So we might as well give them something to ridicule on my own terms. Besides, it’s what people probably expect us to look like, two psychics coming up from the south? C’mon. We might as well lean into it, for the first day at least. After we supposedly ‘learn better’. It might even make asking hard questions easier.”
Serizawa nodded along, loyally.
Gotou gave a hearty guffaw, and slapped the table so hard a side dish rattled. “Ya know, that sounds just like somethin’ ah heard someone say.” He turned to his wife, “what was his name? The - dear help me.”
“Only you know tha workings of that mind of yours,” Gotou Kikko said, mildly, while refilling her husband’s dish.
“C’mon didn’t, didn’t that feller who courted Komaba do something similar?”
“Which Komaba, honey?”
“The one who lived down the northbound lane of the mountain, ta get ta the other half of the village.” When this didn’t help his wife Gotou added, “by the suburbs!”
“They both did, dear. That ain’t specific enough.”
“The younger one? Or…" he waved his hand, mildly frustrated, “one of them. Anyhow,” he turned back to Reigen, “ye should have seen it! Lean an mean fella in a suit trailin’ after Komaba when she came back from university break. Heh, must have fallen head over heals ta follow her all the way out here. Though he looked less like a love sick puppy, an more like a dutiful doberman or somethin’ haha! Anyhow, no matter how many suits he ruined, he followed on after her.” Gotou clicked his tongue and leaned on his knee, shaking his head, “Ah just can’t remember his name. Had sandy ashy brown hair, like you, Reigen-san.”
“Oh?” Said Reigen politely. “A happy coincidence, maybe.”
It had gone unnoticed by the others, but Serizawa raised a brow at that. That had been Reigen’s ironic voice.
“Can’t be sandy and ashy, honey,” said Gotou Kikko.
“Well how’d you describe it? Miss Novel,” volleyed Gotou, though not unkindly. It was clear this was part of some sort of banter routine.
“Brown,” deadpanned Gotou Kikko in such a way it even earned a light huff, that could have been mistaken as a laugh, from Gotou Yuta. “Granted, maybe a light brown,” amended Gotou Kikko, patting her husband’s arm, “but brown is still brown.”
“Where’s yer romance honey?”
“In mah books, dear - an you o’ course. Life’s complicated enough, it don’t need ta add yer own floral prose embellishments.”
“I’ll show you floral prose embelly-shments.”
“That a promise?”
“Well!” Reigen clapped his hands, in a finalizing way that likewise reminded the Gotou family at large that the person of whom they were just recently discussing his hair color was still, in fact, in the room, and at the table no less. “Burning daylight, uh, as they say.”
“I’m finished as well,” said Serizawa, voice gentle and deep as always. He was unbothered by the table shenanigans, but rather was still concentrating on a small shape of an idea he didn’t quite know what form it would take. So, patient even in his thought process, he continued to carefully turn it over, until it would reveal itself.
“Oh, don’t you lads worry about the dishes,” said Gotou Kikko.
But Reigen and Serizawa had already collected their bowls and side dishes.
“It’s the least we can do,” said Reigen.
“Thank you again for breakfast,” said Serizawa.
And so, dressed in their work suits with their hands on their hips, they looked at the bicycles. They were bicycles who had lived and traveled far and very long. Reigen probably had a similar brand when he was younger. The rack at the rear of the bicycle seemed stable enough too.
Reigen, face schooled into a neutral deadpan, felt like the top of his head might fly off if he imagined Serizawa behind him ...sitting on the back rack... holding him... maybe even tightly...
Serizawa was struggling with similar thoughts, though, face less schooled, yet lower half hidden beneath a palm.
“Well,” said Reigen, for the sake of saying something. Unable to bear the imaginative heavy silence any longer.
Serizawa quickly turned to Reigen, determined, “I’vethoughtofadifferentsolutionwecouldusesoIwon’tbeaburdenwhilewemoveabout.Afterall,we’llprobablybegoinguphillanddownhillalot,andI’mnotexactlylight.”
Reigen blinked, “....one more time?” He rolled his wrist with a flourish before pointing at Serizawa, with a squint, “also, did I hear the word ‘burden’ mixed in there? You better not be talking about yourself like that.”
Serizawa snorted, the hypocrisy of this man. But the snort morphed into a long breath all the same. He approached the other bike, tentatively, like it was a jittery horse that didn’t need to be frightened.
“I think,” started Serizawa, slowly, with a hand on the handlebar, “I can use my psychic powers for now. It’ll save time,” in his mind Serizawa added, and you won’t get tired as fast with me sitting behind you. That, and he was pretty sure the mountain itself would float into space if he sat behind Reigen in a bike ...holding him ...like an anime love interest. Serizawa had been around the romance manga block, more than once. The amount of times he had sighed wistfully at a heart fluttering page, alone in his room, living vicariously through words and images. Wishing…well, he wasn’t in his room anymore. He was here, it was now, and there were bicycles in front of them. Serizawa knew the tropes. No amount of reading could prepare for the real thing, and he did not feel ready for it.
Their eyes met briefly, and then turned to put all their attention on their respective bicycles.
Reigen cleared his throat. “You sure?”
Serizawa nodded emphatically, then said, “yes.”
“It won’t, deplete your energy, or anything? Keeping that up?”
This time Serizawa looked up. Reigen was pulling at his collar with a hand on his hip. The concern, as always, was genuinely there. Easily spotted through sweaty clumsiness.
Serizawa smiled. “I’m sure.”
Reigen looked back at him, and nodded, trusting. “Alright.”
It boosted Serizawa’s confidence immensely. He swung a leg around the bicycle seat, easy as can be. If Reigen didn’t know any better Serizawa was a seasoned pro.
“Whoa,” said Reigen as the bicycle began to gently float.
“It’ll be no different than an arcade game like this,” said Serizawa, chest a little puffed.
“Hell,” Reigen swung his leg over his own bike, “yeah,” he kicked the kick-stand up in a swift movement before putting his foot in the pedal.
“Oh,” said Serizawa softly as he realized he should at least make it look like he was riding the bicycle normally. He tried to kick his own kick-stand up so it wouldn’t drag behind him.
Serizawa would have felt a bit cooler if the heal of his shoe didn’t keep slipping away from the kick-stand.
“Is-”
“It’s fine, I got this.”
Reigen leaned forward on the handlebars, and bit his lips to not say more.
Serizawa’s brows furrowed with concentration. At this point he refused to use his powers for this. This kick-stand was going up by his own foot. “Whose first on the list?”
“Inoue.”
“You got the map?”
“That’s a Seasoning City sized ten-four,” said Reigen with a thumbs up.
The struggle continued, and then, with a sounding metallic clap, it was done. Serizawa straightened, hands lifting from the bars momentarily in cheer, before quickly returning to the handlebars with a death-grip. The fearful instinct he might fall, only to loosen his grip considerably.
“That’s great, though uh... I’d hate to burst your bubble, but you might have an easier time if we adjusted the height of your seat.”
Serizawa looked down, with his foot in the pedals, his knees practically touched the handlebars. “Ah.”
Later, when they were on their way through paved paths, and gravel filled dirt paths, and a hodgepodge mix of the two sort of paths, Serizawa was too focused on the scenery and keeping his bicycle afloat to notice that, in the end, Reigen didn’t use the map even once.
Then again Reigen had always been pretty great at remembering directions.
Notes:
This, to me, feels like one of my more Slap Dash chapters. Something still doesn't sit right with me about it, but if I look at this any longer I'll start eating my laptop. Something something perfection isn't real, and done is better than nothing.
Initially this chapter was going to be much longer, but the more I worked on this chapter and considered the flow of things, it felt...a bit much. Perhaps too much info for one sitting. I wanted the interview process of the other residents to have their own flavor. To really dig into the residents, what's afflicting them, what's different and what's the same in their affliction (as well as a secret other thing).
This probably won't be the last time that a chapter that was intended to be much longer gets cut down. There are quite a few moving parts in this mystery case fic, and I think separating certain beats might make things a little easier to follow. Digestible. And my own desperate hope that the story will make sense when all those different parts finally come together.
As a result, it also means that, eventually, the number of chapters this fic has, will rise. Such is the way of editing lol.Thank you for your patience in advance.
Chapter 7: "I Don't Know" (Part 1) Footsteps
Notes:
⚠️Chapter Warnings (may contain spoilers)
Hypothermia. Drowning. Use of Distorted Text.
(click the triangle arrow to see)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
[ALL]
NOW I DON’T KNOW
BUT I’VE BEEN TOLD
AND THAT’S TRUE OF EVERYTHING I THINK I KNOW
EVERYTHING I THINK
THAT I DON’T KNOW
BUT I’VE BEEN TOLD
YES I’VE BEEN TOLD
[GELSEY]
I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BEGIN
[BRITTAIN]
I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM
I’M NOT HERE
[BOTH]
NO ONE IS HERE
- Side One. Track One. "I Don't Know", Ghost Quartet, Dave Malloy
❧❧❧
The mist rose up to meet them, as the cool air of night soaked in more, and more of the sun’s glowing rays. What was once a forested landscape of steel blues transformed, gradually, golden with the crescendo of bird songs.
“I like them,” said Serizawa as he absently patted his breast pocket to double check his little mystery solving notebook was there.
“Hm?” Went Reigen, pulled from his own thoughts as the air from their movement and the occasional breeze, tickled his cheeks and hairline.
“The Gotous. I like them.”
Reigen smiled, “yeah, they seem nice.”
Serizawa nodded. “I hope we can help them…” he said tapping the side of his handlebar with his thumb as the bicycle floated down the path. “I hope we can help all of them…” This was said so softly, it might have been a wish. For the sheer size of just how much both him and Reigen would have to cover for this case was starting to press in.
Serizawa fought tooth and nail against how paralyzing that could be, his knuckles blanched on the handlebars with the effort. His brow creased. Concentrated. What if he wasn’t enough?
Reigen observed this, then, in a slow arch, glided his bicycle closer to Serizawa’s. Then gently away, then back again. Slow gentle arcs. Rounded zig-zags.
“Reigen?”
“Try it Serizawa!”
“I don’t think it’ll have the same…I mean, I’m not really riding…” he gestured to the floating bicycle, or rather, the fact that it was floating, with a lopsided sort of smile.
“Who cares! Give it a go - if you want of course.”
Serizawa looked down at his floating bicycle, then gave the handlebars a marginally tighter grip. Determined.
Reigen grinned and watched as Serizawa slowly started gliding as well in slow arching turns. His grin grew more at the sight of delight growing on Serizawa’s face.
“This is fun!”
“Yeah!” Reigen laughed along.
They arched down the hill, gliding and swooping - not unlike lark birds. A mild figure eight pattern. The clicking sound of the bicycle chain filling the air along side the sound of tires on the road. Dried leaves scuttled away with the wind of their passing.
After a while Reigen timed his arch to glide along side Serizawa’s. Gliding together side by side.
“Kind of…feels like flying, huh?”
Serizawa, who had felt the actual sensation of flying before, nodded his ecstatic agreement. It made Reigen smile all the more, and a tiny bubble of…something…grew in his chest.
Reigen licked his lips and said, “when I was a kid…I often liked to pretend I was flying…on the bicycle I mean.”
Serizawa took a moment to imagine this, and along side this thought, wondered what a younger Reigen would look like. He huffed a smile, “that sounds cute.”
“Tch. Dummy…” said Reigen with that restrained way he sometimes spoke when a little too much emotion would catch in his throat.
Serizawa hummed, chest feeling lighter.
“Hey,” said Reigen.
Serizawa turned, beaming at him.
“We’re going to do our best no matter what, right Serizawa?”
Serizawa’s smile bloomed even brighter, painfully aware of Reigen’s way of encouragement. “Right, Reigen.”
Reigen lifted his fist to Serizawa. Serizawa, almost forgetting his bicycle was floating by his own psychic means, made a few attempts to raise his hand from the handlebar.
They bumped fists in camaraderie.
“Our best is all we can do,” added Serizawa.
“You said it, my good deputy!”
And so, nice and easy, they glided along to their first destination. Spirits full of optimism, and unaware of just how long the day was going to be.
❧
Inoue❧ Footsteps
“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”
― Jamie Anderson
“Excuse me,” said Reigen politely after a quick little bow from his bicycle, “this is the Inoue property, yes?”
This was told to a venerable looking woman who was mildly walking on the road, carrying an empty hand woven basket on her back. Most likely on her way to forage on the trails, or to collect something from a neighbor.
The woman looked from Reigen to Serizawa and smiled, thinly. “Yes,” she said, “I think Inoue Haruto is out in the field.”
“Thank you.”
“You won’t cause them any trouble will you?”
Reigen and Serizawa shared a curious look.
“Of course not,” said Reigen, “why do you think we would? Has there been people bothering them?”
The old woman waved them off with her hand, as if swatting a troublesome mayfly. “That family has been through enough. So be polite.”
Reigen’s brows raised, Serizawa leaned forward on the handlebars, curious.
“Um,” started Reigen who watched Serizawa give him an encouraging nod, “anything you’d like to share about that?”
“No.” She squinted her eyes, “I don’t even know who you two are, young man…are you lost government officials or something?”
Reigen grinned, a wide exaggerate sort of grin, “absolutely not.” He waved his hand like a conjurer with mystifying finesse. Well, Serizawa still found it mystifying, the woman, however, continued to look bored. “I am: ~the 21st Century’s Greatest Psychic Reigen Arataka of the one and only Spirits and Such~”
She tilted her head to the side, “Reigen, huh?” Her mouth twitched from side to side in thought, before dismissing said thought all together as nonsense. Though not as nonsensical as the profession. “I don’t have time for this. Move aside young man. And mind your manners when talking to Inoue.”
Reigen politely stepped aside, pulling the bicycle closer to him to make way for an easier path. Serizawa also shuffled aside, his hand covering his mouth in the process. If Reigen didn’t know better, he might have been hiding a chuckle.
“Of course,” said Reigen, still taken slightly aback, “I’ll be on my best behavior. The both of us. Right, Serizawa Katsuya, my good deputy?”
The woman, who had yet to offer her own name, regarded Serizawa.
“Serizawa Katsuya,” said Serizawa politely, “fellow psychic and deputy of Reigen Arataka, at Spirits and Such.”
The woman nodded, and gifted Serizawa a nod of achievement. Achievement for what was a mystery to him. Most likely being less annoying than Reigen.
“Psychic indeed,”she continued, “me oh my…first that bubbly girl from the city, now this…I don’t know…I feel as tired as the mountain…no time, no time…”she mumbled on, trudging past on her way. No longer regarding either of them as she went.
After a while of watching her, Serizawa said, mildly, “well, that could have gone better. I’m surprised it didn’t, you’re usually a catch to venerable ladies.”
“Oh har, har.” Reigen paused then said, with realization, “was that a tease?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, sir.”
“Tch.” Reigen’s eyes followed the woman, and her grumbling walk, “yeah…well, you’re right. That could have gone better.” He brightened up quickly, refusing to start on the wrong foot. Reigen clapped Serizawa on the shoulder, “here’s hoping talking to Inoue will be easier.”
Serizawa smiled at that, then again, he always had a smile for Reigen, especially his optimism. “Yes.”
It was not, in fact, easier.
In retrospect, perhaps Serizawa would have been able to spot the signs better, noted that the headaches did mean something, but that didn’t end up being the case. For now, at least.
Not until the soil would move.
The Inoue property was modest, roughly the same size as Gotou’s. Though there were a few more dips in the terrain. There was probably a plot or two hidden down the small incline. Once upon a time they probably had to use horses or mules to pull boulders and rocks out of the way to make room for plots to farm in.
Serizawa looked down to observe how the mud was already sticking to the underside of his shoes. He wondered what the state of his shoes would look like when all this was over. Or if he’ll need to get a new pair.
Reigen cupped his hand over his eyes shading them from the pale sun. Much like Gotou’s property, multiple plots of land were waiting to be dry enough to sow.
“Maybe they’re inside?” Suggested Serizawa.
Reigen nodded his agreement.
Together they walked up the dirt path to the Inoue house. Serizawa didn’t notice at first, but it was around this time he started to feel a little pressure against his head. The start of a headache. A whisper he could not yet comprehend or zone in on. Or was it multiple whispers? Pressing in, like the way the air turns before a thunderstorm.
It wasn’t until they reached the home at the end of the path that they saw someone. Another elderly woman.
She sat alone in traditional work clothes, and an apron with a soft cherry flower pink design, with white lined leaves. Silver hair tied back with a porcupine quill as an ornamentation. Her hands rested in her lap, wrinkled like aged walnut, and signs of arthritis at the wrists. Beside her was a large bowl.
“Good morning ma’am,” said Serizawa, who bowed respectfully in tandem with Reigen. “Are you Inoue-san?”
Reigen whispered from the side of his mouth, “didn’t the old lady on the road say it was Inoue Haruto?”
Serizawa considered this, Haruto wasn’t typically a woman’s name. But whose to say.
What Serizawa did say with a gentle pull on Reigen for a private sidebar so not to be rude, “she also mentioned working in the field and…” he glanced back at the woman, “I’d hate to assume but…well.”
Reigen nodded, and said in a sympathetic soft way, “I don’t envy those wrists.”
Serizawa nodded.
Then, almost as a unit, they returned to their original positions before the woman, as if they hadn’t moved at all. She certainly didn’t comment on the matter.
Then, as if this sidestep was part of their Spirits and Such double act, Reigen produced a business card, seemingly from nowhere. He had always enjoyed little card tricks. Since starting the business he found they added a nice little flare to his own presentation, that little something more, an oomf of sorts. As if expected from someone calling themself a psychic (greatest of the 21st Century no less). Thank goodness for that small depressive episode in University when he was procrastinating from studies. Besides, Reigen liked style.
The woman’s eyes widened, but not much of an expression changed. She seemed, politely curious about these two suited strangers who walked up to her property. And so, she merely tilted her head.
The world was full of little mysteries.
“Reigen Arataka,” said Reigen. He offered the card. When she made no move to take it, he left it politely beside her, then gestured with the same flare as earlier to Serizawa, “and my good deputy, Serizawa Katsuya. We’re from Spirits and Such Consultation, and we were wondering if perhaps we could ask you a few questions? About the ongoing happenings here in Green Village on the Hill?”
Serizawa nodded, and, fueled by curiosity, tried to sneak a peek inside the large bowl beside Inoue Senior.
Something Serizawa immediately regretted.
A strangled sound came out of Serizawa. Hummed out like a strangled violin. Reigen came right to his side in an instant.
“What’s wrong?”
“I, it’s - why?” said Serizawa, who directed the question to Inoue Senior.
The woman’s eyes followed him in silence, and made no motion to help, or want to give any sort of explanation.
Reigen leaned to see for himself what Serizawa was talking about. He looked into the large bowl.
It was a bowl of blood.
Reigen’s reaction was more subdued, but despite the stoicism on his face, his brows did raise.
It wasn’t as though Serizawa hadn’t ever seen blood. Goodness knows he had seen his fair share. Be it while at Claw, or Spirits and Such, especially when it came to helping Reigen with a few scrapes. It was just, seeing it in a place he was not expecting At All that did something to Serizawa. The sheer surprised factor kicking him in the stomach.
Reigen first noticed it during their first movie nights, when Reigen failed to mention the cheesy B-rated Horror movie would have a significant amount of bad blood practical effects, ranging more on dyed water hose, than actual viscus blood. Serizawa’s reaction had been subtle, (after all the it was a horror movie) but reading subtleties was a part of what made Reigen, Reigen.
“I think,” said Serizawa after hours one night at a bar, “I think, the farther away I move from my time at Claw…the more I realize, I just…can’t handle blood as much as I used to. It doesn’t particularly bother me…but…sometimes it’s just…too much. Like listening to a baby cry when out and about, and hoping the parent would do something about the crying- just for the sound to stop…” Serizawa’s head dipped down, ever so slightly, “that probably makes me sound pretty selfish, huh?”
“No,” said Reigen solidly, soberingly, not yet affected by his lemon sour, and so present Serizawa almost wanted to hide himself away from the unnerving attention. Blushing all the way.
“I don’t think that makes you selfish at all,” Reigen continued. “No one likes to hear babies cry. And, besides…as for the, well, blood, I think that’s pretty normal too. It’s okay to have those reactions. To let yourself really process what you’ve been through after the fact.”
Serizawa fingers tightened on his own cold glass, the condensation rendering the flesh slippery to match the growing clamminess. “My therapist said something similar…”
Reigen nodded, a small gesture along the lines of ‘well there you go’.
Serizawa watched as Reigen lifted his glass to his lips, only to pause for a moment. As if incapable of not adding his own, modest, two yen, “and… I think it’s okay to be a little selfish, too…” before drinking. Serizawa wondered if it wasn’t just to him that Reigen was talking to, but himself as well.
It was something that Serizawa reflected on frequently.
This moment of honesty paired with the fresh B-movie reaction lead to an added amount of carefulness to Reigen. To be a little less reckless, if only for Serizawa not to see the blood he didn’t want to see.
It didn’t always work, of course, in all of Reigen’s continued efforts. Serizawa sometimes thought the R in Reigen stood for Reckless. But the attempt was quietly noticed. He just hoped that didn’t mean Reigen would hide potential injuries from him.
This was a reaction that would worry Serizawa. Reigen’s capacity to over-correct himself in twisty different directions.
Back in the present, Reigen watched as Serizawa’s face blanched. Presumed Inoue also watched, and still didn’t speak, or move to help.
“Why?” Serizawa asked again, voice tight.
Reigen, still beside him and ready to catch him as best as he could should Serizawa’s legs give out, placed a grounding hand on Serizawa’s back. Which morphed into an awkward side hug of sorts.
“It’s blood meal,” Reigen explained evenly, “a type of fertilizer.”
Serizawa dragged his eyes away from the bowl, to look down at Reigen’s face. “Fertilizer?”
Reigen nodded. “A, uh, good source of…some sort of chemical- nitrogen, I think.” Reigen guided Serizawa to take a few steps back and away from the bowl. “It’s usually applied every two to three months until the growing season is over. Not everyone does it…”
“Fertilizer,” repeated Serizawa.
“Sometimes it can deter wild animals.” Reigen bit his lip, “do you need to sit down?”
After a while Serizawa shook his head. He ran a hand over his face and took a measured breath. Reigen watched, patiently. Presumed Inoue also watched, in continued silence.
After a moment of measured breathing Serizawa righted himself, gently peeling himself away from Reigen with a small grateful look. “I’m alright now, Reigen-san… thank you.”
“Anytime,” said Reigen, putting his hands in his pockets. He held the inner lining of them inside tightly, “anytime at all.”
“Where were we?” Offered Serizawa, with a shy smile as he tried to ignore how warm his ears felt.
“Oh! Yes.” Reigen’s shoes scraped as he zeroed in his full attention onto the woman. “Ma’am? Gotou-san pointed us over. It’s about the strange happenings of the village’s incidents?”
The woman blinked up at him, silent.
“The late night sleep walking?” Offered Serizawa, “and the, daytime zoning out? Voices in the forest?”
If silence could hold a metal of honor, this woman would be a champion.
“Hallucinations? I believe the postman mentioned seeing a late relative someone turned, ah,” Reigen trailed off, wondering the best means of describing what had the potential to be quite gruesome, to the elderly. “Arboreal adjacent?” He ended up hazarding.
Still she didn’t respond, for a moment Reigen worried perhaps her mind was elsewhere…wherever minds wandered towards in age. But the sharpness of her eyes, the way they flickered with thought from himself to Serizawa and back again, made him think better of such a hypothesis, even ashamed.
Reigen glanced at Serizawa who looked back helplessly.
The thought, ‘perhaps…she was like Ogawa’ crept up in Serizawa’s mind. Except maybe she didn’t understand Standard Japanese? Was that even possible in the 21st century? And if that was the case, what could they do? Was that rude of him to think that? Oh dear…
Serizawa’s continued internal questions halted when he watched Reigen lick his lips, give him one last glance, then back at the woman, opening his mouth to say-
But whatever Reigen was about to say didn’t come. Someone was calling out from the field.
This someone was Inoue Haruto, who stumbled as he cried out again, cursed when he saw the heavy boot print he left in a plot of freshly moved soil, and continued trudging along.
There was this to be said about Inoue Haruto, he had kind eyes. A kindness that was framed by wrinkles of stress and worry, with years of burdens he had put upon himself with. He might have been just a little older than Serizawa, maybe late 30s early 40s - but stress had not been kind in this regard.
“What are ya doing bothering my mom?!” Inoue Haruto cried out.
Reigen and Serizawa blinked in his direction, looked at the silent woman, at each other, and as one person stepped away from her with raised hands. “We didn’t mean to be a bother!” Responded Reigen, overlapped with Serizawa’s own mumbled, “sorry.”
Another thing that could be said about Inoue Haruto, aside from the protectiveness of his family, was that he had an impressive gap between his front two teeth.
“You’re, ah, Inoue-san then?” Asked Reigen, apologetic smile still on his face.
“Inoue Haruto,” said Inoue Haruto. “That’s my mother, Inoue Anzu.”
“Right,” nodded Reigen with Serizawa. “We didn’t mean any trouble, just wanted to ask a few questions to, well a Inoue. And well, we started asking questions.” Reigen cleared his throat.
“Gotou-san pointed us in your direction,” added Serizawa, “about what’s been happening in the village.”
Inoue Haruto deflated, anger dissipating like a snuffed out candle. “Oh,” he said, sounding almost disappointed. “Sure.”
Reigen raised a brow, “were you anticipating something else?”
“From a couple of guys in suits?” Huffed Inoue Haruto. He held back a sigh. “It’s nothing…”
It didn’t seem like nothing to Reigen, who shared a look with Serizawa. Each made a mental note.
Inoue Haruto continued, “so Gotou-san sent you, huh?”
“Yes,” said Serizawa, “about the happenings in the village here. The late night sleep walking, and so forth.”
“And…you both thought traipsing the countryside in suits was…” he glanced at their ruined shoes, “optimal?”
“It’s what people would expect of city slickers, no?” Grinned Reigen. Foxes stole chickens, people died, and city people never knew what to wear in the country. This was the expected script, narrative itself almost demanded it. Or so was Reigen’s thought process. Give people what they expect, let them watch one hand, then switch the card with the other.
Inoue Haruto tilted his head to the side, “right… who are you guys again?”
Reigen went through his elaborative hand dance, proclaiming not just to Inoue Haruto, but almost the world at large, “Reigen Arataka ~ Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century~”
Distantly, Serizawa wondered how many times he would end up listening to Reigen’s introductions in one day. Considering how many people they wanted to talk to… would it be fun to keep an internal tally?
“With my Trusted Deputy Right Hand Man; Serizawa Katsuya.”
Birds took flight from their bows. Serizawa’s cheeks pinked, realizing he was being gestured at. “A pleasure,” said Serizawa hoping his delay wasn’t too obvious. “We will do our best to help with this situation.”
Inoue Haruto blinked at the pair of them, looking like he was met with a strong wave of enthusiasm that was a bit much for nine in the morning. “I see.” He considered this a moment, then said, “well if Gotou-san sent you, y’all can’t be that bad. Alright, y’all can help pour the blood while we talk.”
Serizawa shuffled in place, sweat beading.
“I’ll do it. Can’t be that hard, right? Just as long as it doesn’t get on my suit, of course.”
Inoue Haruto huffed, almost amused by this persona of a show Reigen was putting on. “A-huh. We’ll see. I’ll carry it for now though. In case ya trip with them fancy shoes.”
“You got it,” shrugged Reigen. He looked over at Serizawa, and his expression softened, “just sit tight, okay Serizawa?”
Serizawa nodded and smiled. Mouthing a silent ‘thank you’
Reigen waved a ‘don’t mention it’ and inclined his head to Inoue Senior pointedly.
Serizawa, getting the message, nodded determined - perhaps a little too determined to make up for something.
Which Reigen gave a cordial pat on Serizawa’s shoulder, soothing and reassuring. The look of ‘don’t worry about it’ returning to Reigen’s face.
Serizawa nodded again, understanding, cheeks warm.
With a sigh Serizawa rested his palm against his warm cheek, watching Reigen and Inoue Haruto walk down to the plots of land, dipping out of sight.
It was quiet. The loudest sound higher than breathing, were the leaves shifting together in the wind, and migrating wild geese.
“I’m sorry if we came on a bit strong,” said Serizawa to Inoue Anzu.
Inoue Anzu didn’t say anything, not even a hum. She just stared down the path expectantly, exactly as she had done when Reigen and Serizawa first walked up towards her. It was an expectation that had so much conviction that even Serizawa believed that someone would be coming up the path any minute now.
But all that turned up was a dull pressure - the starting signs of a potential headache.
The sitting in silence continued. Idly, Serizawa wondered how the conversation with Inoue Haruto was going. Occasionally he’d look at the dip where he last saw the crown of Reigen’s head before going further into the hilly property. But his eyes would then draw back to the path, magnetized by its potential.
An open empty path- anyone could show up. Serizawa wondered what Inoue Anzu thought of that. With her expectant gaze fixed on the horizon. Was she disappointed, or did another thought cross her mind when she first saw them walking up the path.
He found his ears stretching in effort, be it to hear Reigen’s voice carried over by the wind…or the sound of footsteps.
Serizawa turned, and looked at Inoue Anzu again. Footsteps…why did he think that?
“Are you…waiting for someone, Inoue-san?”
Inoue Anzu turned her head, dragging her eyes away from the path to look at Serizawa. A chill ran down his spine.
In that moment Inoue Anzu looked so…sad. Beside herself even. She gripped the fabric of her clothes on her lap, as well as her arthritic hands would allow.
Serizawa was reminded by the occasional haunted look his own mother would have, back in his 14 years of self induced solitude - on the rare times his mother opened the door…when there were those councilors.
“Is your heart heavy, Inoue-san?”
Inoue Anzu’s lips pinched, but she said nothing. Then her eyes slid just above Serizawa’s left ear. Intently, and with purpose.
Holding his breath, Serizawa dared himself to look behind him.
No one was there. Merely the view of the edge of the Inoue property, and the forest line.
Just in case, Serizawa watched on. As if something would reveal itself in the darkening shadows beyond the first, second, third line of trees that were in his line of sight. Scanning as best as he could.
Wondering, not for the first time, if the answer was just beyond his fingertips.
Beyond the trees he could see, more trees, more wilderness, crowded and covered, and shadowed. Not in the same way as an old-growth forest. No. Although Serizawa was no expert on the difference, there were signs of human hands in the way certain trees ended up growing: organized as future firewood.
Perhaps, once upon a time, the property line changed. But this was knowledge the forest, and those who lived on its edge beside it, were privy to. One of many truths, between hand and earth.
Somewhere a deer was startled out of hiding. Collected morning dew fell off the tip of a weed.
Once he felt as satisfied as he’d get in this curious scenario, Serizawa deflated a little, shocked at his own relief. After all, very few spiritual presences could sneak up on him. But then again, if a being had been there…then wouldn’t that attest to the being’s strength?
Serizawa gulped at the thought. He rested a hand to his chest to calm himself. When he looked back at Inoue Anzu, she was looking down at her own hands.
“Inoue-san…my business partner and I are here to help. Is there anything we can do?”
Inoue Anzu looked up into Serizawa’s warm eyes. Focusing on one eye, then the other, as if trying to see something. For a wild moment Serizawa wondered if she was hearing something…else, but thinking that just reminded him of his slow growing headache.
Finally, Inoue Anzu rested her hand on top of Serizawa’s. It was like placing a gnarled branch on top of a bear paw. The gnarled branch of a hand squeezed Serizawa’s valiantly. Then, slowly, gradually, Inoue Anzu got to her feet, smoothed her clothes, and shuffled inside the house leaving Serizawa alone on the porch.
Serizawa sighed, “I have a bad feeling about this…”
The scenery continued to look as pleasant as ever.
The line of questioning and answers weren’t too dissimilar to the answers Gotou-san had given earlier that morning.
Pour the blood, cover the earth, let the seedlings grow.
Although Reigen found himself a little distracted with his crowded thoughts. That was something his aunt had sung once. In spring.
It probably wasn’t even a real song, just a made up ditty. Though if asked his aunt probably would have weaved a story behind it.
Red sowed earth, weeded well, ward the beasties off.
His aunt hardly used blood meal on her own field, not as fertilizer at least. She did appreciate how it deterred animals from sticking their noses too close. The subtlety, without having to resort to traps.
In his youth Reigen thought it was cooler than how his aunt’s neighbors used bear urine, which was an expensive commodity in itself - and mainly used to keep dogs from stealing chickens, ducks, and other livestock.
“You’re quite good at this Reigen-san,” said Inoue Haruto as he observed closely, ready to cover the bloodied soil with set aside soft earth.
“Beginners luck, I’m sure,” shrugged Reigen, withholding the urge to say ‘how hard can it be to pour something?’ It was a snippy retort that would have served nothing, yet something he knew he would have said when he was younger. To compensate, almost as an apology for thinking rudely, Reigen smiled modestly at Inoue Haruto. “And, just Reigen is fine…”
Inoue Haruto shrugged, “alright.”
“Is there anything recent that happened, a little…out of the ordinary, that you wouldn’t mind talking about?”
Gentle pouring, gentle pouring, don’t let one drop miss.
Inoue Senior rubbed his chin, “well, I told Gotou-san about the footprints. I could have sworn they materialized before my eyes. They- don’t laugh.”
“Never.”
Inoue Haruto’s brows rose then. Taken by the conviction of Reigen’s voice. He licked his lips. “They just…lead to nowhere. I’d follow them - the footprints- and then they’d just stop. Like if something plucked whatever was walking up into the air.”
This liquid fire, was someone’s life, and new life grows now.
“Not like when a hawk picks off a rabbit - there’s usually some sign of, well, drag from the rabbit, trying to stay on the earth,” said Inoue Haruto.
“Right.” Reigen finished pouring, and dabbed the bowl’s ridge with a cloth. “Did, you ever have a chance to see where the footsteps started to come from? Originated from?”
Hello. Goodbye. We’ll soak it in. Hello again.
“I did…but they never lasted long enough.”
“Oh, I see.”
Roots and hands connect - from soil to sun. From soil to sun!
“Though…usually…”
“Yes?”
Thank you, thank you, we say thank you!
“From the forest edge on the property.”
Reigen pressed a finger to his temple, rubbing it. Thoughtful. There was dirt under his fingernails, and small stains of blood. “Could you show me?”
And begin anew…Pour the blood, cover the earth, let the seedlings grow.
“Sure, we’re pretty much done here.”
Reigen nodded, collecting the bowl and cloth. His foot sunk deep into a muddy patch of earth, almost up to the shoe’s edge.
“You alright, Reigen-san?” said Inoue Haruto hands out to catch him in case Reigen stumbled again.
Reigen politely waved him off, “I’m good. Thank you. Pesky shoes haha.”
“To be expected.”
“And just Reigen is fine.” Why was he insisting that? Was he starting to worry if people said Reigen-san enough they’d notice…?
“Right.”
They started walking up the incline, when suddenly, Reigen noticed the sound of footsteps were just his own. He quickly turned, and noticed Inoue Haruto had stopped walking. “Inoue-san?”
The man was shivering.
Reigen fumbled his way closer, “Inoue-san.” He rested the bowl and cloth on the ground and bit his lip. “Ah, Inoue-san can you hear me??” Reigen gulped. The way Inoue Haruto’s lips were paling and almost turning blue didn’t help. “I’m, uh, shit, I’m going to rub your shoulders, okay?”
No response. Just a glazed over expression. A held breath. And ceaseless chattering teeth. It was like watching a man suffer from hypothermia right before his eyes. No, not like. Was. Whatever was causing this reaction didn’t make the bodily reaction any less real. Because it was absolutely real, full bodied, and if the sheen on Inoue Haruto was anything to go by - visceral.
Reigen started rubbing Inoue Haruto’s shoulders, warming him. Vigorously. Anything to stave off the shocked chill seeping into Inoue Haruto’s body. Then cried, “SERIZAWA!!”
Before Reigen cried out for Serizawa, he continued to sit on the porch. Looking down the path, waiting. Right there alongside Inoue Anzu.
F̶o̶r̴ ̷s̶o̸m̷e̶o̴n̶e̶ ̷w̴h̵o̴ ̸w̴i̷l̸l̴ ̸n̶e̵v̶e̷r̶ ̷c̸o̵m̸e̵ ̶h̵o̶m̸e̷.̷
The door to the house slid open again, and Inoue Anzu reappeared. She had a small plate in her hand, which she presented to Serizawa. Her movements were slow, and purposeful. like the creaking of branches.
The word ‘wooden’ came to Serizawa’s mind. And he didn’t know how to feel about that.
“For me?” He asked, feeling a little silly.
Inoue Anzu motioned for him to come closer, and take the plate. Serizawa did so. Then hovered his hands unsure if Inoue Anzu needed help sitting back down on the porch. Whether she’d find it presumptuous or helpful was kept to Inoue Anzu, and her continued silence.
When she sat down, she pushed Serizawa’s hands away, and ushered them towards the plate.
“Oh. Ah, thank you Inoue-san.”
The plate had apples, already sliced.
Serizawa bit his lip, glanced at Inoue Anzu’s arthritic hands, and then to her. She was back to looking down the path. Waiting and waiting and waiting.
a̷n̶d̴ ̵w̵a̸i̵t̵i̶n̵g̸ ̷a̸n̷d̵ ̶w̸a̵i̶t̶i̴n̸g̵ ̶a̸n̶d̷ ̵w̴a̷i̷t̸i̶n̴g̸.̶
“You shouldn’t have,” whispered Serizawa. Then he picked up a piece, not wanting her efforts to be for thing, said “thank you,” and ate.
"̴W̷h̴e̶r̵e̵ ̶i̶s̸ ̸m̴y̶ ̴s̵i̵s̵t̴e̷r̶?̶"̷
̵"̶Y̸o̵u̸ ̶d̸o̶n̵'̵t̴ ̸h̶a̵v̶e̵ ̸a̴ ̸s̸i̵s̴t̵e̸r̴.̶"̶ ̵
̵"̴W̷h̵e̷r̴e̶ ̴i̴s̶ ̴m̷y̶ ̸l̸i̵t̴t̵l̵e̸ ̵g̶i̷r̴l̵?̵"̴
̴"̴S̶h̴e̶'̶s̶ ̷g̶o̴n̵e̴.̴"̵
Serizawa felt like crying, he rubbed his temple to pacify the growing headache, and thought of his own mother. Overcome with a deep desire to call her. To hear her voice.
“SERIZAWA!!”
Serizawa nearly choked in surprise. “Reigen!” He hastily sat the plate down, said a quick, “I’m sorry Inoue-san- I need to help my partner.” And ran down the dip of the hill, fumbling while doing so.
Serizawa nearly slid on the mud into Reigen’s back upon his arrival. Yet caught himself, just in time with a puff of air escaping him that sounded like an, “oof!”
“Ah! There you are good buddy,” said Reigen in that plastic cheerfulness he used, to try and hide when things are starting to actually scare him.
“Is everything okay? Reigen are you ok-??”
“Inoue Haruto” cut in Reigen. “Inoue Haruto needs help.”
Serizawa didn’t need to sidestep around Reigen to see Inoue Haruto, being nearly a foot taller than Reigen - but he did so all the same, if anything to get closer to Inoue Haruto. Who was clearly having the opposite of a good time.
This, however, was not the first thing Serizawa noticed. Because he saw the glow before truly processing it.
The first thing Serizawa was the teal glow, then the slow rising worms that coiled and almost cemented the shivering Inoue Haruto in place. No, not cemented, rooted. Then, the look of poor Inoue Haruto’s expression, frozen in a contorted expression of surprise.
“It’s like he’s experience hypothermia!” Said Reigen, still trying to rub warmth into Inoue Haruto.
Reigen could feel the cold as it radiated off Inoue Haruto’s skin. It seeped into his clothes, and poured into Reigen’s own palms. A transference of the word Freezing. Truly a cold to the bone.
If Reigen had enough time to be floral, he’d think something had turned Inoue Haruto’s bones to ice. If Inou Haruto would exhale, there would probably be steam from the sheer difference of internal and external temperature…and a difference that was continuing to grow more, and more.
But he didn’t have time for this, all that was on Reigen’s mind was trying to ignore how increasingly hard it was to rub Inoue Haruto’s shoulders - and to push through the chilling burning pain in his palms - to rub faster. Warmth, let there be warmth!
Serizawa could see the teal worms grow up, and through Inoue Haruto’s body, as well as from the back of Reigen’s hands. They branched off, like undulating deer antlers. The ones that tried to grow up and through Reigen’s hand…and then valiantly made attempts of Reigen’s upper arms, looked like when deer antlers would shed in late winter early spring. Maybe even a little bloody. Velvet in their dangling peal.
Serizawa grabbed Reigen’s hands, snatching them away from Inoue Haruto who continued to shiver. Eyes, vacant, sightless. Shock. Fear.
“Serizawa?!” Reigen turned to look up into his face, and felt small before Serizawa’s stormy look.
“Those worms again,” said Serizawa by means of explanation. He ran his hands over the worms that lingered on Reigen. Watched as they curled in on themselves, and fell away, like dried autumn leaves.
“O-oh,” warmth started to return in his forearms, and hands. Like a slow IV drip of sunlight.
“Try not to touch Inoue Haruto. They were starting to grow on you.”
“O-okay.” Reigen found himself sniffling. His eyes twitched with the effort to not cry. Why did he want to cry?!
Serizawa, whose hands were so warm that Reigen realized just how numb his hands must have become from trying to help Inoue Haruto, squeezed Reigen’s hands ever so lightly. “This time, let me try, okay?”
“Okay.”
Serizawa let go of Reigen’s hands.
Instantly Reigen mourned the loss of their warmth. Instead he concentrated on rubbing his own watery eyes.
Putting his full attention on Inoue Haruto, Serizawa splayed his hands out, “Inoue Haruto? I’m Serizawa Katsuya. I’m going to place my hands on your shoulders now. Okay?”
No response. Hardly an exhale.
“Reigen-san?”
Reigen jumped a little at the no-nonsense formality. “I’ll take a few steps back,” he said while doing so. Rubbing his eyes furiously, ignoring how his throat felt sticky. He then gingerly clenched and unclenched his hands, in an effort to bring life and circulation back into them again. It was like his forearm and hands were starting a defrosting process. It felt almost painful.
“Thank you.”
When Serizawa Katsuya, son of Serizawa Hiro and Serizawa Yoko, placed his warm psychically wrapped hands on Inoue Haruto a few things happened:
The worms that were growing up from the ground and into Inoue Haruto like a fungus taking over a host, stilled.
The sick coral reef imagery appeared once more. They looked brittle. And, if Serizawa had to put a word to it, sad. Melancholic even.
The immediate air around Inoue Haruto and Serizawa Katsuya, smelled like the crisp cold air just before snow fall. It burned his nostrils.
A yearning tugged at Serizawa’s chest, and Serizawa didn’t know if it was his own, or Inoue Haruto’s - he did know the word ‘wet’ came to mind.
The splat splat splat of an ore hitting water….or was it the sound of clothes being washed and beat? - Filling Serizawa’s ears.
A rhythm, a beat, poetry, or song…a something. It could be kept in time with clanks of wood, and bells. The rising and falling of sap in a tree.
Seasons.
W̶i̵n̶t̶e̸r̶
Serizawa’s eyebrows drew together in effort, forming one concentrated line. The pulsing at Inoue Haruto’s feet stilled.
No new worms grew.
"̸I̸'̷l̶l̴ ̶b̷e̶ ̷b̴a̷c̴k̶ ̶b̶y̷ ̴N̶e̵w̸ ̶Y̶e̸a̸r̴s̵.̸ ̶W̸e̴'̸l̵l̸ ̷g̷e̷t̷ ̴t̶o̶g̴e̵t̶h̶e̷r̸ ̷t̸h̵e̶n̴.̷.̵.̸I̴ ̷l̸o̸v̸e̵ ̷y̴o̸u̴.̸"̵
The echo of bells from a shrine. Sweat and tears mixed together on Serizawa’s face, leaving tracks on his cheeks. He couldn’t understand. He wanted to understand and just, couldn’t.
I̴ ̵l̷o̴v̶e̸ ̴y̴o̸u̴
Serizawa was close to getting it. It was just out of his reach. An answer, a…response.
I ̵l̷o̴v̶e ̴y̴o̸u̴
But it felt all so fuzzy, undefined, like television static heard from the other room. The crisp muted silence of a snowy day. Clouded. Was it malign or benign?
I ̵l̷ov̶e ̴y̴o̸u
A mind full of cotton he had yet to unravel that was larger than the mountain itself. Malign or benign?!
I ̵l̷ov̶e ̴yo̸u
A lake. Footsteps. Running.
And then, just as suddenly as the whole scenario began, it stopped. Lifted off, like a hawk snatching a rabbit. But this did leave a drag, an imprint of sorts…Serizawa just had to…to…detangle…it…
Reigen, who had been shifting from foot to foot with increasing nervousness, nose red from the effort of Not Crying. Gasped when he watched all the energy seem to float out of Serizawa. How the tense back, and shoulders relaxed. In fact, it was occurring to both Serizawa and Inoue Haruto.
Reigen rushed forward unthinkingly, and valiantly tried to catch both of them. Knees buckling under the combined weight. His shoes, already caked with mud, slid out from under him, and so transforming himself into a sort of added pillow when they fell. Slumping in on each other.
“Oof!” Wheezed Reigen, coughing out the rest of his exhale.
Serizawa was the first to stir. It’s how Reigen realized he had placed a hand at the back of Serizawa’s head, cupping it in a protective way. Little curls arched over and bent with the presence of his splayed fingers through his hair.
“Hey there, deputy. How are you?” Reigen removed his hand from Serizawa’s head, and placed it into the sinking mud for leverage.
“I’m…” Serizawa blinked a bit discombobulated. “Reigen?”
“That’s me!” Reigen paused then, in a wild sort of curiosity, when needled with a fearful thought, gave an awkward chuckle, “and you’re Serizawa Katsuya…right?”
Serizawa lifted his head from Reigen’s shoulder, looking into his face. Red with the effort of having tried to hold him and Inoue Haruto up, among other things. And started to laugh. “Yes. That’s me. I’m not taken over, or anything.”
“Oh yeah?” Reigen swished his lips to one side, then said, “prove it.”
“Pickled apricots. Dried mushrooms,” said Serizawa. And then a smile bloomed, between the stains of sweat and tears on Serizawa’s face.
This probably would have sounded like nonsense to anyone else. But to Reigen, it meant Serizawa remembered their silly conversation from once upon a time - about how, if anyone thought the other was possessed and was asked to prove it, to say: Pickled apricots. Dried mushrooms.
The joking counter being; ‘wouldn’t the possessing entity also know to say that, just by looking at the memories of this very conversation??’
But the two of them had jokingly argued, and discussed it enough that, despite the impracticality, it was a comfort.
Reigen let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “good.” And hugged Serizawa as best as he could with a mud covered hand, so not to stain the back of Serizawa’s suit jacket. “You’re still with us Serizawa Katsuya.”
Reigen felt the smile into his shoulder as Serizawa returned the hug. A muffled, “always glad to be, Reigen Arataka,” was his response.
“What was that?” Said Reigen, tilting his head to hear better.
The smallest gasp from Serizawa was the only warning Reigen got before Serizawa shot his head back up, bonked Reigen’s side and ear while saying, “Inoue!!”
“He’s right here.” Reigen hissed through the smarts, shaking his head in-lieu of not being able to rub it. “Breathing, which is very good considering he was turning blue before our eyes. Currently pressing against my…liver? Appendix? Whatever’s on that side. Anyways he’s still breathing.”
“That’s good.” Serizawa relaxed back into Reigen, head returning momentarily to lean against his shoulder. Unable to see the fond look on Reigen’s face.
A mini beat passed before Serizawa realized what he was doing. Physically on top of Reigen no less.
Serizawa awkwardly shifted back to his feet, helping both Reigen and the unconscious Inoue Haruto up. Psychic powers helping along the way.
“Are you alright?” Asked Reigen the moment he was steady on his own two feet. Looking him over as best as his non psychic eyes could.
“Yes,” said Serizawa, smile thin lipped and a little tired. “And you? Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” said Reigen, quick as a rabbit that just saw a shadow race over a snowy hill. Then he said, a little calmer, “I’m fine. Shaken maybe, but nothing I can’t walk off. What about you? That looked like…a lot.”
“It was…certainly different.”
“Yeah?” said Reigen, this time as an invitation.
Serizawa gave an appreciative look, then nudged his head to the marginally floating Inoue Haruto. “Let’s get him situated, and we can talk more later.”
“Alright…I’ll hold you to that.”
“Wouldn’t want it any other way.”
This earned Serizawa a huffed snort from Reigen. Who clicked his tongue, and mumbled something that sounded like, “dummy,” but in a fond sort of way.
Reigen then thumbed the now floating and unconscious. “What about him? Ah, internally I mean…emotionally? A word like that.”
Serizawa gave the floating Inoue Haruto a look over with his Business Eyes. “All clear from what I can see. …for now, at least. What tipped it off?”
Reigen scratched the back of his head with his un-muddied hand, tsking with a frown. “I had my back to him,” he said as though this mundane act made him faulty of something. It certainly frustrated him, “one second we were walking and talking, heading back up to the house - oh shoot I gotta get the bowl, don’t worry it’s empty…there we go. But yeah, one second we were walking and talking like we are now, the next…he just, froze.”
“Froze,” repeated Serizawa studying Inoue Haruto over.
“Like he just slipped, or stepped into…well, I don’t know.”
“Slipped,” repeated Serizawa again. His brows pinched.
“Does it mean anything?”
“It must mean something, we just don’t know what.”
Reigen nodded, then gave one of his encouraging pats on Serizawa’s shoulder. “We’ll get there. You did good.”
The tightness of Serizawa’s eyebrows relaxed. And he took a moment to breathe, grateful. “Thank you. And you’re right, we will get there.”
They had to. Lives were at risk.
Inoue Anzu’s reaction upon seeing her son being floated up the hill was something Serizawa wouldn’t forget any time soon. Mainly, for how subdued it was.
Her eyes widened, and her hands clasped over her mouth, shaking in a way she couldn’t stop. As if her want to scream and vocalize were all in her hands.
She was quick in finding her shoes to step off the porch to guide them inside. Arms moving in quick hasting gestures. It was the fastest Serizawa had seen her move yet. Moving at the speed of creaking tree bark in a tempest.
All the while, the pair of them explained as much as possible. To which she gave small nods, before gesturing and pointing to blankets, and other things to help her accommodate her son. Sometimes, Inoue Anzu would start to do something, and either Serizawa or Reigen would intuit what she was trying to do, and jump to give aide.
Inoue Anzu nodded gratefully with wet eyes, and continued silence.
Inoue Haruto was handled as gently and carefully as someone recovering from hypothermia. After all, for all intents and purposes, the reaction his body had endured were very, very real.
A small curious moment happened while Serizawa was allowed to make tea in the kitchen. He barely overheard a mumbled question Reigen gave. Perhaps it was distance, the kitchen walls, or the kettle’s whistling, but Serizawa didn’t understand a word Reigen had said. Serizawa filed this curiosity away for later.
When Serizawa returned with a tray of tea, Inoue Anzu was staring at Reigen, who was decidedly not look at her, and rubbing an earlobe.
“Everything alright? Did something change in Inoue Haruto?”
Inoue Anzu and Reigen turned to look at him.
“Nothing’s changed,” said Reigen while Inoue Anzu nodded her agreement. “Well,” amended Reigen, “his lips are less blue. So that’s good.”
Inoue Anzu leaned slowly to observe for herself, then nodded her agreement.
After all that happened, Reigen and Serizawa were reluctant to leave the Inoue property. Even more reluctant to leave Inoue Anzu alone with a still unconscious Inoue Haruto. It would seem it was only the two of them living here. With only each other.
So they did all they could do, and waited. Something, it seemed, Inoue Anzu has had a lot of practice with.
If Serizawa thought about it too long, his heart started to ache. He considered messaging his own mom, then. Yet didn’t want to accidentally wake her up with the time difference.
Reigen, feeling wretched in his opportunism, but not enough to stop himself, (pragmatism winning over), used the time to observe the living room they were in. As modestly as possible. In the small moments of offering to make more tea, or stretch, or offer more blankets for the supremely bundled Inoue Haruto, (who was as insulated as one could be with several blankets, one made with actual bear fur that might have even been passed down the family for generations), he’d peak and glance over framed photos, books, or papers that were laying about.
It was a charming home, with a built by hand quality that spoke differently than the cookie-cutter apartment complexes of the cities, and suburbs. Some appliances were out of date, but not in a dangerous open wire sort of way. Similar to the Gotou house the source of internal heating was a centralized stove. No air conditioning units to be seen.
There were hand knitted patterns hung as ornamentation, which made Reigen think perhaps some of those blankets on Inoue Haruto were hand made as well. Sparse amount of fiction books, although a few cook books, and one of those photography books filled with, well, beautiful photography. On the wall were Inoue Haruto’s framed agriculture degree from university, and family photos. Family photos depicting a happy family of four through the years.
Reigen turned and looked back at Inoue Haruto and Anzu, the only two in the house.
Inoue Anzu sat in a wicker chair with soft cushions, and a hand on Inoue Haruto’s head. She gently stroked his hair while looking out the open door, down the path, expectantly.
Meanwhile Serizawa and Reigen theorized in stage whispers and asides. After all, just because she was silent, didn’t mean she was deaf.
It was through this theorizing tête-à-tête that both Reigen and Serizawa agreed how interesting footsteps seemed to crop up.
“While following Gotou-san in the forest last night, I heard racing footsteps as well. I didn’t see the source, but…it sounded like it was running past me.”
“Footsteps that start nowhere, and lead nowhere…” Reigen tapped a finger to his chin. “We’ll have to ask Gotou-san if he heard footsteps as well. Anytime, perhaps before the sleepwalking.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Maybe these occurrences are activated by sound?”
Serizawa tilted his head back and forth considering this, “it wouldn’t be impossible. Yet…”
“Yes?”
Serizawa’s mouth formed a thoughtful line. “I didn’t hear anything when you crashed into me last night. Or even know when the worms started, s-started…”
“Affecting me?” Reigen offered helpfully.
Serizawa sighed, then nodded. “Yes.”
Reigen placed his hands in his pockets and started to pace with his thoughts. Mouth swishing from one side of his face to the other like a metronome of his thoughts.
Serizawa followed Inoue Anzu’s line of sight down the path, and listened to Reigen’s pacing footsteps. Equally thoughtful.
“Wait,” said Reigen, stopping his pacing.
Serizawa blinked at the suddenness, “yes?”
“I didn’t freeze up though.”
“What?”
“Last night. I didn’t freeze up or trance out like Gotou-san, and Inoue.”
Serizawa blinked, unsure he was following Reigen’s new hypothesis. “Yes?”
Reigen inched closer to Serizawa, hands moving with his words, “you said you didn’t hear something from me. But unlike Inoue and Gotou-san, I didn’t freeze up. I kept talking to you! Hell, I didn’t even know it was happening to me.”
“Ah, I see…” Serizawa frowned.
“I don’t understand, what’s that look for? This could be an interesting clue. It means the sound theory can still hold out a little while longer.”
“But, Reigen…”
“Yes?”
“Gotou-san, Inoue-san…they’ve been under this entity’s influence for who knows how long now. It’s safer to theorize, though it pains me to say …that whatever you’re going through must be the prelude that the residents of this village went through- without realizing.”
“Ah.”
“Besides, you’re not a resident here, perhaps that’s another thing we should keep in mind, too.”
“Right,” Reigen cleared his throat, “and these footsteps…didn’t radiate that, uh, worm color? Like, uh, footprints? Or that ripple you described?”
Serizawa reflected on this, carefully. As if the memory of the occasion was an ancient artifact that needed to be handled with care, and gloves. It was so easy for memories to morph in time after all. Sometimes it was even influenced by exterior suggestion, something interrogating police sometimes used to their atrocious advantage. Or even family members recounting an incident, changing it unknowingly… the curtain that was blue turned pale then polka dotted - but the curtain remained. Photographs also influenced memory, inspired some even. The photo of an event barely remembered, becomes richer the more it is looked at, and talked about. ‘Remember your 3rd birthday? The way your uncle did that silly dance and smelled that cologne?’ ‘…I think so, yeah.’
A memory is a delicate thing be it short term or long term. A memory lives on with the person. And like all living things, it grows, and changes in time.
“I didn’t see the color no…” said Serizawa speaking from the distant land of memory, “no, I’m…pretty sure…but.”
“But?”
“A question came to mind.”
“Yeah?” Perked up Reigen.
“I…” Serizawa blushed, “I don’t remember. I remember having the question, but the question itself…ah,” he trailed off a bit embarrassed.
Reigen tried to subdue how he deflated. And before a guilty look could cross Serizawa’s beautiful features, Reigen patted Serizawa’s arm amicably.
“Well,” consoled Reigen, “there was a lot going on that night. Only so much one person can do.”
“But-”
Reigen made a show of tapping up his ears up. “Nope! Not hearing it!”
“Oh, alright,” said Serizawa in an exasperated, fond way. Tucking the annoying Not Doing Enough feeling for later.
Reigen tilted his head to the side.
Serizawa’s thumbs twiddled with nervous thoughtful energy, and were then, without warning, enveloped by Reigen placing his hand over his thumbs. Halting their twiddling with a gentle pressure.
“It’s still officially day one, Serizawa,” reminded Reigen in a warm encouraging tone. “It’ll be alright.”
Serizawa wanted to ask how could Reigen be so sure.
As if reading those very thoughts, Reigen squeezed Serizawa’s hand a little. “Trust the process,” said Reigen, good-natured and emboldening, “we can’t speed run this- no matter how much we want to.”
Serizawa’s cheeks warmed, he licked his lips, opening his mouth to say something - but whatever it was never made it past his teeth. He hoped his thanks was readable in his eyes at least.
It was then that their patience was rewarded fuller, as a small groan from Inoue Haruto on the couch halted any further theorizing.
With the same hand that was over Serizawa’s thumbs, Reigen offered to help Serizawa up, and together they returned deeper inside.
“Oh,” croaked Inoue Haruto, “y’all are still here.”
“You betcha,” said Reigen in a mild way, thumbs up included.
“Are you sure you’re alright to sit up?” Asked Serizawa, hands hovering as Inoue Anzu helped her son up.
“Yeah, yeah I’m…better now. Perhaps a bit groggy, but …better.”
“We were hoping you’d wake up, make sure you were alright,” said Serizawa.
“Gonna hit me with few more questions?” Said Inoue Haruto, getting to the heart of the matter.
Reigen had the decency to look a little guilty, before responding, “only if you’re alright with it.”
“We know you’ve been through a lot,” added Serizawa, nodding his shared agreement. “Your body certainly reacted physically to a lot of stress.”
Inoue Haruto let loose a hollow humorless laugh. To speak of stress to him, felt like life throwing water in his face. He felt so used to stress he might as well turn into a diamond…or maybe, he was close to breaking.
Serizawa and Reigen exchanged worried looks.
Inoue Anzu got up from her chair, and creaked her way to the kitchen, which Serizawa hustled to hover helpfully about. There was something about her that truly made him miss his mother.
Inoue Haruto crossed his arms over his chest, face wrinkling all the more in consideration. Though with a bit more color to it, thankfully. Sometimes, he’d give the gap between his teeth a thoughtful lick.
Reigen sat politely on the floor by the coffee table.
“We don’t have to continue talking,” said Reigen, “we can come back another time, tomorrow, or the day after…Serizawa and I will be here until we solve this.” Reigen leaned forward, and said with serious conviction, “we will solve this.”
Inoue Haruto observed Reigen in silence then, his thoughts remained his own.
Warm drinks were passed to all, and Inoue Anzu sat beside her son on the couch, occasionally patting his arm silently.
Inouee Haruto made his decision, and said: “This was the strongest instance of me zoning out. It wasn’t this bad a month ago, but the way it’s slowly happening more and more.” He shook his head, “I can’t abide that. Especially having my mom to look after. I’d never forgive myself if, while, uh, having a moment, something happened to her… and I couldn’t help.”
Serizawa nodded, and with grave meaning, said, “I understand.”
Inoue Haruto looked at him for a long while after that. As if seeing Serizawa fully for the first time. Reconsidering first assumptions. Then, Inoue Haruto nodded back to Serizawa.
Encouraged, by this small shared moment, Serizawa asked, “is it…always the same feeling?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when I placed my hands on your shoulder to dispel the, well we’re still trying to figure out the cause of all these incidents - we think it’s an entity, a very strong one. Anyways…it…” here, Serizawa hesitated, struggling to pluck words of meaning from the jumbled chaos of what had happened. To remember the flashes of emotions, feelings.
“Yes?” Said Inoue Haruto eager for Serizawa to go on.
Reigen quickly waved Inoue Haruto to wait a bit, to let Serizawa have the space to put the complex words he was looking for.
Inoue Haruto, well accustomed to waiting. And silence. Nodded acceptingly.
“Cold. You were very cold Inoue-san. Not just physically. As if…yes, as if…” Serizawa pinched his brows together, re-living the horrific details in the space behind his eyes. Then said, finally, distantly, “have you ever fallen through an icy lake?”
Inoue Haruto paled all over again. Mouth going very, very dry indeed. “So,” he said after a long while, looking properly white as a sheet. “I guess y’all are the real deal.”
Reigen fidgeted where he sat, physically restraining himself to punch the air and shout, “THAT’S MY DEPUTY FOR YOU! YES!! GO FRIEND GO!!” Instead Reigen said a tempered, “of course, we’re professionals.”
“Yes, I,” said, Inoue Haruto with the slightest tremor in his voice looking from Reigen to Serizawa. There was a shaking disbelief there, bewildered by these strangers, and what he was confessing to them. “I fell through the ice in winter - but that was many years ago.” He ran a hand through his hair, and nearly whistled through the gap in his teeth, “but I haven’t thought of that in, gosh in years!”
“It looked like you were suffering from hypothermia right in front of out eyes,” added Reigen, in the gentle tones of one hoping the person they’re talking to won’t break before their eyes. Then, he said, “how old were you? When you fell through the ice?” And, quietly wondered why did he ask such a question.
“I don’t know- a teenager…fourteen…maybe thirteen?”
“Interesting,” said Reigen, and felt his throat grow sticky. He didn’t really know where he was going with that line of questioning anyways.
“Is there only one lake around here that people tend to visit?” Asked Serizawa.
“Um…yes, King Crab Lake. Just south of the fishery.” Inoue Haruto gulped a little, “there’s a small waterfall along the way.”
Reigen nodded, “lot of skating? ice fishing? If the weather’s cold enough? Which usually it is?” They sounded like questions, but didn’t feel like questions. Then again, there’s only so many activities one could do on a frozen over lake.
Inoue Haruto nodded, “yeah…”
“Maybe there’s a tradition near the ice? Sometime near…oh, before New Years? But it was a warm winter, and the preparations weren’t set?”
Serizawa gave Reigen an impressed, surprised look.
Inoue Haruto nodded yet again, “yeah…how’d-”
“Was Gotou-san there?” Reigen pressed on.
This seemed to throw Inoue Haruto in a bit of a loop. “Oh. Um…yes?”
“Last night he was out sleepwalking, he found him standing at a lake’s bank,” explained Serizawa, gently.
“It was King Crab Lake, just off Archer's Trail," said Reigen hurriedly. He ignored Serizawa's bewildered look. "Does the name Etsuko mean anything to you?” Reigen asked, mind thinking faster than his words. With the way the details were clicking together, it started to feel like a rush.
Inoue Haruto’s expression darkened considerably.
Inoue Senior turned away from her path watching, and Looked at Reigen. Almost directly into him. Piercingly.
All at once, Serizawa had a sinking realization as to who Inoue Anzu’s been waiting to walk up the path all this time, for all these years.
Instantly, Reigen felt like he had lost his footing. The direction he was going towards obscured. Curse his pushiness.
Inoue Haruto’s voice was like the ice he had fallen through all those years ago. Cold. “Are you trying to be funny?”
“Um -no,” Reigen tried to backtrack fast, hands whirling in placating gestures, "it’s just a name that’s ah, come up in our inquiries and Gotou-san mentioned it last night - most likely without realizing.” Here Reigen took a breath from his word vomiting, and bowed, “I’m - please forgive any ignorance on my behalf.”
It was a while before Inoue Haruto spoke. Then, finally, he said “Etsuko is my sister.”
“…oh” said Reigen and Serizawa, almost in unison.
Inoue Haruto nodded grimly. “She was there, on the ice with me.”
Reigen and Serizawa were already not liking the direction this story was heading. Each with their own theories, jumping to the end of the possible conclusion to the tale. With encroaching dread.
“It’s not that we were going against our parents wishes,” continued Inoue Haruto, glancing momentarily at his mother. “They knew we were going to the lake. Okayed it. Our mom went with us even.”
Reigen and Serizawa braced themselves.
“We knew it had been a warmer winter than usual. But the ice had been solid, and we saw tracks of people walking over it. And just, assumed that meant it was safe enough. There were footprints, someone was clearly out there. We wanted to play on the ice - all together. Just skate. Or watch the fish move under the ice. And then…then,” Inoue Haruto took a moment to compose himself. Eyes looking dangerously wet. He shrugged then, and said, as simple as can be, “I fell through. Mom ran to get help, the Gotous are the closest house by the lake. While dad and…and Etsuko tried to talk me through how to pull myself up and out. Dad was too heavy to get close…and Etsuko, she’d…”
Inoue Haruto paused again, resting his head in his hands for moment. To breathe. His mom watched him in silence, and gently rubbed his back comfortingly.
Serizawa and Reigen exchanged loaded looks, and braced for the worst.
“If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have made it. She reached me as I was struggling. Crawled right up on her belly like an otter, grabbed my hand, and pulled with everything she had.”
“Oh,” Reigen heard himself saying before he could stop himself. That…wasn’t the outcome he had expected. He shared another look with Serizawa - who also hadn’t anticipated this outcome. “That was, very brave of her,” continued Reigen.
“She was the bravest,” said Inoue Haruto, “the bravest big sister out there a dummy like me could have…”
And then, Inoue Haruto could no longer hold himself together. He cried. Cried from his body going through the process of remembering that fateful day, the way his body seized, how a world of snow and white changed, with a single crack, to something wet, and profound and glacial. A seeming abyss in the dead of winter. The way the lungs constricted in shock. The way his body yelled into his brain.
Alert!
Awareness!
Shock!
Pain!
SCREAM!
Bubbles expelling from his mouth in a flurry. Inoue Haruto did not know with what strength he was able to kick his freezing legs again. Did not know how he fought against water’s natural resistance, made all the harder from the temperature, and added weight of wet heavy clothes.
But he did. Blue lips and chattering teeth. He did.
There was but a single source of light below that lake. He had not sunk deep enough to no longer see it. For that is often where the true danger was, beyond the heavier clothes, and shock of temperature. The not knowing what was truly up or down anymore.
Had Inoue Haruto been unlucky, had he tried to swim in any other direction.
He would have died that day on the lake.
But he didn’t.
Inoue Haruto survived. Survived to make footsteps in the snow once again.
Reigen and Serizawa were beside themselves unsure what to do beyond consoling words.
Inoue Anzu still did not speak up. Which was starting to grate at Reigen. How could she be silent? Before a son so clearly suffering? Offended for Inoue Haruto, Reigen felt the urge to yell at the old woman. The sort of anger that felt too personal. Petulant and selfish. This anger, he’d later realize, was born from projection.
Luckily, Reigen did not voice his knee jerk thoughts, and his anger was quick to turn to deep shame.
There were hundreds of reasons why Inoue Anzu did not speak, and they were all her own. And she wasn’t a figure dressed in black with white gloves.
What Inoue Anzu’s silence she provided hugs, and consoling pats up and down her son’s back. Cradling her nearly forty year old tired son, as best as her old body would allow. With an unfathomable tiredness and sadness of her own, of a woman who had no more tears to shed. Empty.
Was this a culmination of long time sadness building? The sobs were so visceral and raw, it felt more like a cry that was long time coming. Perhaps even needed?
It was previously noticed that Inoue Haruto held a stress that aged his young kind eyes. Made from years in the making.
Ice cracks on the lake for many reasons.
Reigen and Serizawa looked away, in a small effort of privacy. They did, however, share a quiet look between them. From the look alone, it was clear that they were both thinking roughly the same thing. As well as another important question:
If Inoue Etsuko survived that day on the lake, then where was she now?
Time stretched, and passed in that nearly incalculable way that birthed a dissonance between the amount felt versus the amount that actually passed.
“Arataka?” Whispered the distinct, deep baritone of a voice rich, and made gravely, with tobacco.
“Father?” said the distinct voice of a young teen trying not to cry.
“Why are you crying?”
Arataka looked up into his father’s face. There wasn’t anger, but an unreadable sort of curiosity. If anything Arataka was surprised to see him, usually he stood elsewhere during these events. Which means he must have been drawing attention to himself.
Arataka cleared his throat, aiming for something without the stick of teary emotion.“The service…it’s,” he tried to find the words.
He had seen other services before, but he didn’t know why this was effecting him so much. Between the monk’s chants, and crying, the flower arrangements. Arataka wasn’t sure. How could he explain? He saw a child his age with eyes full of wet tears break down and cry, poems had been read that were beautiful.
Could tears be contagious? Is this why there was that strange pull to cry when hearing others cry?
Grief was…
“I don’t know,” said Arataka. He looked down at his shiny black shoes. At the way the black laces were covered by the cuff of his black pants. His face felt hot. It was, silly, perhaps. He didn’t even know the bereaving family.
“I understand. Try to let it wash over you, you’ll get numb to it, in time."
Arataka looked up into his father’s face. Feeling confused, almost beside himself. Numb to other’s feelings? It sounded so cold, so distant, so…so like his father.
And all at once Arataka felt the sudden want to yell. How could he be so stone faced? How dare he? Arataka was here, his father was here, they should…should do something!!
But there was nothing really they could do, was there? He doubted his father was secretly a necromancer, no matter what the kids at school rudely teased. And if his father was secretly some sort of Reaper, it wouldn’t be in his character to ferry people and return them from some beyond. But Arataka knew his father wasn’t some supernatural force. …probably.
Unlike Arataka’s face whose emotion could be read like a book, a minute barely there emotion flickered over Reigen Senior’s face. He explained, gently, barely heard over the chants and sniffling,“this isn’t your grief to bear.”
Arataka didn’t quite understand, but he nodded all the same. It was like being comforted by a crow, or a buzzard, or…well Arataka had never seen a vulture, but he could imagine.
Reigen Senior placed a white gloved hand on Arataka’s black suit jacket shoulder. A stark fabric contrast of black and white.
“ka?” was the tail-end of a soft low voice, rich as hazelnut paste. Soft and round. Heavy like purple rain clouds in summer that rumbled with thunder, and held the promise of lightening if circumstances aligned for lightening to show.
Reigen felt a light pressure on his wrist. “Hm?”
“Are you alright?” Whispered Serizawa.
Reigen thumbed his eyes, he was convinced they’d be wet and watery, but they were dry. He nodded, and glanced at the still crying Inoue family.
“Reigen?” Went Serizawa not quite convinced.
Reigen waved his hand some, a feeble ‘don’t worry’ -as his face became a little more unreadable. “Lets excuse ourselves,” he whispered back.
Reigen and Serizawa, took the tray of tea to the kitchen, cleaned the cups, and waited out the tears.
Serizawa kept replaying what had happened in his mind. He wanted to ask Reigen a question, but didn’t even know where to begin to ask. For the most part he was looking elsewhere, averting his eyes from the tears, and in turn, wasn’t watching Reigen. If he had been, what would he have seen?
When Serizawa had asked, “are you sure you’re alright?”
Reigen had nodded, still focused on the rim of the cup he was cleaning, “yeah, was just - miles away.” Then he shrugged.
The thing was, Serizawa felt like he had heard something, in those seconds just before turning to Reigen looking ‘miles away’. But Serizawa couldn’t be sure with the actual crying. Had he blinked, and missed something?
“Could you dry this?” Whispered Reigen, stone faced, and calm. “Please?”
Serizawa broke from his thoughts. “Of course.”
So they waited it out in silence in the kitchen
At some point, the crying passed.
When they reemerged back into the living room, Inoue Haruto’s face was very red, and very puffy, and despite it all, he smiled. It was the first smile either of them had seen from him.
“We’ve, taken enough of your time,” said Reigen not feeling comfortable asking more questions after such an experience.
Inoue Haruto cleared his throat, voice sticky and thick with emotion. “Yes,” he croaked, then cleared his throat again, “yes. I’ll walk you out.”
“Oh there’s no need,” started Serizawa. “You’ve only just recovered, surely-“
“Please,” said Inoue Haruto.
Serizawa and Reigen both nodded, reluctantly.
Shoes back on standing beyond the porch, Inoue Haruto thumbed his nose a few times, like a man who had much to say - and didn’t know how.
“Thank you, I don’t remember if I said that or not, but thank you,” said Inoue Haruto.
“Please,” started Serizawa. “Don’t mention it,” finished Reigen. They shared a look, and a weak smile.
“We haven’t done much yet,” continued Reigen, always awkward before earnest praise, “and we hope to do more. I’m sorry
“No, it…I think I needed that.” Inoue Haruto looked back inside, where he was positive his mother was staring out a window somewhere, looking down the path. “We both needed that, I think.”
Reigen and Serizawa nodded solemnly, each understanding in different ways.
“And thank you for your patience with my mom.”
Reigen squirmed, still feeling guilty from his internal knee jerk.
“Of course,” said Serizawa, almost offended.
Inoue Haruto smiled ất that. His hand rubbed the back of his neck, and stayed there. “She hasn’t spoken since…”
“Since,” Reigen licked his lips nervously, “since Etsuko left?”
“Left? How’d…you psychics, man.”
Reigen gave a weak smile, surprised at himself as he admitted, “it was an educated guess, really. I couldn’t help noticing the pictures…”
“Oh…” Inoue Haruto nodded, “yeah, they’re hard to miss. But, no.”
“No?”
“No. My mom hasn’t spoken since Etsuko got married.”
“Married,” repeated Reigen, feeling uneasy and unsure why. “She left, after she got married?”
“A few years, yes.” Inoue Haruto sighed a weariness that touched bone. “Everyone in the village was involved in looking for her. Especially her husband, of course.”
“Of course.” And the needling cynical bastardly side inside Reigen maliciously thought, ‘prime suspect number one’. He hoped his assumptions will prove wrong. But his gut twisted.
“Then after a time…well, we assumed she successfully ran off. Skipped town for bigger dreams in some big city somewhere.” Inoue shrugged, and somehow made his shoulders slump even more, “‘Off ta Tokyo’ as they say.”
“Right…” Reigen frowned, an unreadable expression in his eyes. “Off to Tokyo…”
“I don’t…feel like talking about that right now.”
“Of course!”
“We understand,” added Serizawa.
Inoue Haruto looked from one to the other again, studying them both. His face was tired, worn, but a grim thought was passing through his mind. It surfaced in his eyes, like a brief appearance of a fishtail.“Maybe…another time?”
“Of course,” repeated Reigen, a bit more solemn. He presented his business card without flare or style. A grim thought of his own passing his mind. “We’re staying at the Gotou residence for the time being.”
Inoue nodded
Reigen and Serizawa nodded, and after repeating their shared farewells, went on their way. Down the path.
Leaving footprints in the mud.
Meanwhile Inoue Anzu watched from a window as another set of footsteps appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. It followed Reigen and Serizawa a few paces, then, as suddenly as they appeared, disappeared.
Their bicycles were still where they left them, and Reigen was relieved there weren’t any surprise bird droppings on it.
Serizawa delicately shooed away a spider that was considering the space between the handlebar grip and head tube for a home.
They decided to walk the bicycles, instead of ride them.
They walked their bicycles side by side in pensive silence. It hovered over them, like a blanket muting all the sounds of the lengthening morning.
Every so often one of them, be it Reigen or Serizawa, sneaked a look at the other, looking them over, checking in without outwardly asking.
Then Reigen’s shoes scuffed to a halt. “Shit.”
“What?”
“We forgot to ask what Etsuko’s new surname would be.”
“Oh…we did, huh?” Serizawa frowned some, “shoot.”
Reigen snorted at that, amused by their different expressive vocabulary.
“What?” Said Serizawa not seeing the source of Reigen’s amusement, but happy he looked brighter.
“Oh,” sighed Reigen, “nothing.”
“Fine then, keep your secrets,” said Serizawa mimicking Namikawa Daisuke, the voice actor who dubbed Elijah Wood in Lord of the Rings.
“Whoaaa,” said Reigen, deeply impressed. “We should start, like, a jar or something, every time we make a reference. See how much we earn at the end of each month.”
“Do we reference that much?”
Reigen shrugged, “we’d just have to see at the end of the month.”
Serizawa laughed, “alright, but let’s start once we get back at the office, it’d be cumbersome to drag a jelly jar around while we’re working here.”
“Jelly jar?? It’d be a pickling jar at least!!”
“Alright, alright,”said Serizawa as a laugh bubbled his voice.
After all that had happened, Reigen soaked that bubbly voice in like a balm, and sighed contentedly. At least, until the grim thought Reigen had previously resurfaced.
“I…” Reigen winced at his own cynicism. He felt a right jerk. “I think Inoue Etsuko might be dead.”
Serizawa swiveled his head to look at him, “you too?”
Reigen looked back in surprise. Usually he was the suspicious bastard of the duo. “You too?!”
“There’s a presence here, Reigen. And it’s heavy, and strong. It was here, and snuck up on both you and Inoue Haruto without me noticing. It…I don’t know if it’s malign or benign, but it…it’s heavy, Reigen.”
Reigen worried his lower lip. “Discomforting.”
Serizawa nodded his agreement. “Do you think we should tell them? I mean…unless Inoue Etsuko is also a psychic without her family knowing, or something has happened…if she’s connected to entities who - let’s face it, are either beings of, well, being…”
“Or dead,” finished Reigen. He pinched his brow, tempted. Sometimes there is relief in finally knowing - but they weren’t a hundred percent positive either. It was a merely a theory, hypothesis at best. Reigen sighed in a relenting way. “We can’t just spring on someone the theory: ‘have you considered that maybe your runaway daughter is dead? And now her restless spirit is influencing a whole village?’ especially without evidence, or…maybe a body. They’d want…well, I can’t assume, but, the presence of Inoue Etsuko’s remains would probably help. If she’s passed.”
“No…no you’re right.” Serizawa pressed a hand to his own temple, as if he could sink the waves of a coming headache away - stopper it. Something felt off, but he didn’t know what.
“Besides, “ continued Reigen, “we don’t even know how long she’s been missing. If the duration is enough to even be considered legally dead.”
Serizawa nodded, inhaled slowly through his nose. “Hope is a powerful thing.”
“The last that dies, or so they say in some countries.”
“Which countries?”
Reigen shrugged, with a lopsided sort of smirk, “just something I read somewhere, once.”
Serizawa snorted at that, it did nothing for his headache, but it did lighten his mood. Reigen’s smirk morphed into a smile.
A smile that lasted until Reigen watched as Serizawa paused, ever so briefly. Hands on the handlebars of the bicycle. Nostrils widening from the deep inhale. Brows furrowed.
Reigen frowned in sympathy. He had noticed Serizawa having done that earlier. ”Headache?"
Serizawa frowned as well, in a wilting resigned way. "It's coming on, but not quite here, here."
"That almost sounds worse."
Serizawa hummed, then shrugged. Not much to be done.
"Lets accost over here."
"Hm?"
Serizawa looked up to see Reigen patting a conveniently mossy sets of stones. They jutted out from the side of the hill. Left there, no doubt, to serve as a natural barrier against debris during the rainy season, and storms.
"Take your jacket off," said Reigen, already shimmying out of his own to drape over his bicycle.
"A massage?" Guessed Serizawa, heart doing the little fluttering dance it usually did when a massage was offered. Once upon a time the thought would have left him a nervous wreck, stammering and even a little more tense. But by now, well, the offer of a massage from Reigen was no stranger than him offering to pay for a meal.
In its own tender way, that made Serizawa's cheeks burn all the more. Another flutter, alright perhaps even a little nervous in a ‘butterflies in my stomach have turned it into a boxing ring’ sort of way, and his palms were a little clammy. But he had passed the stammer.
"Maybe I can hold the headache back a pinch,” explained Reigen while rolling up his sleeves. “At least until someone has a pill to offer or we get back to the Gotou house."
"But," started Serizawa, already feeling he was starting a loosing battle, "potential clues.”
Reigen paused half way through a sleeve roll. Then raised a weighty brow. “Correlation does not prove causation,” drawled Reigen with the airs of one who hadn’t just picked up that phrase from a Psychology magazine while waiting for Serizawa to finish a therapy session.
Serizawa raised a brow with the airs of one who definitely knew Reigen picked that up from a Psychology magazine while waiting for him to finish a therapy session. Though, kindly, didn’t mention it. Besides, Reigen did have a point. And a massage would be nice, especially from Reigen.
Serizawa looked around, the road was as empty of traffic as it was all morning. The air was crisp, and void of the usual city ambiance of car doors, and car horns, and occasional sirens, and the talk of passerby and foot traffic.
It was really tempting.
Reigen smiled to himself as Serizawa continued considering, and returned to rolling up his sleeve with a patient look.
“But…don’t we need to get to the next house on the list?”
Reigen stared at him, waited for the silence to pass so it could act as an underline to what he said next: “Oi.”
Serizawa dropped his head in his palm. Here we go, Reigen’s ‘tough boss spiel of acting like he didn’t care but actually does greatly’ spiel. The acronym for it would be atrocious. He really should have known better by now.
“Tch. Who do you take me for, huh? Is your boss some kind of punk? Huh?!”
Distantly Serizawa wondered if Reigen knew he sounded like a delinquent when he did this.
“Some half-bit boss? Huh? How can I take a step forward knowing my deputy isn’t doing well? Huh?!”
Or maybe Reigen did it on purpose. To make him smirk or laugh. Reigen’s attempts to make Serizawa cheerful were hardly ever unnoticed.
It made Serizawa want to tease Reigen, if only a little. “Oh you were serious about the massage?”
“Hah?!” Reigen gestured to the laid out suit jacket, to the fact that they had stopped walking, as exhibit A and B. Then he slapped his rolled sleeves: exhibit C, “do I look even a little Not Serious? Huh? Is this not serious? Oi, Serizawa, listen up! We’re out here doin’ a tough job as it is, we can’t waist time, and not take care of ourselves. Even oxen get rubbed down after long days of toiling - not, ah, shit, n-not that I think you’re an ox or, wait… You’re strong like an ox, sure, but, wait.”
If Dimple were here, he probably would have butted in by now, thought Serizawa as he covered his mouth to hold back a snort. Waiting patiently through Reigen's vocal stream of consciousness.
Reigen then paused and added, with a little less steam and confidence, “unless you don’t want one right now. Of course. Which is also fine. Obviously.”
Serizawa stared at him and thought, amusement parks could make millions off of the rollercoaster in Reigen’s mind.
“Wh- oi, what’s that look?”
“What look?”
“The…the… your face.”
“Reigen.”
“Yes?”
“I’d love a massage, thank you.”
“O-okay!” Went Reigen, feeling like the tips of his ears were on fire.
Serizawa blinked. Once, twice, and then…
Serizawa started to laugh, the shoulder shaking sort. Nerves exhaled out with every chuckle. He hadn’t realized how much he needed this, actually.
Reigen stared, hands limp at the wrist as if powering down from a half formed gesture. Another lopsided grin, and then, he too, started to laugh. It was a slower buildup, but it grew in strength the more he realized his own ridiculousness - and even more when he too, felt how much he needed to laugh.
So they laughed. Laughed until the birds took flight. Laughed at the face of looming uncertainty. Laughed and shook into a side hug.
It was going to be okay. Even if they were out of their depths, it was going to be okay.
Difficult sure, but okay.
Serizawa’s eyes were closed as he felt the gentle press of Reigen’s thumb at the base of his neck. Relieving the pressing sensation of his pesky headache, transforming it to something that could be halted, or put on pause. Serizawa liked to imagine Reigen was jumping into his mind for a moment, and putting the headache into a headlock.
“Are my hands too cold?” Reigen asked, mistaking a snirking sound from Serizawa for discomfort.
“No, no,” sighed Serizawa, “…just thinking.”
Reigen smiled to himself, and hummed.
“Thank you again, for doing this for me,” said Serizawa.
“Thank me when the headache is manageable,” huffed Reigen, ignoring his heated ears, “not before.”
“Mmm, no. I think I’ll thank you now.”
Reigen turned his head away, despite the fact that Serizawa couldn’t see his expression regardless.“Tch, dummy.”
Serizawa hummed again, and leaned into the mystifying workings of Reigen’s hands. The way bony strong fingers sought out pinches and pressure points, soothing them and rubbing them to attract a higher blood flow. Selecting the nooks and crannies at the delicate base of Serizawa's skull and base of his neck, like a precise bouncer escorting the headache off the premises.
Oh how Serizawa wished he could just melt into an oozy puddle of himself. Serizawa had to catch himself from falling too far back into Reigen's hands, or too far forward.
"Hey, you'll tense up if you do that," said Reige his tone that gentle tender calm he reserved for massages. A firm hand held Serizawa's shoulder.
"You're too good at this," said Serizawa, it earned him a snort from Reigen, and the sensation of air puffing past his ear.
"Missing the table huh? Oi," said Reigen some how turning the word 'oi' as soft as lamb's wool, "what did I say about tensing? Don't worry, I got you."
Serizawa didn't trust himself to respond in a normal employee business partner like manner, or even a friend-centric one for that matter. So he nodded, mumbled something that might have been another 'thank you', and relaxed once more into Reigen's fingers. Thoughts of bottling Reigen's masseur voice danced like sugar plums behind Serizawa's eyes. Doing impressive fouette turn kicks against his headache along the way.
“So,” started Reigen after some time. “Was that…new?”
“What was new?” Said Serizawa in a distant distracted sort of way.
“The way you were able to guess Inoue Haruto's past like that. The, falling through the ice stuff.” Reigen leaned to the side, so Serizawa could see him grin from the corner of his eyes, "did you level up or something?"
Serizawa gently pushed Reigen's face away, “spirits and ghosts are always leaving some sort of residual something…” Serizawa turned to look back at Reigen, “you know that.”
“Yeah,” said Reigen who gently turned Serizawa back around, “but there was something about that…it felt, specific.”
“Perhaps the spirit pulled at a memory.”
“Or knows Inoue..." Reigen leaned back, his lips a hard line of determination. “Maybe I'll give my sister a call," said Reigen slowly starting the massage back up.
“Y-yeah?” Serizawa closed his eyes again, absorbing the touch once more, and Reigen's voice. His brows pinched with yearning- thank goodness Reigen couldn't see. “Did talking with Inoue Haruto make you miss her?”
Serizawa felt the puff of air on his neck from Reigen's snort. “I, well, I...I mean - she's doing fine.”
“Inoue Anzu made me miss my mom,” said Serizawa, the gentlest giant Reigen had ever met.
That open vulnerability, Reigen felt it was precious, to be protected even. He struggled to match it. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Serizawa sighed, “I’ll most likely call her later.”
Reigen lowered his head, an inch away from resting his forehead on Serizawa's back, hovering. “I...yeah, talking to them made me miss my older sister a bit too…”
Serizawa smiled.
“...and I know it's, well, a complete shot in the dark considering how big Tokyo is, but...maybe she came across someone named Inoue Etsuko. Who knows, the world can be funny like that sometimes."
Serizawa hummed, “true, very true.”
The massage went on for a little longer as a ray of sunlight slipped between leaves and illuminated them both, enveloping them in warmth.
Notes:
If theories are starting to percolate I'd love to hear them! Granted I won't be able to confirm or deny anything, but man oh man I'm curious! If you want of course, no pressure, this isn't homework haha
Edit as of 23/11/2023: no you didn't imagine it, I ended up adding 694 words at the end of the chapter cause the moment of the massage didn't quite fit as well as I thought it would in the next chapter. Mainly for flow reasons.
It's wild to think how I even considered making ch6 this chapter and upcoming parts 2 and 3 all one chapter. I'm frankly quite glad I decided to break them down this way.
Hope all is well! Don't forget to take care of yourself!
Best wishes♡
Chapter 8: "I Don't Know" (Part 2.1) Arrow
Notes:
⚠️Chapter Warnings (may contain spoilers)
Dead Animal Discussed (not described). Discussion on the Consumption of Meat. Use of Distorted Text.
ch8(and9) is brought to you by worker solidarity, misjudgments, strongly felt opinions, and dramatic irony - oh and the cuteness of ducks.
As some might notice this chapter was cut in two, mainly for length and digestibility. I made a fun poll about it on my tumblr. The words certainly got away with me lol But we made it! I just hope it makes sense, but I can't keep editing these chapters anymore, otherwise I'll truly find myself in the Shadow Realm haha
Perfection doesn't exist and done is better than nothing! ٩(`♡´҂)งPlease keep in mind I'm not a real historian! Nor an expert, or professional researcher. Despite slim creative liberties, I try to approach topics as respectfully as possible, and always hope they're taken in good faith. If anything ever sparks curiosity to learn more about something - then I think that's wonderful!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
[BRITTAIN]
I STAY AWAKE MOST EVERY NIGHT
WAITING FOR A GLIMPSE TO APPEAR
[GELSEY/BRITTAIN]
WHERE'S MY GHOST IN THE MIRROR
I WANT ONE TOO
[ALL]
I'VE GOT A THOUSAND ONE STORIES
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM'S A LIE
- Side One. Track One. "I Don't Know", Ghost Quartet, Dave Malloy
❧❧❧
Reigen’s apartment was quiet, tinted in the steel blues of early morning light. The window curtains drawn back, inviting the rays to slowly stretch inside, like a cat that just finished loafing and was ready to get into some serious business (even more loafing somewhere else).
Stripes and rectangles of light slowly stretched over every surface.
All was quiet as motes of dust caught the light in their meanderings. Neighbors started to wake up, and those who worked the skeleton crew were heading home. Bakers, who suspiciously never slept and were the first signs of life after a long night, were flipping the shop sign from closed to open. It was off to the races for the day, as morning commuters reached for their caffeinated drinks, hoping to get some sort of leg up.
Hoping the day would turn out just a little bit better than yesterday.
An alarm sounded in the stillness of Reigen’s studio apartment. It was followed by a groan, and a hand reaching out to turn it off. Or snooze or, just about anything to make the noise stop.
Good thing there was a second alarm.
By the third, Hanazawa Teruki decided it was time to sit up.
He blinked groggily at the familiar surroundings. The zip up closet, the small plastic feeling closet that was originally here when the studio was first bought, the sun seeping over the coffee table illuminating the leaves of Reigen’s mini garden and forest, revealing the veins to all. Light caught through the water dispenser made strange aquatic patterns. The computer in the corner still switched off.
Teruki raised his hands over his head, and tenderly stretched from side to side. Then rolled out of bed, and gently reached for his toes. Careful wakefulness returning to him. Slowly he stood to his full height and stretched upwards to the ceiling, and just as slowly he lowered his arms to look around. A few half hearted attempts at morning calisthenics followed.
“Ookay,” said Teruki to the Devil’s Ivy, “good morning plants.”
The plants didn’t respond of course, but Teruki did smile gently at them, genuinely.
He often heard Reigen talking to them, sometimes he’d play it off if he was overheard or caught doing so. Then, in a bout of rare honesty, perhaps due to whatever expression Teruki had that day when Teruki finally asked, Reigen explained: “plants like to be talked to, it helps them grow.”
“How do you know?” Teruki had asked.
And Reigen shrugged, amicably, as if sure Teruki would discover the real reason himself one day.
One thing Teruki realized, however, was he didn’t feel like he needed to pretend when talking to the plants. Or show his Best Brilliant Commoner Self. Teruki just needed to be, and help give water, among other mysterious plant growing things that were a bit too advanced for him at the moment. His main objective was to not kill them, and that was enough for Hanazawa Teruki.
Perhaps that was the secret of plants: to just be.
As he had promised, Teruki cracked the window open to change the air, and breathed in its crispness. More plants greeted him on the balcony. He offered them a smile. Their leaves continued to bounce gently with the breeze. A floor above, one of the neighbors hummed while fiddling with their laundry line. It was a little off key, but it was pleasant all the same. They weren’t performing for anyone, and Teruki was merely there by happenstance listening and catching a quiet moment. It made him smile.
Teruki turned, and looked at the modest expanse of Reigen’s studio apartment. Once so foreign to him, and now, almost a second home. The quaint morning silence, however, started to stale as one key ingredient was missing.
No Reigen.
Teruki sighed, and refused to start missing him so soon. It had only been one day for goodness sake. And yet, if Teruki sat there and thought about where he was this time last year, and the year before that…well, he couldn’t help but get misty eyed. So much could happen, in so little time.
Padding to the kitchen, Teruki started up breakfast, or rather, checked the fridge to see all the meal-prep Reigen did before leaving. All in various miss-matched tupperware, some with sticky notes with ‘cooking reminders’ more so than instructions.
This was born from one conversation where an exasperated Teruki explained to Reigen that he knew how to cook already, thank you very much! Just before karmically forgetting to add salt to a dish.
Teruki took a container in hand, and stared down at the sticky note. His thumb trailing over the writing, and the little blob design at the end that might have been an attempt to doodle a winking dog…or was it a fox?
“Pff. How very Reigen-san,” said Teruki to a spider plant.
He refused to sniffle or cry. And yet, he stared on on at the sticky note. The quiet of the apartment interrupted by the sound of a passing helicopter, most likely from the local news station to update traffic, and weather. It was flying so low Teruki could almost feel the thwp, thwp, thwp, of the helicopter blades in his ribcage. It unnerved him.
The Reigen in Teruki’s Mind lifted up a finger gun, and pretended to shoot it down, silly vocal effect included. “The day they invent quiet helicopters will be a good day,” Mind/Memory Reigen grumbled loudly, before admitting, “though I’m sure they’re all working very hard… yo, what do you think about a company fishing trip?”
It wasn’t until the refrigerator started beeping that Teruki was reminded to keep moving forward. Well, it was actually beeping so Teruki would close the refrigerator door, but Teruki took the reminder all the same.
He ignored how damp his cheeks were. Though the breakfast tasted a little saltier.
“Well, you seem to be doing alright,” said a voice that had a permanent sneer in its core description. Dimple pretended he didn’t see Teruki quickly check his eyes for further tears. “Certainly better than the red head,” he added in a bored offhanded way.
Teruki cleared his throat, then looked up from cleaning his dish, the drying rack clinked with a placed bowl. “Oh, hey Dimple.”
Dimple was float-lounging in the air, with little manifested arms and legs to truly solidify the effect. A pinky grounded into a nonexistent ear. “Yo.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“Pff, as if!”
Teruki shrugged, he knew Dimple meant it in a nice way. The ghost was a lot easier to read than he’d probably like to admit. But that too, was part of Dimple’s charm.
“Do you have any news for me? How’s Kageyama-kun?”
“Ask him yourself! What am I, a messenger?”
Teruki hummed, another of Dimple’s tactics: making you face and do the leg work of communication yourself. “Alright,” he said. Then, catching on to an earlier detail, he arched a brow, “so what’s that you said about Shou?”
“Shou?” Dimple pondered the name, it was not academy award winning acting to be sure. He had moved on from picking his ear, to his teeth, “Shou, hmm.”
“The red head?”
“Yeah! …anyways, let me know if you ever get the urge to see how long it takes for a soda can to melt.”
“Why?”
“So I can call you an idiot, and tell you to stop.”
At this Teruki nodded, that seemed to be in line with what he had expected Dimple to say. Though he made a mental note to perhaps reach out to Shou later, maybe they could all go to the arcade, or karaoke, or something.
Teruki let his head fall back, and grinned, “I didn’t know you were worried about me ~Dimple~kun~. That was very sweet of you to tell me.”
“Shut up,” said Dimple, though without any real bite. He continued to float about, hovering while Teruki finished his morning routines and put his school backpack in order.
Dimple then watched intently as Teruki slowly raised the spare keys in his hands, watched as he slowly turned them over contemplatively.
Teruki paused mid turn, “you think I watered that plant enough?”
“Beats me,” said Dimple, helpfully. “But if you keep dawdling you’ll miss your chance to casually run into Shigeo before school.”
Teruki glanced at the clock, “oh shoot!”
It was then Dimple’s turn to grin. The sort of grin as though maliciously ticking off a check-list of evil things to tease at to truly continue to be qualified as an ‘Evil Spirit’.
“Heh, heh - sort of makes you wish you could just blink and be there, huh kid? Heh heh heh.”
Teruki hummed his agreement, despite half listening to Dimple. Perhaps he’ll wear those earrings he found in the back of Reigen’s drawer. They had been found while initially looking for some sort of decoration to put on one of the ferns. Teruki initially thought of using the green tie he had found, but enjoyed how the fake stones of the earrings popped with color against the green leaves
What would Kageyama think of them, Teruki wondered.
“I’ll be off,” said Teruki to the empty studio apartment. To the plants and vegetation therein.
❧
Sasaki❧ Arrow
“Do you see, Arren, how an act is not, as young men think, like a rock that one picks up and throws, and it hits or misses, and that’s the end of it. When that rock is lifted, the earth is lighter, the hand that bears it is heavier. When it is thrown, the circuits of the stars respond, and where it strikes or falls the universe is changed.”
- The Farthest Shore, Ursula K. Le Guin
Perhaps it was the position of the sun, or the effort of cycling paired with the sun. But it was getting warmer.
“Are we any closer, you think?” Asked Serizawa who, despite his bicycle merrily floating along side Reigen’s, discreetly patted his forehead.
They had branched to another road, following the netted rocky hillside that oozed up into the mountain.
Reigen leaned to the side, not only checking for potentially on-coming traffic, (although hardly passed to the point the roads might as well be desolate), but to also check a side marker. “Pretty close…man someone should come by and snip some of this vegetation later in the year.” Reigen lifted a hand from the handlebar and, with an open palm, grazed it on the passing leaves that poked out from between the netting. He smiled at the touch, the feel of it, caressing and gently scratching his hand.
He then discreetly checked his hand for any potential deposited larva that might have been on the leaves. There weren’t any on the plants his hand had grazed, but there was a coating of road dust and dirt from when vehicles did pass on the road.
Serizawa watched Reigen do this with a fond look, and hummed. Content.
As they turned the corner the land started to level out once more, becoming a more opened spaced, and less encased by the surrounding forest. The sky opened all the more, no longer enclosed by woodland canopies, or imposing mountain sides.
Serizawa didn’t realize just how much he missed an open view of the sky until then. Which, perhaps, was silly considering he had seen it easily at the Inoue residence, but the way the trees and surrounding forest had a habit of caving in, with full canopies like green umbrellas of their own, an emerald ceiling, well - Serizawa felt he could be greedy for the sky. He took a deep breath, soaking it in.
Reigen watched this with a fond look. Every time Serizawa mentioned how pretty the place was, well, it did things to Reigen. It made his insides tingly, and nauseous, and… Reigen shook his head to clear himself from his thoughts.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how pretty this place is,” said Serizawa. Sunlight pooled over his copper skin, highlighting the different facets of brown in Serizawa’s hair. And Serizawa’s smile!
A smile grew all the more on Reigen’s face, and he hummed, soaking in Serizawa’s expression. “Yeah.” Reigen sighed, without realizing and added, “it ain’t bad, huh?”
“What was that?” Asked Serizawa, mildly. Contentment radiating from his pores.
“Um!” Reigen tapped his mouth in what could be a thoughtful way, but rather a hidden self-scolding way for letting a twang slip. “Oh! Look! I think that might be the Sasaki place up ahead.”
Without slowing his bicycle down, Reigen raised himself - no longer sitting on the seat, so to swing his leg around and coast on the bicycle one legged, until it came to a gradual stop.
Serizawa stared at this simple act with rosier cheeks. Reigen made the act look so natural, so easy, as if anyone could do it. Perhaps…when Reigen helped him learn to actually ride, well…
“Um? Serizawa?”
“Yes?”
“You can float down now, you’re ah, well…”
“Hm?”
Reigen lowered his bicycle kickstand, and walked back over to Serizawa, raising his hands up to grab at the front wheel of the bicycle.
The front wheel?
Serizawa looked down, and gasped, finally realizing just how high up his bicycle had floated without his noticing. He wilted a little, embarrassed.
“How’s the weather up there?” Asked Reigen, aiming for jovial to lighten Serizawa’s mood.
Serizawa scratched the side of his temple with a braved smile to coat over his mild embarrassment, “not that much different, really.”
“And the view?” Reigen grinned up at him.
Serizawa blinked, gently nudged his embarrassment aside, and looked outward, and around him. Wind gently caressed his cheeks, ruffled his curly hair, and chilled his lungs with crisp air as he gasped at the panorama that waited for him. That had been here for who knows how many decades.
How had he not noticed it sooner?
Perhaps for the same reason he hadn’t even noticed his bicycle had floated higher.
Outwards and beyond, the rice fields acted like sporadic double mirrors, reflecting the sky, and all that flew and floated through its firmament.
“Oh, Reigen Arataka, its…” Serizawa’s voice trailed off, unable to find the proper descriptor as his mind and heart swelled with feeling. He wondered what more he could see if the bicycle kept floating up, and up.
More rice fields, more irrigation streams, more watery mirrors. Paired with vibrant fresh green of new leaves on the trees. Of the stripped pattern of plowed fields that had a richer color compared to the uncultivated plots of land, matched with the rooftops of houses and little sheds. A patchwork of life.
The swooping side of a rising hill before it merged with the mountain. There was still snow on the mountain, higher up, its diamond like white reflected with the sun, almost blinding if he stared for too long. Fresher, whiter, than the muddy snow that hid from the sun in the shadows, waiting to be melted.
And then, of course, there were the sprinkled hints of color from the plants and flowers in early bloom - like a tease of what a full spring would look like. Hidden tufts of pinks and purple. Little promises, patient, and waiting.
A strangled squeak of a sound wheedled its way up. It was just the right frequency of strained that brought caution back into Serizawa. Remembering himself, he looked down, and gasped again, this time even further mortified.
They were certain considerably higher, and Reigen, who had not let go of the bicycle’s front wheel, was desperately holding on. His legs bunched and tucked under him with his face squished into a tight concentration, while he valiantly tried to hold on, and ignore the natural back and forth pendulum like sway of holding onto a wheel in midair.
“Reigen-san! I’m - o-oh - I’m so-!! Sorry Reigen!!”
Reigen nodded quickly, and braved a weak little smile, while his forehead glistened with sweat. “N-no worries,” said Reigen, or rather that was what his uttering squeak was meant to mean.
The bicycle gradually descended with care. The fact a few birds had to redirect their flight pattern as they rushed from one tree to another would have been amusing in another circumstance. The sound of fluttering only made Reigen’s shoulders bunch up more.
“You can lower your legs, Reigen,” said Serizawa trying to not sound too miserably embarrassed.
Reigen tentatively lowered one foot, felt the toe of his muddy shoes touch ground, and gently allowed more weight to press onto the earth. Then the other shoe, while his biceps shook with effort.
When was the last time he even attempted a pull up? Perhaps, he thought distantly as the relief of terraferma swelled in Reigen’s chest, he could send a fun little message about it to Mob later.
Fully reunited once more with the patient earth, Reigen walked his hand up along the descending bicycle, until Serizawa was also fully reunited with the surface of the earth.
Reigen leaned on the bicycle’s handlebars a bit, in an attempt to look casual. The way his knuckles were white with a lingering deathtrap didn’t do much to help aide in this.
“So!” Reigen started, louder than anticipated and full of adrenaline. “What did you think? Still pretty huh-?”
“Oh Reigen I’m so sorry!!” Interrupted Serizawa, his hands squeezed the handlebars, brushing against Reigen’s own hands.
“Don’t give me that,” Reigen likewise interrupted, “nothing to be sorry for!! I’m not hurt, - are you hurt?”
“N-no.”
“Then I refuse this apology!!”
“But -”
“You didn’t answer my question, Serizawa Katsuya!”
“Your question?”
Reigen smiled warmly, the side of their hands pressed against each other. His face shinned with lingering sweat, flushed red with a mixture of having intently used his upper body strength, and blush. “Did you like what you see?”
Serizawa bit his lip, holding back any further attempts to apologize or verbally rectify what had happened. He muscled passed embarrassment and then, nodded. “Yes,” he said, in almost a whisper, unable to look away from Reigen’s earthy raw amber eyes, “it was gorgeous.”
Reigen clapped Serizawa’s shoulder and gave it a hearty shake, “excellent! Beautiful landscapes should be admired to the fullest, my good deputy! Never waste a batted eye, right Serizawa?”
Serizawa leaned into the hand, letting himself be shaken until a true smile bloomed, “right.”
Reigen stared, his shaking slowing to a modest halt.
Somewhere a deer was finding something very interesting to nibble at. Elsewhere a nest was being constructed, meticulously.
Reigen gulped, and slowly released Serizawa, “good,” he brushed his hands together to release any oil or grime he might have collected from clinging to a bicycle wheel. “Oh shit,” went Reigen quickly glancing at Serizawa’s shoulder to see if he might have stained his jacket any. He didn’t, but pretended to brush the shoulder, and picked lint that wasn’t there. “Lets park the bicycles up the way. I think that’s the entrance up the way.”
“Alright.”
Up the way, as Reigen had put it, on each side of the path towards Sasaki’s house were trees, which, considering how forested everywhere was wasn’t too odd a description. But they weren’t just any trees, but trees with creeping vines over them. The vines of which having an almost bark like quality to them, ‘tree-like in their viney-ness’ as Reigen once remembered describing them in youth. Greyish brown with lenticel. Stout with fat five leaves. Looking like a mixture of lychee, and creeping bush vines…
“Akebi!” Reigen blurted, as if meeting an old friend. He smiled boyishly at them, as he rested a palm against the woody vine nestled deep between branches, and newly growing buds that promised flowers to come.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a plant like that,” said Serizawa joining him. Even if he had seen parts of the world with Claw, it wasn’t as though he had been in a positive frame of mind to really appreciate it. Besides, there was no ‘stopping to smell the roses’ in Claw.
“They tend to grow in this region, and northwards. Around hills and the edges of forests, and mountains. I’m sure you might have seen them when we visited Zebra, you know when we went to…well, the hot spring.” Reigen shrugged and pushed along with the point of his train(ugh) of thought, “it was winter. Plant types can be tricky to spot without leaves, if you don’t know what to look for. Well,” Reigen corrected himself, “this is an evergreen - but you get my point. Right Serizawa?”
“Right…” Serizawa looked at Reigen, curious to see which expression might emerge out from Reigen’s usual repertoire of expressions. Something was tingling in the back of Serizawa’s mind, though it didn’t quite know what shape it would take. “Would you have known?”
Reigen’s cheeks powdered pink, he shrugged, modestly. “Who knows,” he said still looking up into the hanging branches. At the little buds growing towards spring.
“Well, you seem to,” said Serizawa as if de-tangling a tricky knot of yarn with care. “At least more than the casual observer. Hmm, yes. I think the odds would be in your favor in spotting this. Even in winter.”
“Perhaps,” said Reigen, as the night at the Ibogami Hot Springs resurfaced in his memory at full force. He had indeed spotted the akebi back then, it had kept him company when he couldn’t sleep. Sitting outside, listening to a quiet velvety night of Ibogami’s mountain. “Perhaps…”
“Perhaps?” said Serizawa, incredulous.
“I’m just a humble enthusiast,” defended Reigen with a shrug. “Anyhow, it’ll have fruit in early autumn.” He then placed a hand on Serizawa’s shoulder, and gestured back to the vine, at the richer green buds, some barely opened like a popcorn kernel not heated quite enough,“look! You can see the little buds starting to open - it won’t be long until it’s full of flowers.”
“Oh?” Serizawa’s face felt warm.
“The crown jewel of agriculture. It’s not quite spring until akebi bloom. There’s this, this smell - you know?” Reigen closed his eyes, as if that was they key trick to reviving a memory.
Serizawa watched Reigen, carefully. Watched how his thumb caressed the woody vine branch. How Reigen’s face was bright with joy, making his already youthful features even younger.
Serizawa felt like something important was being shared with him. He wanted to treasure that. “No,” he said delicately, “I don’t know.”
“Akebi are sometimes called chocolate vines ‘cause of the vanilla smell the flowers make,” said Reigen, eyes open wide with glee as he turned to Serizawa. “Maybe you’ll be in luck, and get to smell them! Depending how long this case takes…” Reigen paused a moment, as he realized what he was saying while caught up in the whirl of sharing something. “Erm, not that I want the case to last too long, obviously.”
“Obviously,” said Serizawa kindly. He looked up into the vine like branches above. Observed the dark colors that contrasted with the parakeet green of new buds. “What color flowers do they make?”
“Little clusters, of like, purple or burgundy-ish. Not too dissimilar to the fruit.”
Serizawa smiled, “I would like to see that.” Then he looked back at Reigen with such a…a Look that Reigen dared not try to decipher it. His cheeks felt warm again. “I’d like to see that very much,” continued Serizawa.
Reigen’s eyes widened. “Well,” said Reigen stepping away from the buds on the branches, backtracking physically as well as verbally, “they’re not all that, I mean - it, uh, well it’s just a vine, technically speaking - actually no. A shrub, if anything. But called a vine, sometimes,” a nervous laugh bubbled out, “no comparing to cherry trees, right? Or, haha, ginkgos.”
“Those are admired in fall, Reigen-san,” said Serizawa, patiently.
“And don’t get me started about apple blossoms!” Insisted Reigen.
The smile on Serizawa’s face slid slightly, not quite understanding. Just a moment ago Reigen was so enraptured to see these buds, and now… he wasn’t so sure. It was like Reigen was trying to sweep something under the rug.
Pay no attention to the sentiment behind the akebi.
It saddened Serizawa to see it.
“I don’t think it’s fair to the greenery to compare them to other greenery,” said Serizawa.
Reigen’s hands slowly lowered to his side. The plastic smile morphed into a more genuine, albeit harder to read, expression. “No. No, you’re right,” he agreed, looking back at the tree with its green pollen filled branches, the hanging vines, and buds promising flowers and fresh leaves, “not quite fair at all…”
Reigen patted the vine again in apology, then placed his hands in his pockets. Without another word, or another look at the trees, the vines, the buds, Reigen stepped back onto the path.
Serizawa patted the vine as well, unsure what he wanted to express by doing so as well. Solidarity, perhaps? He didn’t know. An emotion yet to be defined.
Regardless, Serizawa did so, and looked up at the vine with a soft look, knowing he would think of this moment often in the future - he preserved it for a beat, and joined Reigen’s side on the path. Matching his stride.
Meanwhile Reigen was keeping his buzzing mind busy wondering about the arrow sticking out from the ground.
Wait, arrow?
Then another other one. Then another one? That was…interesting. Some looked hand made, others, well, modern - for lack of a better word.
Was Sasaki the type to threaten mail delivery and people he didn’t want to see on his property? Something in Reigen told him that’d be silly. So was he defending himself to…animals? The entity? Or could the real answer be the simplest: Sasaki simply sucked at archery?
Reigen wanted to bring up the arrows to Serizawa, but didn’t trust the sound that would come out if he tried to speak.
After a while walking in silence Serizawa said, “Reigen?”
Reigen either didn’t hear him, or pretended not to. Not trusting the muted soft way Serizawa called to him. The tips of his ears felt warm. Reigen dug his hands deeper into his pockets. He distracted himself with thoughts of arrows, and what kind of questions he’d want to bring up to Sasaki. Gotou had mentioned he might be…tricky to get answers from.
Just as Serizawa was about to try again - they smelled it before they saw it. The nostril hair burning smell, engulfing, with a powdery like acidic quality. Yes.
Then they heard it.
“Duck!”
“Hah?”
“Oh!”
“Quack!”
The beating of feathers.
Yes. That truly was a duck, flying low, barely at chest height.
“Catch it if ya can!!” Cried a voice on the path’s bend.
Neither Reigen or Serizawa had to look at the other, as one man they started to awkwardly do baseball catcher impersonations. With a string of “whoa now,” and “got it, got it, got iiiit,” they bumped into each other only twice before Serizawa managed to catch the duck securely in his arms.
He grinned at Reigen pleased as punch, as his huge arms delicately cradled the duck. Soft downy feathers floated around them.
Reigen, who forced himself not to gawk or embarrass himself, threw up a thumbs up. “Excellent work depu-!!“
That was when another duck came flying in, hitting Reigen’s head, quite literally, out of left field.
“GAK!” Reigen’s nostrils flared, head scratched by a webbed foot. Cheeks, already flushed from his conversation with Serizawa earlier, and just how happy he looked holding a duck (dare he even think: cute), Reigen released his pent up frustration with further exaggerated put - out sounds. Scrubbing his head wildly before turning at the culprit.
It quacked back at Reigen, unbothered.
Reigen lunged at it to grab it, faster than he should, and missed magnificently. His fingers barely grazed the duck. Despite knowing better, Reigen still attempted to pick up the duck from behind, which was almost an impossibility by definition.
That’s when another duck flapped by, this time a wing tickled his nose. Reigen flailed like a marten, spine twisting.
“Like cuccos,” said Serizawa, in barely restrained amusement.
“More like the Ride of the Aigamo,” managed Reigen between ducks and dodges.
“What’s an aigamo?”
“Quack!”
“Catch ‘em! Don’t just flail there all willy-nilly!” Cried the figure from before as he hustled to approach them.
“I’m,” Reigen stumbled over yet another arrow, “working on it!”
“Quack.”
Serizawa watched the scene with a serene smile, occasionally bouncing and cooing at the duck in his hand like it was a baby. Then, while things sounded more chaotic on Reigen’s end, Serizawa looked down to notice a duck nibble curiously at his pant leg.
“Oh! Hello,” said Serizawa. He adjusted his grip on one duck, and scooped up the other duck with his newly freed arm with ease. The new duck considered Serizawa’s tie, and nibbled that too. It tasted marginally better than the pant leg.
Meanwhile, Reigen, full of his usual chaotic energy, had lost his suit jacket somewhere in the hullabaloo, and was trying to use it as some sort of makeshift net to scoop ducks in. It was going about as well as the idea could.
Yet, as ideas tended to go with Reigen, it somehow managed to work out. Which, perhaps, underlined just how used to people the ducks were then any planning on Reigen’s part.
Reigen stood triumphant, encircled by floating feathers, and at least three ducks in his jacket. One of them decided to pinch at his cheek. Hard. Reigen admitted a high pitch, strained, squeal of a sound, to keep himself from screaming.
“Are there more?” Reigen asked as his eyes watered.
“Nah.” The figure removed his baseball cap, and rubbed his forehead wit the back of his hand. The other was occupied by two ducks balanced in one arm. “Justa ‘bout covers it.”
Serizawa squinted, as if that’d help him understand the words more. He shook his head as if that would jog his ears into working better.
“Oh, that’s nice,” said Reigen breezily. Well, as breezily as possible while dodging another cheek nibble.
Serizawa looked at Reigen curiously.
“Are you Sasaki-san, by any chance?”
“Ah sure am. Y’all must be the city slickers goin’ ‘round an asking questions.”
Serizawa squinted at Sasaki, and tried to shift mental gears to better grasp what he was saying. Sasaki’s accent came on slightly thicker than Gotou’s, but it wasn’t too impossible. He just had to concentrate more.
Reigen nodded, not at all surprised at how fast the news got around. “Yes indeed-y. I’m Reigen Arataka Rising Star of the 21st Century, and this is my trusted deputy Serizawa Katsuya!”
“A pleasure,” said Serizawa.
Sasaki huffed, not unkindly, but in that restrained comital way - politely hiding the comment away in a back pocket for later use. “Well, best come along then, since ye weres kind enough ta help round up mah ducks,” he said, resigned.
“No trouble,” said Reigen dodging another cheek bite.
Sasaki looked from Reigen to Serizawa before waving them to follow. Together they trudged up the rest of the path.
"It's incredible how you're able to understand so much with such ease," whispered Serizawa mystified, not for the first time, in Reigen's ability to understand the region's accent.
"That's because I," Reigen flourished, (which was an incredible sight considering the ducks he still had gathered in his suit jacket), and preened, "Reigen Arataka, am a great listener.”
Serizawa nodded, after all there was truth in this. Reigen was a great listener. When he wanted to listen. He was also equally great at not listening when it suited him. Serizawa sighed to himself.
The ducks chorused their own commentary on the matter. Reigen watched them, a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
“But, um.” Reigen slowed his walk to a stop. “Try not think too hard about it, the, uh, accent I mean.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, and try and relax into the cadence. It’ll come to you, maybe not all at once, but, in time.”
“Well for the case’s sake I hope I’ll get better at it.”
“It’ll work out.” Reigen gave Serizawa’s arm an encouraging nudge with his elbow, “and hey, in the meantime, you have your psychic eyes and I have my, uh, spiritual ears?”
Serizawa snorted.
“…that sounded better in my head,” admitted Reigen wryly.
It earned another snort from Serizawa, whose cheeks bloomed rosier under Reigen’s gaze.
Unable to stand the cuteness of such a sight, Reigen looked down at the ducks in his jacket. That is, until Reigen heard a flutter, and a soft gasp. He looked back at Serizawa.
“Reigen,” whispered Serizawa wide eyed, and delighted. Terrified to take another step, a huge smile from ear to ear.
Reigen bit back his want to explode into laughter. “This is some next level stuff Serizawa!” Reigen admired the aigamo duck sitting on the top of Serizawa’s head. Nestling down.
“Will it fly off if I move?” Serizawa stage whispered, still as a board.
“I don’t know! You were walking before it came to roost on your head though.”
“True, true.”
“Try and act natural,” said Reigen, grinning.
“O-okay,” said Serizawa as natural as a robot learning how to take its first steps towards sentience.
“Oh yeah, this is going great.” Reigen wished he could access his phone to send a picture, the teens back home would have a hoot about this. “Try another step. See? It didn’t fly off! And another? Oh my god, aigamo-san has become a part of you now. I wonder if there’s a duck themed mecha - damn I wish I could take a picture, we could invent a mecha and use the picture as reference! This is so cool! You’re like, a chicken and duck whisperer now, Serizawa.” Reigen paused, there was something soft to Serizawa’s beaming smile, edging toward the brittle. Worry rose in Reigen’s throat. “Serizawa?”
“I’m okay,” insisted Serizawa, eyes getting a little glassy. He brought the ducks in his arms a fraction closer to his chest. “I’m just,” Serizawa tried not to sniffle, while the duck on his head nibbled curiously at some baby hair, “honored they think I’m safe enough to approach.” He hoped he didn’t seem as fragile as he sounded. But Serizawa was full to bursting with such a sudden wave of love, and happiness, he didn’t know what to do with himself.
Reigen wished dearly to hug him then and there. “Oh Serizawa,” started Reigen with that particular gentleness that made Serizawa’s eyes all the more watery.
“Don’t,” warned Serizawa, already feeling a tear lean out the corner of his eye, “if you start, I’ll start, and then - we’ll just have to call it a day.”
“There’s no harm in that,” said Reigen stepping closer. The ducks in each of their arms quacked and nibbled greetings at the others.
Serizawa shook his head. “I don’t want that. Besides - will you stop it with that Look?”
“What Look?”
“That Look!”
“What, I can’t have my own Look now?” Reigen teased. “Only you?”
Serizawa looked skyward, as much as he could without un-balancing the duck on his head, and away from the softness in Reigen’s eyes. He half groaned, half un-stuck his sticky throat. When that was done he let out a long sigh, and righted himself a bit more composed.
“What I meant,” said Serizawa, while the duck on his head batted its wings for balance, and made itself comfortable once more, “I’m happy. Really, really happy.”
Reigen smiled disarmingly, “I know good buddy. I know. I’m happy you’re happy.”
Serizawa smiled back. A small tear got away from him, and fell down his smiling cheek. It made Reigen’s heart clench.
“You know what else?” Serizawa asked interrupting what Reigen was a breath away from saying.
“No, what?”
Serizawa looked at the ducks, quacking gently or grooming the other, or nibbling at bits of clothing as if this time it’d transform into something edible. “I’m afraid I might have to become a vegetarian.”
Reigen snorted so loud it briefly started the ducks in his jacket. “Whoa now, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.”
Serizawa smiled as he said, “they’re just so cute, I don’t know, what if I can’t?”
“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Do you want to dry your eyes on the ducks?” Reigen held up his jacket full of ducks.
Serizawa laughed, and shook his head, “I don’t want to test my already good luck and cause one of them to peck my eye out, or something.”
“Well how about my shoulder, then?”
Serizawa blinked, then eyed the proffered shoulder. “Well, um.”
“Pff, it’s not like any of us can reach for a tissue or something. Go on.” Reigen rolled said shoulder. It made him look ridiculous, and, more importantly, widened Serizawa’s smile. Eye-roll included.
“Oh, alright.”
Serizawa bent forward, Reigen tilted his head to allow him easier access. Such a close personal gesture would have been unheard of less than a year ago. Small close things that, what felt like a lifetime ago, seemed impossible.
If he had never left his room, was never inspired to do something courageous and stand up to Suzuki, to stand on his own two feet, maybe he’d still be crying into a pillowcase, instead of drying his eyes on Reigen’s shoulder.
The thought made Serizawa’s throat tight, and eyes tear up all over again. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d find himself here. And here he was. Outside, blue sky, many dear friends, a better relationship with his family. The list could go on.
The word Grateful was not enough to fully express how Serizawa felt.
“Thank you, Reigen Arataka.”
“Oh, um,” Reigen blinked with an unassuming smile, not entirely grasping the profoundness of the thanks. Though he wished his hands were free, “anytime, good buddy.”
Serizawa shook his head into Reigen’s shoulder, at how Reigen didn’t understand the weight of his thanks. Perhaps he never would. Serizawa pressed fresh wet eyes a little more into Reigen’s shoulder, and said again, “thank you.”
Reigen gulped. “Y-yeah.”
The duck on Serizawa’s head searched Reigen’s hair for potential bugs.
Something clicked in Reigen. He huffed a small smile. “You big dummy,” sighed Reigen kindly, “I thought you got it by now. There’s nothing scary about you. Don’t forget that.”
Serizawa shivered, Reigen’s shoulder grew a little damper.
Meanwhile, the arrows that stuck out from the earth sporadically, started to give off a soft glow. Not that Reigen could see this. Nor could Reigen see the motes of light that flittered off the fletching like seeds floating off a dandelion, with a wish.
Reigen sighed, inclined his head a little more towards Serizawa’s and the duck, and the glow grew brighter. Bolder. Almost blinding, if Reigen could see it.
“And if you do happen to forget,” continued Reigen, gently, “I’ll just remind you again, okay?”
The light could consume the moment with feeling.
If light had a sound, this would have been thunderous.
Serizawa shot his head up, the glow that was coming off the arrows stopped instantly, as if someone had flipped a light switch. He stared at Reigen wide eyed. “Did you feel that?”
Reigen looked a bit taken aback by the intensity of Serizawa’s stare. “Um?” A blush rose on Reigen’s face as his mind instantly raced like a stampede of horses to the non-supernatural. “Felt…what? Erm, exactly?” He smiled, the large toothy manic smile of the Suddenly Found Out. Oh god what if Serizawa could grasp bits of himself like he had done earlier with Inoue Haruto.
Serizawa, steamrolling past Reigen’s internal dilemma, looked around, serious, “something was just here.” The duck on Serizawa’s head flapped its wings to balance itself again.
Reigen gulped, and choked out a laugh. “Y-yeah?”
“And this sound,” continued Serizawa, squinting around, unsure what to look for until he saw it.
Reigen lifted the ducks in his jacket to chest level, and, more importantly, heart covering level. “What…did you hear? Haha, erm. Exactly?”
The ducks quacked, helpfully. One of them nibbled at the knot of Reigen’s pink tie, “stop that,” he whispered feeling sweaty.
“The entity,” underlined Serizawa, not understanding Reigen’s sudden obtuseness.
“Yes! Of course! The entity!” Reigen felt relief sweep over him. His deep crush left to sit unmentioned for another day. “Maybe it really is, uh, benign - considering it didn’t scare the ducks.”
Serizawa looked at the ducks, peacefully being their ducky-selves in their arms. “Yeah…you might have a point there.”
Reigen searched Serizawa’s face, how his eyes seemed a bit puffy. “What are you thinking about?” Reigen asked delicately.
“I don’t…entirely know - not yet at least.”
“But something’s here?”
“Definitely. Well, it’s lingering, I…” Serizawa looked down, frustrated.
Reigen nodded. “We’ll stay on our toes then,” he smiled encouragingly, “right Serizawa?”
Serizawa met him, smile for smile. It was remarkable how at ease Reigen could make him feel. “Right.” Reigen went to move up the road, “oh and, Reigen?”
“Hm?” Reigen halted.
“Thank you. For before, I mean. With the-”
“Tch!” Reigen looked away. “Don’t mention it,” he said, though not unkindly. In fact, there was a smirk hidden in the corner of his lips. “Dummy.”
Serizawa shook his head, and looked down at the ducks in his arms contentedly. “Not very subtle, is he?"
“Y’all lollygaggin’ back there?” Sasaki’s voice cried out from around the bend. “Bein’ nosy? There ain’t no gold in the north no more!”
Serizawa righted himself instantly. Reigen, despite being shorter, stepped in front of Serizawa as a mock cover for him to gather himself.
“Yo, Sasaki-san,” Reigen called back smoothly, “yeah, we’re still here. What’s with these arrows?”
“Arrows?” Serizawa’s eyes widened. He felt that feeling again. As if the answer was right in front of him. A gossamer wing away. If only he could concentrate long enough then maybe…
“Why?” Sasaki called out.
Reigen shrugged. “They’re cool.”
“I practice archery sometime,” explained Sasaki as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Where in the hell do you put your targets then? Reigen wanted to ask, but instead he nodded, and said, “cool.”
Sasaki grumbled his bafflement, and muttered under his breath at the audacity of southern city folk to just stumble about and get distracted by arrows on a single road. “Ye keep this up imma hafta ask ye ta buy them ducks. Or rent ‘em at best.”
“We found another one!” Serizawa cried joyfully, stepping out from behind Reigen.
Sasaki turned, precision sharp, and removed his hat with a huff. “Well I’ll be,” he said, grinning despite himself, “yer a duck magnet!”
Serizawa beamed, and tried to ignore the suspicion of a headache.
“Well c’mon now. I’m sure ye got yer questions, an there’s a fence ta fix.”
Perhaps it’s because there wasn’t too much of the land dedicated to farming that the Sasaki property seemed so huge. There was a modest vegetable garden sectioned off for some essentials, nothing to make a living off of like the other properties Reigen and Serizawa had seen.
Reigen found himself nodding at a strip dedicated to potatoes. Though he felt a little silly after doing so. Who was he to nod in agreement to how others farmed on land that was most likely there’s for generations? The silly feeling turned to a shade of shame.
The rest of the property was dedicated to the raising and caring of aigamo ducks. If the smell from the presence of a handful of ducks was strong, full flocks of them plus their open range enclosures transformed the smell into something absolutely pungent.
Serizawa fought his own instinct to not make a face. So he looked out into the landscape. How the irrigation stream bubbled like a brook, the grass bending to the wind, the horse.
The horse?
“That’s a horse,” said Serizawa mystified. “It’s just, roaming out there.”
Reigen leaned forward some to see it, and nodded acceptingly. “Pretty.”
“It’s roaming out there. Alone,” Serizawa said, not feeling this detail was being appreciated enough. “Not in a pen. Or, uh, anything.”
“Yep,” said Sasaki. “Doesn’t like to be kept all penned up. Likes a good walk. Sames as anyone else.”
“O-oh,” said Serizawa, trying to follow the logic.
“Whys I named ‘im Ayumu. Can’t be contained.”
“I…see.”
“Checks out,” said Reigen admiring the horse from afar, wistfully. He had always wanted to try riding, but, when he was young, his mother had filled his head with stories of a relative who, after a bad fall, could no longer walk. Besides, it could be an expensive hobby. “Good pun.”
“Heh heh, I thoughts so too. Anyhow. Next time ye see Gotou-san,” said Sasaki, “tell ‘em the manure is discounted this month. On account of the accidents. Hard times.”
That sobered the pair up.
“Will do,” said Reigen.
The sound of a soft whinny carried over with the wind, mixing in the with chattered quacking of ducks.
As they walked, Reigen spotted even more arrows, stuck into the earth with no rhyme or reason. Except for the detail that the arrows were always aimed away from the house and ducks.
Maybe the answer was as simple as Sasaki had said, and the result was a man who messed about with archery, perhaps after hitting the bush wine. Yet something still itched at Reigen. He wasn’t sure what. All and all, he hoped the horse Ayumu was penned up during these archery moments at the very least.
“You have a beautiful property,” said Serizawa.
Sasaki turned his head and searched over Serizawa’s face. As if trying to detect some sarcasm in there, or double meaning. But Sasaki was met with Serizawa’s usual open and honest face. To which Sasaki nodded his gratitude, and readjusted his baseball cap. “Thank ye. Been in the family fer generations. Hell, we’re one of the oldest families out here. Still on the same property, a rarity in itself. Hundreds of years old. I’d say we’re older than the Takeda’s family.” Here Sasaki huffed, and spat on the ground. “Iffin ye can believe it.”
“Oh… I see,” said Serizawa politely.
Sasaki lead them around the far west side of the property. Along the way Serizawa smiled at all the ducks in their enclosures. Admiring the ramps and walkways as well as the small ponds. Then, past an old red pick-up truck resting on cinderblocks, the three of them were greeted with cheers.
Every village needed them, four classic uncles sitting about like archetypes of the country side. The chairs these mythic men sat on ranged from camping chairs, a plastic stool, a lawn chair, and a cobbled together rickety old wooden chair that would give out any day now that no one wanted to sit in, but everyone swore was the Best chair.
Although they didn’t travel all that much in a group, they tended to somehow manifest exactly where they weren’t needed. Though these uncles also had their helpful moments. Showing up even if they weren’t needed because, in some way, they were needed all along. As was the case now with Sasaki and his ducks.
“Whoa now,” said one of the men, leaning forward in a plastic lawn chair, “this is ominous. Sasaki-san, did yer ducks catch lost government officials?”
“Listen man,” said one while humorously slapping the arm of another, “whatever yer sellin’ I already got like five.”
“Look at ‘em shoes!” Snorted the one in a plastic stool. “Didja ferget sidewalks up here come wit ticks?”
A wheezy laughed followed, as the one in camping chair leaned forward, “ya lost a bet or somethin’? Or is the mud caked on the fabric a new fashion statement?”
“Shit,” agreed man in plastic lawn chair, it creaked dangerously as he leaned, “that’s gonna be hell ta get outta yer clothes.”
“Are the ducks part of the fashion trend?” went man in plastic stool, “Sasaki-san, yer gonna be rich!”
Serizawa shifted from side to side bashfully, unsure how to take all of this. Reigen, however, nodded along to the roasting acceptingly. He knew there was nothing truly malicious in their teasing. There were rites of passage, and roasts of passage.
“Whoa now, hey now,” said Sasaki, “settle down now. These fellers helped round up more ducks from enclosure three.”
Reigen started to cough, as if part of his introduction routine, only to quickly realize his hands were occupied so he could either cough on the ducks, or turn his head. He turned his head.
“Are they sick?”
“N-no! Ah, sorry. I’m Reigen Arataka,” Reigen attempted to say while keeping his hands still. It became a restrained moving motion that the ducks seemed to enjoy, it reminded them of being on a hammock. “Rising Star of the Psychic World, Greatest in the 21st Cent-”
“Wait,” interrupted one of the uncles, this one had red tinted aviator sunglasses. “I know you!”
Reigen stiffened like a statue, his breath caught in his throat. The smallest squeak of, “hm?” escaped him.
“How you figure Satō?”
“Well. Ain’t he the one from the tellyvision?”
“Wut?”
The remaining collective of uncles took a moment to look Reigen up and down, muddy clothes, covered in a growing number of duck feathers, and all. He looked like he was preemptively tarred and feathered.
“Yeah! Ya know, Reigen Arataka - from Tee-Vee!”
“Well raise my rent.”
“Go figure.”
Of all the people to recognize him from television, of course it would be the layabout uncles, who weren’t actually layabouts. “How, nice of you to notice,” he managed to say through a strained smile. “Yes, that’s me.”
“You were on television, Reigen-san?” Sasaki looked him over, thumbing the rim of his cap up to get a better look. “I thoughts ye were just a chump Gotou-san got in contact with - all do respect to ‘im o’ course.”
“Of course,” said Reigen, smile plastifying before their eyes. Though being recognized for his public debacle was something Reigen was confident he could slalom through. It wouldn’t be the first time, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
“A man can be a chump as well as be on tee vee, ya know,” wheezed the uncle named Satō. “It ain’t that hard!”
The uncles chorused their agreement.
“Is it true ye caused the whole conference room to float?”
“He did what?”
“Well iffin ye didn’t just listen ta the whole ordeal on the radio!”
“The station was actin’ up! Besides! I was workin’ on at the lumber yard. Didja have a good winter, punk?”
“More like hand off forest wood over ta them eejuts buyin’ up property and reunevating it fer fancy folks who want a country home.”
“That’s renovating ya eejut.”
“Same difference!”
Reigen inhaled slowly from his nose. If this kept up, the art of plastination was about to be brought to Green Village on the Hill. Starting with his face. Well, at least this wasn’t going as badly as he had initially anticipated.
Reigen cleared his throat, to hopefully, tactfully, steer the topic of conversation. “Right. Uh, thank you. And this is my trusty deputy Serizawa, erm…” he trailed off at the sight of a very distracted Serizawa. At the way his eyes brimmed with delight at the duck enclosures. “Serizawa Katsuya.”
“Hm?” was the sound that distractedly came from Serizawa.
“Soon ta be duck enthusiast, I think,” guffawed an uncle.
“Not that I’d blame him,” said Reigen, kindly. One of the ducks in Reigen’s jacket flapped its wings, and nipped at another duck with airs of impatience. “Erm, Sasaki-san. Can I put these somewhere or are we going to stand here with your ducks until…when, exactly?”
Sasaki raised his brows. “Right. The boys ‘ere have been watchin’ the few crates I’ve been holding ‘em in. It was lucky happenstance that they came by.”
“Ain’t it always?” Satō wheezed as he pulled out a tobacco pouch to roll himself a cigarette.
“Right over here,” said Sasaki.
Reigen followed Sasaki. What was called a few crates, was an understatement. Over a series of various fruit crates was over thirty ducks.
“Yoshida has an apple orchard,” said Sasaki by means of explaining all the crates. “His son helps him run it fer the moment.”
Reigen raised a brow, he didn’t expect someone described as tight lipped as Sasaki to gossip about others. “Oh?”
“It gets tricky when ya want business ta stay in the family. Especially out here.”
Reigen huffed despite himself. Gently lowering the ducks in his suit jacket into a crate to waddle out. “Yeah,” he said a little glum. “It’s tricky for everyone, I’m sure.”
Sasaki looked Reigen over. “Ya part of a family business Reigen-san?”
Reigen’s eyes, hidden from the shade of his bangs, looking directly into the beady eye of a duck, widened. “Uh. Of a sort,” he said, choosing his his words carefully. “Nothing of grave consequence though.” He then acted out a neatly timed laugh, as he straightened “but the spiritual psychic life called, and who was I to not answer?”
“Who indeed,” said Sasaki not entirely convinced. He shrugged. “Anyhow, I think Yoshida is lucky his son is at least a little interested. Might turn the orchard inta one of them touristy spots fer city folk to experience what it’s like ta pick fruit.”
“Oh boy.” Reigen shifted to flap out any remaining feathers from suit jacket, and, importantly, check for surprise droppings. “Look. Sasaki-san. We came here to ask a few questions about the situation that’s been happening here.”
Sasaki grew stone faced. “Ain’t nothin happening.”
“Gotou-san has explained incidents that have been happening. Even Inoue-”
“Ain’t nothing happening, here.”
Reigen sighed, folding his suit jacket over his arm. “I…get I’m an outsider here, that you don’t, erm, know me-”
“Just cause ye had one television appearance-”
“Several. Unfortunately,” Reigen muttered through a gritted pleasant smile. “Not that that’s the point.”
“-don’t mean ye can nose yer way inta other people’s business Ignore Family Business-san cause o’ some namby pamby callin’ that probably didn’t even happen!”
The pleasant look on Reigen’s face fought to stay in place. Something like that didn’t usually sting has hard as it did. But there was truth in Sasaki’s words. He had started Spirits and Such out of boredom. But it was complicated. He had also been crawling in his own skin working some office job in a city. It was the grayest moment in his life. If he hadn’t done something, anything…
Almost uncharacteristically, the words for Reigen’s timely comeback response became stuck in his throat.
Would Sasaki even be talking to him at all if he knew what the Reigen Family Business was?
It wasn’t exactly a job people lined up to do.
<< but it is a job someone needs to do. >>
Once upon a time they’d be ostracized out of a village for that line of business. Called upon only when necessary. Hell, even until 2008 there were still stigmas against working as a ritual mortician. Ignored until necessary. Dirtied hands from touching the deceased, and yet the deceased still needed to pass on.
<< from peasant to emperor everyone dies. isn’t that right, reigen-san? >>
“I want my brother back you sunnovabitch!” yelled a voice in Reigen’s memory. A silhouette blocking out the sun. The silhouette was crying. The way Reigen had known that at the time was because the salty tears stung his bleeding lip.
Of all the things he’d be spotted for… it was his appearance on television. It made sense, of course, he was a national meme fraudster put on blast. And yet… Hah. If only they knew. Or maybe, what was really infuriating Reigen, was the sheer fact this was infuriating him in the first place! He should be happy! Its what he wanted!!
In the memory he remembered his face hurting. He also remembered the rarity, of him not fighting back. The tight knuckled, white fisted hands shaking him by the collar, yelling, desperately, “get yer dad ta bring him back! I want mah brother back!”
Everyone grieves differently…
And the hypocrisy! Reigen’s thoughts were quick to snap back. Farmers, construction workers - they all were acutely aware of dirty demanding and dangerous work. How society would not work without someone doing it.
Yet somewhere along the line it was dissuaded to youth from entering those fields. Except, it wasn’t somewhere down the line, it felt like it was always the case. From despairing economic poverty to bolstering economic bubbles to recession after freaking recession. Become a prestigious lawyer, or doctor - go live in Tokyo or some city. Empty out the countryside. Leave it to ‘foreign interns’ as they’re so ‘genteelly’ called, and the sorry sad sacks who didn’t (or couldn’t) leave rural areas. Neglect it. The very source that houses and puts bread on the table. Not enough youth? Shut the school down. Who needs the roads to be repaved.
And now tourists and city people are idolizing the countryside. Bring them in, pay to do the job you occasionally want to try while your neatly air conditioned office job waits for you on Monday.
But it wasn’t so black and white, was it? There were complicated variables, weren’t there? From prefecture to prefecture, region to region. Even country to country.
A bitter fermented wine for all ages to unfortunately enjoy.
He was loosing the plot. For all Reigen knew Sasaki might even be fine with the information. Family Business indeed. So why was he so angry?! No. Reigen knew the reason. He hated the reason. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Right?
There should be solidarity. People needed people.
But who the hell was he to think any of the above?! After all, he too had left to try and make somebody of himself in the city. As it was always encouraged generation at a time. Advance the family name. Raise it from the earth.
Who was he, but yet another Ignore Family Business-san.
Except his father didn’t want him to leave.
This anger wasn’t towards Sasaki at all, it was as if a floodgate of thought was opened up, enraged like a broken dam.
<< reigen-san? can you hear me? >>
The memory resurfaced like a bubble in a clogged sink. It smelled, and tasted faintly of copper. “Ya should have never left that branch school!” It wasn’t the first time he had a black eye, it wouldn’t be the last time.
In a bout of childishness Reigen felt a rising desire to punch something. Anything. What he’d give to punch something until his knuckles were raw. He hadn’t felt like that in, gosh, years.
<< did you know? to hear is to be silent. come to me. find me. >>
“It should have been you!”
<< you can’t get back what you’ve lost. so what is it that you still have? well, reigen-san? >>
“Reigen-san!”
Reigen gasped as if ice water was poured down his back. He didn’t hear a similar gasp coming from Sasaki, but it happened. Reigen blinked furiously and shook his head as if to dislodge something.
“Reigen-san!” Serizawa called again, walking fast as ducks floated around him psychically. Gently rocking them. They quacked and flapped unbothered. “Sorry! I got distracted. Satō-san kindly pointed me over.”
Sasaki removed his hat at the sight of Serizawa, eyes wide. He glanced at Reigen, who, didn’t entirely trust himself to respond diplomatically. His mind felt… he wasn’t sure. Like he had done several rounds of public debating with his own reflection at three in the morning, that only rotted into a sort of internal screaming match. A snake eating its own tail. It didn’t even have anything to do with Sasaki, huh?
Serizawa looked from Sasaki to Reigen. They both looked like they had just been jolted back from a mile long staring contest. “Did I…miss something?”
Had it all been a long daydream?
Were they just absently staring at each other in full silence for…who knows how many minutes?
Judgmental mind to judgmental mind communication, or something?
Reigen patted Serizawa’s shoulder, smiling, “nothing of grave consequence, good deputy!”
Serizawa’s jaw set. He looked from Sasaki and Reigen again. The lack of puffy eyes made it hard to distinguish between sweat, and tears. “Right…”
Sasaki rubbed his eyes. “Sorry, what were we talkin’ about again?”
“The pen,” said Reigen as a sly idea wormed its way to the forefront of thought, and with it a Plan. “We were agreeing that if I could fix your pen, you’d tell me a few of your thoughts on what’s been happening here.”
Sasaki had an unsure expression, but there was this to be said about Reigen, he could weave his words with such conviction it was hard to think otherwise. “Huh,” said Sasaki, not entirely convinced but certainly curious. Maybe it’d be a fun show for him and the boys. He set his hat firmly back in place, “well, alright then. But only iffin ye can do it without,” he waved vaguely at the floating ducks around Serizawa, “powers. Which ye both seem ta have. It’ll be dirty, and demanding work - can ye manage that, city boy?”
Reigen’s eyes widened, and a determined grin sat as the reigning expression on his face. “I’ll do my best.”
Sasaki nodded, and that was that. He then helped Serizawa place the rest of the ducks in place, (Serizawa couldn’t help but give a few final pets before seeing them settled) and set off towards the other pens. Reigen observed this with fondness, before determination returned to his face and he went to follow Sasaki.
“Reigen,” whispered Serizawa in a cautioning tone. He pinched at Reigen’s sleeve, halting him briefly. “You’d tell me, right? If something happened.”
“Of course,” said Reigen, perhaps a bit too quickly.
Serizawa tightened his grip ever so slightly, “you look tired Reigen.”
I feel tired, was what he wanted to say in that specific way the mere mention of tiredness called upon tiredness to manifest itself in full force. As if sparking a realization that he'd been feeling tired this whole time. Like being hit by a sudden wave. But it didn't feel like a special kind of tired, more like average tired. Reasonable tired. They were up late last night running around, he woke up early, hell today he rode a bicycle longer than he ever had in the last three or so years, maybe more. Time spent helping Mob train for a marathon included. A tired that was all and all, quite rational to be.
So Reigen just nodded. Acceptingly. “I just,” he shrugged, “don’t have anything to tell.” Then, to his credit, he thought about it some. “I don’t think at least… we were talking about other people’s family businesses. Except his own. Or himself.” Reigen glanced at Sasaki’s retreating back. “Gotou was right, it’ll be hard to get anything from him.” He thumbed at himself, giving it the characteristic confident flair, “I’m sure I can find a way to make it work though! No worries.”
Except, for Serizawa, there were many worries. This was an entity that messed about with memory after all. Serizawa was reluctant to let Reigen go, and watched him follow Sasaki to the pens. Giving Reigen’s retreating back his Business Eye stare. But, frustratingly, couldn’t spot anything. All he could glaze, was a vague idea that tickled his brain, hiding just out of sight.
Then, by some unknown impulse, Serizawa looked down. By his muddied shoe, near where Sasaki and Reigen had both been standing, was an arrow lodged into the earth.
The headache was coming back. Like a rising tide.
“So,” said Reigen staring at the damaged fencing, “a dog, huh?”
Sasaki nodded with a frown, “damned thing’s been findin’ all sorts of ways to break in here.”
Reigen observed the dug earth, the bent wire, and the damp slow to dry patches that was certainly not caused by water. “Not a fox?”
“Something canine,” said Sasaki.
Reigen pinched his chin thoughtfully. “But the hole and curve of the fence is a bit too big for a fox?”
“My thoughts exactly,” nodded Sasaki. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if foxes tried ta take advantage of the damage.”
“What about a wolf?” Serizawa offered.
Sasaki’s frown deepened. “Ain’t no wolves here no more, done gone hunted ta extinction.”
Serizawa frowned. “Oh. Right.” Then he brightened, “but isn’t there an organization trying to reintroduce them? Or something?”
Sasaki shrugged. “Perhaps. Doubt it’d be the same though.”
“Do you think it was more than one dog?” Reigen said, squinting at the the ground as if he could learn about tracks by osmosis inspiration. He touched the ground, it seemed like the thing to do.
“Meh. Don’t rightly know.”
Reigen placed the thick working gloves Sasaki let him borrow for the task. “Is there an idea as to whose dog it could be?”
“A runaway maybe? Or one of many feral dogs? Who knows. There ain’t been much posting about it on the bulletin board, or even notice about a missing dog.”
“Not really somethin’ ye’d advertise,” said an uncle, Yoshida. Whose face seemed to be stuck in a permanent squint.
“How come?” Asked Serizawa as he watched Reigen work.
Serizawa stood side by side with some of the uncles who had their hands clasped behind their back in observation. Except for the oldest of the bunch who had brought the camping chair a little closer to watch while seated.
“Well,” said Satō, scratching the side of his chin with the airs of a professor, “if yer dog has a habit of running off and messing with other people’s livestock - it ain’t something kindly looked upon.”
Sasaki nodded, face grim. “These ducks are my livelihood. They’re the livelihood of many here.”
A sad look came over Serizawa as he looked out at the ducks. In a resigned way he asked, “people really eat that many?” He sighed, “and they seem so trusting. They seemed to just jump in my arms without hesitation.”
Sasaki, Satō and the rest of the uncles looked at Serizawa, even Reigen paused to raise his head.
“Well,” said Satō, with less airs of a professor, and more like someone whose trying not to kick a puppy, “it ain’t just eatin’. The eggs are mighty tasty heh, heh. But since they’re domesticated like, they’re also used for farming.”
Serizawa blinked. He looked between Satō and the ducks. “What?! That’s! But…how?”
The uncles chuckled, endeared by Serizawa’s earnest sincerity.
Reigen, who was feeling confident in the direction the conversation was currently going in, no longer felt a creeping need to intervene or come to Serizawa’s aide. So he went back to work, smiling to himself.
“It’s called Aigamo Farming,” explained Sasaki, “aigamo are a cross breed between wild and domesticated duck.”
Serizawa took a moment to try and picture this, but all his imagination could think of was a duck with a straw-hat, and overalls. “How…does a duck help with farming?”
“In June when the rice plants are a little taller, you set the ducks out into the paddies, an they’re off workin’ by just bein’ themselves.”
“I’m not entirely following, I’m sorry,” smiled Serizawa. “I promise I’m not trying to be obtuse on purpose.”
“Yer fine,” said Sasaki. “While chillin’ in the paddies they’re eatin’ bugs and oxygenating the roots by movin’ around. Not to mention the fertility in the manure. An by clouding up the water it makes it harder fer weeds ta grow.”
“Polyculture - as they’d say fancily,” said Yoshida.
Satō nodded. “Ain’t nothin’ better!”
“But, when it comes time to eat one… how can you stand it?” Serizawa looked at the ducks. His eyes felt a bit misty. “After all the hard work they do to help. It almost feels…cruel.”
The oldest of the uncles stood up with such an unprecedented speed that the camping chair he was sitting in tipped over to the ground.“Listen up city boy, an listen good!”
Serizawa stared, shocked to silence. As did everyone else. Including Reigen.
“This reaction,” continued the old uncle, “is probably cus you never gave much mind to how the food you eat an order with ease at restaurants even arrives at your plate. The work ta get it there is already done. You don’t have any knowledge or know how - no idea what that beast went though before its sacrifice ta yer gullet.
“Everything is so efficient in the city, but it can be all smoke and mirrors. Everyone off doing important things and business - but who toiled the fields to make it happen? Who raised the livestock and how were they raised? Who made it possible fer people to so easily forget, ordern’ food with a click of a button, so big shots an important folks lawyern’ an doctern’ and the like can go on thinkn’ their things.
“It can happen in any big city from Yamagata to Tokyo - be it goose or pig or beef or duck - the carcass is already under the same roof as ya, and the life of that beast could have been miserable or great depending on the source - but who knows unless you ask.
“‘Sept no one asks, hardly ever at least. But here? Ah know exactly how these ducks were treated, and who raised em, hell ah use them myself sometimes for my rice fields - fattened by the ecosystem of my paddies, but…” he sighed loosing the steam of his argument. “There ain’t no harm in bein’ a vegetarian if this knowledge puts ye off, even the Buddha favored vegetarianism, nor am I tryin’ ta make myself better cause I know the source of my food…I guess what I’m trying ta say is….I invite ya to reflect on this more young’n.”
Serizawa was quiet for some time. Reigen, shocked to silence with his arms half raised as if ready to spring and intervene, was dumb struck in place.
“No one really wants to hurt or kill them,” said Sasaki gently. “I remember the first time I had to kill one. Afterwards, I placed it in a sack, an walked, and walked… marveled at the weight of it too. It felt heavier.”
The old uncle nodded. “Takin’ a life ain’t no light hearted matter. An the meat eaten from them efforts should be cherished. Respected. Nothin’ wasted or thrown away.”
“Waste not want not,” said Yoshida agreeably.
“An one more thing,” said the old uncle, “there was a time meat was a costly rarity - there are still echos of this today. Ah do say, ah have also seen the supermarket prices. But way back when, common folk managed to eat animals that done died of disease, reserved fer times of sickness. While the good carcasses were enjoyed by gentry.
“Now, well, a chance to eat meat is a celebration. A time of gatherin’, it’d be a kindness to remember what was given up.”
Finally after a long thoughtful silence, Serizawa nodded, and then he smiled. “You’ve certainly given me a lot to reflect on. Thank you. All of you.”
The old uncle, who started to seem winded, gave a curt respectful nod. While his hand felt about for the camping chair, completely forgetting it had fallen in his haste to speak.
With a lift of Serizawa’s finger, the camping chair righted itself. The old uncle sat himself with ease, and gave Serizawa yet another respectful nod.
“Erm,” went another uncle awkwardly, “on that note…Sasaki-san, I was wonderin if I can buy a duck off ye. The wife wants ta cook one up fer a celebration.”
“Oh? Does she now?”
“My nephew’s daughter said her first word today,” beamed the uncle. “The whole family is-a gettin’ together. I mean, those who can of course. Yer all welcome to stop by too, if you like.”
This started a chorus of cheers pats and jovial shoulder shakes.
Even Serizawa braved a cheerful congratulations. Though his smile faltered a little as he watched Sasaki and the uncle walk off to pick out a duck.
Reigen watched Serizawa carefully. Then looked down at his gloved hands, the wiring, the pliers. An idea came to him. Standing up he squinted about the pens, and brightened when he found what he was looking for.
“Psshshsh,” called Reigen to Serizawa in a stage whisper.
Serizawa forcefully dragged his eyes away from watching Sasaki pick up a cleaver from a work bench. “Hm?”
“I didn’t think it’d be possible this early, but, c’mere!” Reigen beckoned, then pointed down at a corner of another pen with his chin. “Take a, heh heh, gander.”
“Gander is for geese, Rei…” Serizawa trailed off when he saw it.
A soft, downy sight waited for Serizawa. Quacking gently like small tufts of moving cotton, or dandelions. Ducklings.
“Get a load of the little spot on their foreheads,” said Reigen, grinning at how taken Serizawa was. “It’s what really sets them apart.”
Serizawa squatted before the pen, eyes huge as saucers. “Oh god,” he said moved by them, “they’re so cute!! I want to stick my face into their sides!”
Reigen looked away, rubbing the underside of his nose contentedly. “Yeah.” He cleared his throat, “you should ask Sasaki if you can hold one.”
“They’re so small!! I could probably fit three in one hand!!”
Reigen covered his mouth to discreetly chortle. Because of this he almost didn’t hear a concerning sniffling sound from Serizawa.
Serizawa’s hands hung onto the fencing, his head bowed. Shoulders shaking. Reigen looked around to confirm they wouldn’t be bothered, then eased himself to sit beside Serizawa, his back to the ducks, discreetly looking away from Serizawa’s tear streaked face. Giving Serizawa the privacy to tear up beside him.
“This is so silly. I feel so stupid,” Serizawa managed to say.
“You’re not stupid,” said Reigen firmly. He pulled out a tissue pack from a pocket, and offered it to Serizawa.
Serizawa took it gratefully, with his face turned away from Reigen. “I’m a full adult man getting teary eyed over meat,” said Serizawa, while hoping he didn’t sound awfully miserable. “It’s embarrassing.”
Reigen looked skyward, thoughtfully. Then, he said, “you know my aunt had to give me a similar talk.”
Serizawa made a sound that sounded like a mixture between ‘oh?’ and blowing his nose. Headache strengthening, as it can happen with strong emotions.
Reigen pulled his legs up, and rested his arms over his knees. “Yeah. She said: ‘Death begets life. Life then concedes to death, and the dance starts again.’ She had chickens,” he added as if that explained everything. Reigen rested his chin in his palm, “it’s like that old uncle was saying. It’s easy to get desensitized to how something is made. So it’s natural to get a bit taken aback, you know? No shame in that.”
“I guess…”
“It can take time to come to terms with, there’s nothing stupid about that. There’s nothing stupid about your feelings, Serizawa. There never is,” underlined Reigen. He observed Serizawa. It hurt to see him so down. Reigen turned his face away, fighting some internal battle before saying: “You know, I practically puked the first time I walked through a fish market? Or watched a fish get gutted? It was gross, and those eyes, ugh,” he shivered at the memory, then laughed. “But yeah, nothing could have prepared me for a full blown proper fish market - real seaside stuff.”
“Yet you still eat it though.”
“Sure. Even chicken.”
“And didn’t you take Shigeo-kun fishing a few times? Grilling it on the bank without a permit?”
“Y-yeah,” said Reigen fearing he was missing his mark in trying to be helpful. “I mean by then I wasn’t so squeamish. I mean, I can manage trout and mackerel and - look, I can do freshwater stuff.”
Serizawa’s frown deepened. There was a thrumming in Serizawa’s ear that he found equally distracting. As if his ears were slowly being stuffed and muffled. As if something was trying to passively redirect Serizawa’s attention, and was succeeding. It paired with the headache horrendously.
Reigen covered his face, and made what he considered a risky, personal, decision. It was a choice to be a little more honest. “I didn’t get a chance to see the seaside until University. That’s, kind of an adulty age. Maybe not in retrospect, huh? Heh, heh.” Reigen gently nudged his fellow early thirty-something year old with a crooked grin.
Serizawa nodded, but his eyes still looked listless. Focused on a tiny feather that was caught between blades of grass. Head pounding.
“At the age of twenty three I had a panic attack while snorkeling with a group. Major vibe killer, heh…” Reigen exhaled a hard to describe emotion.
“But…” went Serizawa, struggling to pay attention, and feeling like something wasn’t adding up, though he wasn’t sure what. He wished he could concentrate better on Reigen’s words. It was like he was listening through cotton and cheese cloths. What had Reigen said about the seaside and university? “That - it doesn’t take much to get to the seaside from Seasoning.”
The thrumming continued. The headache, pressing, as if from all sides of his head. Like an oncoming cavalry.
“Well,” shrugged Reigen, honest nerve faltering, “it felt embarrassing at the time. And no matter how much I like seafood, I still get squeamish in restaurants that have fish and lobster tanks. And, ugh, god when they do that thing of killing the octopus right in front of you? And it’s still, twitching - I can’t. I really can’t.”
Serizawa’s brows drew together, like he was pouring over a hard math question. “But you eat takoyaki, like, religiously.”
“Right? Haha, but by then they’re already all cut up waiting to be fried. Guess that’s the type of hypocrite I am. Maybe there’s something to be said in that, in the anonymity of it all.” Reigen clicked his tongue and shook his head at himself. “I made the biggest fool of myself when I ate it for the first time.”
“What do you mean?” Serizawa asked.
“I had no idea octopus could taste so good,” grinned Reigen as he looked out at the mountainous landscape. Cheek caressed by a passing breeze. Bangs ruffled. He sighed contentedly.
L̸e̵t̶ ̶th̸e̶ ̸w̴i̷n̶d̴ p̷a̸ss̷ o̸ve̸r̵ y̸o̷u̷ w̸h̷ile̵ i̵t ̶c̵a̴n̷. I̸t re̸lay̵s th̷e v̶oi̶ce̷ ̸o̷f̸ th̵e̸ d̸e̶a̷d̴.̸
Serizawa lifted his head suddenly, the quick shift from looking down to up made him dizzy. His nostrils flared. He started to bring a barrier up, but hesitated, and relented. If he did that, would he loose his chance at more clues?
“Serizawa?”
Serizawa looked around, trying desperately to look for something. The tell tale glow of teal perhaps.
In̴ t̷he̸ w̷h̵ite̴ ̶s̵u̵m̶m̵e̴r̷ ̷h̸e̵a̵t,̸ t̵h̴e̷y̵ ̵c̷a̷m̶e̴ in̵ d̶ro̶ve̸s̴.
“Ah,” went Reigen, making an educated guess with a small awkward laugh, “is it…here?”
Serizawa turned to look at Reigen, fully in the eyes. “Did you hear that?”
“Um…what, exactly?”
“Hooves!”
Reigen bit his lip, and slid his eyes to the side toward the singular horse Sasaki owned. It was grazing unbothered in the grass not too far away. Tail twitching lazily.
“No, but…many horses not just!” Serizawa ran a hand through his hair, “like a cavalry.”
Reigen looked down at the ground, then at the horse, then at the sporadic arrows. “Hm…”
“What?”
“I’m not sure, not yet… I want to make sure first.”
“Why not just tell me n-?” Serizawa winced.
D̶o y̶o̸u k̵n̷ow̴ t̵h̷e̴ s̸on̸g̶? A̶b̶o̸u̷t t̸h̴e ̶m̵an̷ w̶h̶o̶ c̸lim̷b̵e̶d̶ o̶u̶t o̷f̷ th̷e̶ ̶w̷o̴lf’s m̷o̶u̸t̶h̷?̵ W̷h̵o̶ t̵ore t̵h̵e̷ t̴hr̶oat̷ ̵o̶ut̷ o̸f̶ th̸e̶ ̵i̷n̴vad̵i̷n̴g̷ ̷o̴p̴p̵r̷e̸s̶s̶o̷r̸s̶?̷
Reigen leaned closer, his hand on Serizawa’s shoulder, face all concern. “Yo,” he said as gently as possible, as if that could wring the worry from him, “talk to me Serizawa.” Reigen looked around, squinting hard, as if by some miracle it would mean he’d get to spot the entity this time, “is it the worm tube things? The entity?”
W̸i̷t̶h̶ a̵ ̵s̷i̸n̶g̷le̸ ̶a̴r̸ro̶w̶.
“It’s here,” Serizawa managed to say, “but it also isn’t? I don’t get why it won’t let me understand it. It’s pushing in, but…” Serizawa closed his eyes.
Loose grass kicked up, a flock of birds took flight, branches breaking echoed. Serizawa tried to imagine himself like an empty glass, so whatever the entity tried to convey could flow in. But the substance was blocked by some sieve Serizawa didn’t know he had. Strained out.
“Oppressive,” Serizawa managed to say. What hurt most of all, was that Serizawa knew this moment would pass as quickly as it came, like the shadow of a cloud. Would these moments become rare overtime?
“Don’t push yourself, okay?” Reigen watched intently as Serizawa concentrated on breathing, “the headache?”
“Like my brain is being stampeded.”
“That’s it. We’re asking for some medicine. Tch, all that talk and they didn’t even offer you water once! I wouldn’t be surprised if dehydration is involved.”
“The entity can’t dehydrate me into getting a headache,” said Serizawa, charmed by Reigen’s anger on his behalf. He paused. “I don’t think it can.”
“A disconcerting thought,” said Reigen, managing a huffed laugh as he ran a hand through his own hair. He then hissed as he forgot he still had the work gloves on, the scratchy fabric pulled his scalp a little. “I just… I don’t know how to help in this scenario.”
Serizawa looked back at Reigen, and, silently, while the whispers of the entity toiled, and the thrumming of hooves rose, he held out his hand to Reigen.
Reigen blinked at it, reached for it, and stopped halfway to remove the glove from his hand. Then, with a warm sweaty hand, Reigen held Serizawa’s hand. He could feel his pulse. He wondered if Serizawa could feel his own. It raced like wild horses.
Serizawa looked away, ducking his expression. Reigen didn’t do the same, not at first at least. His eyes lingered, and then, slowly, dragged away to look out at the landscape.
“Did my talking help? Do you want me to keep going?”
“I didn’t follow as closely as I’d have liked,” admitted Serizawa, guiltily. His voice a little muffled from his mouth being so close to the inside of his arm. “The entity, I think it’s saying things? But its muffled, or something. Your voice helps…it always does.”
“Oh, well.” Reigen hoped his quickening pulse couldn’t be felt. “Uh… would counted breathing help? Until I can get something for the headache?”
Serizawa squeezed Reigen’s hand, “just this is fine.”
“Oh…okay then.”
T̸h̶e b̷a̶t̶t̶le̷ w̷o̷n̵.̶ T̸h̸e̶ w̴a̵r̷ lo̸s̷t̶.̸ ̵T̶w̴o̷ s̷ur̸v̶iv̵o̶rs̴ m̶e̶e̶t̶ ̴i̷n̸ a̷ ̶f̸i̶e̴l̸d̷.̷ ̵
Serizawa’s shoulder’s bunched.
“Is it still…talking? Transmitting? However you want to call it?”
“Something like that,” said Serizawa.
Reigen squeezed Serizawa’s hand. With his eyes still on the landscape, at the distant curve and dip of the horizon, the lone grazing horse, Reigen asked, “how are the ducklings?”
“What?”
“The ducklings. Do they seem bothered?”
Serizawa peeked over the curve of his arm. They seemed just as adorable as the last time he looked that them. Their little chests moving with visibly with the speed of their hearts. As if the heart was still too big for the size of their tiny bodies.
“No,” Serizawa licked his lips, “they don’t. They’re very relaxed, actually. Sleeping even.”
Reigen nodded, “and the horse?”
Serizawa turned. Sasaki’s horse was grazing along. It’s tale swishing idly. Ears, as far as Serizawa could tell, seemed relaxed as well. “Um, pretty chill.”
Reigen nodded again, “animals have a sense of these things too, right?”
“Yes?”
“I think, and this is a shot in the dark, we’re okay. I think we’re still okay.”
Serizawa’s shoulders relaxed. “Yeah. The voice is…discomforting, but, you’re right.”
P̴r̴o̸t̷e̷c̶t̴ ̷
Serizawa squeezed Reigen’s hand, he squeezed back. Serizawa took a calming breath, and gave a long slow exhale. Sitting in mutual silence for a few more minutes.
Eventually Serizawa returned the tissues. “Thank you Reigen.”
“Sure thing,” said Reigen putting the tissues away, not that he felt like he deserved thanks. He heaved himself up first, and offered a hand to help Serizawa stand, “anytime. Now let’s get something for the headache, yeah?”
P̶R̷O̶T̶E̴C̶T̸
“Yeah.”
And the shadow of the cloud passed on.
They returned to the uncles having an on going discussion on cooking. Sasaki, now wearing a butcher’s apron, was waving farewell to an uncle who held a paper sack. It looked heavy, but would nourish many.
Reigen glanced at Serizawa briefly, who returned the look with a calm smile. Wordlessly declaring he would be fine. At that Reigen nodded, and went to have a word with Sasaki about ibuprofen and some water.
Serizawa moved to follow, but Reigen made a halting gesture.After all, there was blood on Sasaki’s apron.
Sasaki raised a brow, and watched as Serizawa turned away, when he looked back at Reigen he was met with an expression that almost dared him to make a comment. Customer Service Reigen was not here right now.
Sasaki didn’t take the challenge, but he did meticulously clean his hands on the apron. Sasaki found himself fascinated by Reigen’s near bored expression. This fascination grew all the more when Reigen reached into his pocket and dribbled a pinch of salt over Sasaki’s hands with the air that could only be described as blasé.
“Where’d you say you were from again?” Sasaki said.
“I didn’t,” said Reigen, “but I did travel up here from Seasoning City.” He flicked whatever salt remained on his fingers at him, and said, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “there, all purified.” Pettiness, born from Sasaki’s earlier crack about family business, getting the better of him.
“Ye come from a family of butchers or something?”
“Not quite.” Reigen tilted his head, “will you truly answer my questions when I finish fixing the fence?”
“I’m a man of my word.”
“Good, good,” nodded Reigen, “now about that ibuprofen…”
Reigen followed Sasaki. And returned with two glasses of water, ibuprofen, and a pack of crackers.
“Shouldn’t take it with an empty stomach,” explained Reigen as he passed the crackers over to Serizawa.
“Th-thank you,” said Serizawa, he looked at now apron-less Sasaki, “and you too Sasaki-san, thank you.”
Sasaki grumbled through his nod.
“What’s that old adage?” An uncle’s voice carried over as they got closer. “Old chickens make good broth?”
“Works the same with ducks, make no mistake.”
“Well sure, bones are bones.”
“Bones are a bones,” nodded Reigen, who had seen his own fair share of them. He knelt before the fence, and went back to fixing it up.
“Yeah but there ain’t no adage about duck bones, now is there?”
“Oh shut up.”
“Give the ducks more respect.”
Somewhere along this discussion the rest of the chairs were brought closer. To observe the fence’s patch up with better comfort. A chair was provided for Serizawa as well, where he sat and waited for the medication to take its effect. Sasaki, chose not to sit, he was the sort that had trouble getting back to work after sitting, and so reserved sitting to a day’s end.
It was then that Satō’s tobacco pouch was pulled out. Then, like a domino effect, more tobacco pouches were pulled out.
Serizawa glanced at Reigen, briefly.
“Anyhow,” said Satō, “iffin yer planning on gettin’ a dog, it’s important to train ‘em properly. Don’t let them out an about all willy-nilly like. It’s bad fer the environment too.”
“I tried explaining that ta my niece with cats. They ain’t just livin’ off good vibes an sunlight. What about endangered birds? An ye can’t quite tell ‘em to eat only mice. They’re mini predators.”
“Predator is as predator does.”
“Well,” said an uncle ponderously evening out his tobacco on the rolling paper with his thumbs, filter balanced between his lips, “considering they’ve been letting cats an dogs wander about all willy-nilly for decades, maybe even centuries - well. I’d say, iffin ya don’t mind me sayin’, they’re already part of the eco-system. Bear urine can only go so far, and what’s left? Some chemical? Leaving around poison fer rats an things, that the cat, thats goin’ ta eat the rat anyway, is gonna eat?”
“The eco-system has changed since a hundred years ago! An a cat wouldn’t eat a rat that done ate some poison if ye left the cat inside in the first place. …uh, anyone gotta spare match? Oh, thank ye.”
“Could save on costs.”
“Them cut corners is why the earths on fire.”
“Yeknow, I was just talkin’ about this the other day with Komaba-san at the produce stand,” said Satō, while nodding his thanks when the matchbook was passed his way.
Reigen paused in his work, then continued fixing the netting of the fence without comment.
Satō continued in a smokey exhale, “but we then soon got sidetracked talkin’ about the time him an that cousin ‘o his thought it’d be clever to chuck fireworks and firecrackers inna bonfire fer more spark.”
“That sounds dangerous,” said Serizawa.
“Damn right! Nearly caused a big fire too. An certainly lost an eyebrow or two haha!”
“Didn’t stop ‘em tryin’ again though,” wheezed Yoshida. “Somethin’ about ambiance.”
“What was the name of that other kid?”
“Komaba don’t bring him up much these days,” said Satō. “An its been years.”
The uncles paused to contemplate this, but didn’t draw an answer. Sasaki, glancing at Reigen diligently working, pulled out his phone and looked something up.
“He was probably feelin’ nostalgic,” said Yoshida. “Lots ‘o nostalgic feelin’s this spring.”
Serizawa tapped his chin some, that was when realization struck. “I knew that name sounded familiar. Komaba! Gotou-san was talking about her this morning.”
“What? No, we ain’t talking about Komaba Kinu, we’re talkin’ about Big Komaba, her son.”
“Oh,” said Serizawa.
Despite himself, Reigen looked up. “Big Komaba?” said in incredulous tones.
“Well sure, he’s the biggest man around,” said Yoshida.
“I see…makes sense,” and with that Reigen went back to working on the fence. Expression hidden.
So that the silence wasn’t filled with the rustle of plastic from fishing for more crackers deeper in the pack, Serizawa said, “the story about the two sisters seemed interesting. And the guy in a suit?”
“Now that there’s a tangled tale to be sure,” said Satō pointing with his rollup.
“Only cause no one knows the details, and those who do won’t say nothin’. One thing’s fer sure, they followed each other about like two foxes and a crow,” said Yoshida. “Shame he was from the south.”
“Yoshida you dummy, Komaba didn't marry a southerner! It turned out he was local. Well, of the mountain at least.”
“What was his name again?”
“But there was that scandal, right? He couldn't decide which sister he loved, right?”
“Yeah, so he chose both.”
“Don't be gross.”
“Look, all I know is the three of them went south fer school, and one of the sisters came back pregnant.”
“Idiot. You think he was the only man around?”
“˖✧Gentlemen✧˖!” Reigen interrupted with a sharp smile bright as sunshine. “~The fence!! ✧ Is fixed!!~ Observe it. Inspect it. As much as you like Sasaki-san,” gestured Reigen with a flourish.
“How is he doin’ that with his voice?” whispered Satō.
“Just don’t forget our deal,” added Reigen bluntly.
Sasaki closed his phone, something had changed in the quality of his gaze. He tilted his head looking Reigen over, then looked over at the fence.
Whatever the meaning was behind Sasaki’s look, Reigen didn’t bother to linger on it, favoring a good stretch instead. Hands interlocking above his head as he gently leaned this way and that, face scrunching into the delight of the stretch. A go to stretching position.
“Whew!” Reigen nearly did a pirouette as he stepped closer to the group. “And while you do that, Sasaki-san, I’m going to treat the rest of you,” he removed the work gloves one at a time, and reached for something in his suit jacket, “to some ~City Living Tobacco~,” Reigen pulled out a fresh packet of cigarettes. Still in its seal.
The uncles leaned forward, even Sasaki raised a brow.
“Well?” Reigen leaned forward, shaking the pack, “how about it boys?”
Serizawa lowered his head into his hand. “Oh boy.”
“You tryin’ ta sway us with pre-rolled sticks, city boy?” Satō leaned forward. Amusement on his voice.
Reigen flipped the pack in the air and caught it with the same hand, “you are ‘darn tootin’ right’, as some might say.”
The uncles laughed. One said: “That almost sounded local.” Knees were slapped. Sasaki stared. Serizawa resigned himself to what was to come. It would seem Reigen might break his one, max two, cigarettes a day streak.
“Quack.”
Notes:
I hope I decided to cut the chapter at the right place, keep your eyes peeled on part 2! It'll, hopefully, be a doozy.
Although the term was not directly named the topics of Burakumin and Kegare were mentioned, and will continue to be a playing factor.
Those curious of the 2008 reference in terms of Japanese morticians might be interested in the movie Departures (おくりびと), a drama film directed by Takita Yōjirō about a man stumbling into the line of work as a ritual mortician (nōkanshi). The movie was inspired by a memoire written by the poet Aoki Shinmon titled 'Coffinman: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician'.
Be kind to yourselves and others out there, don't loose hope 🇵🇸
Chapter 9: "I Don't Know" (Part 2.2) Arrow
Notes:
⚠️Chapter Warnings (may contain spoilers)
Distorted Text. Mild Gore. Blood. Flesh Wounds. Depiction of War.
It is April 25th where I currently am, and that means Liberation Day!
Buona Festa della Liberazione!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Jules Verne’s story of going under the sea overlaps with entering into one’s own internal world. The fascination with the sea the story depicts and the idea that the sea hints at a far deeper and richer world full of secrets - this is the wonder Captain Nemo feels. At the same time, the sea shows the depth of his mind and the depth of the entire world itself.”
- Starting Point: Earth’s Environment as Metaphor pg 502, Hayao Miyazaki
❧❧❧
Serizawa watched as Reigen interacted with the uncles. At how easily he managed to slide in with their humor. It surprised him that he didn’t go directly to Sasaki and start asking questions the minute the fence was fixed.
Was there a method? Reigen was always a tactful sort of guy. Well, tactful enough.
Sitting there, in the extra chair they had brought out for him, a glass of water between his fingers, Serizawa couldn’t help but smile. Especially as he watched Reigen get a taste of his own medicine, and get clapped on the back several times when he proved he could expertly roll a cigarette. Except, the back clap looked more like the old man’s equivalent to a cheek pinch.
Jokes about a racing to see who could roll the fastest were made, but Serizawa was too distracted by the memory of having watched Reigen balance a filter between his lips, how it bobbed a little as he spoke, the way his thumbs delicately evened out the loose tobacco, the flick of tongue to lick the paper at the end of rolling the cigarette.
Serizawa forced himself to look away. Why did such a horrible horrible habit, that ruined the breath, stained teeth and fingers, not to mention how gross nose drip could be, have to look so, so… well, there was a reason why black and white Western movies used cigarettes as symbolism. He took a long sip of his water.
“Consider it a token,” Reigen’s voice carried over full of honeyed charm, while the cigarette he rolled rested behind his ear, and the pre-rolled cigarette twirled in his hands. “Of good faith. After all we’ll probably be seeing more of each other.” Reigen ran the cigarette under his nose, treating it like the finest cigar.
“Well it’d save a day’s trip to the store at least,” said Yoshida, accepting the proffered cigarette with a nod.
“Yeknow, I think I have a cousin who helped work the fields this was grown in,” said Satō reading the brand name on the carton. “I guess I should show support when I can.” He grinned.
In a funny sort of way, Serizawa had a feeling these uncles would have been amicable with them even without the bribery. Or was that a cherry on top?
Sipping his water he pondered over Reigen’s presumed plan. What exactly was it that Reigen had a hunch about?
Serizawa stood, to distance himself from the smell cigarettes. He watched as even Reigen joined them, partaking in the delectable self destructive treat. Relaxed into it even.
When the older uncle struggled with his matchbook to light a match, Reigen leaned forward and flicked his lighter on. They shared a look, a thank you of a nod. They passed Reigen’s lighter around.
“One thing I’ll say about pre-rolls,” said Satō.
“Yeah?” Went Reigen, re-lighting his roll up.
“Saves on matches o’ course.”
Reigen nodded, exhaling smoke as he spoke, “of course.”
“If ye ain’t puffin’ down a rollup consistent enough, they’ll go out,” agreed Yoshida.
“Yep,” said Reigen, thoughtlessly. He looked at the ducks, watching as their tail feathers wiggled. Trying to think ahead on how to approach questioning Sasaki.
Ducks quacked on.
Reigen quirked a brow. How long had it been silent? And, more importantly… How long had they all been, just, staring at him?
Reigen smiled, awkwardly, cheek twitching, smoke oozing from beneath his slight over-bight. “What?”
Satō adjusted his red tinted aviators. “Did you just say ‘yep’?”
Yoshida leaned forward, “ye just ‘yep-ed’ us, son.”
Reigen furrowed his brows, and felt himself getting sweatier. He looked at Serizawa who nodded a confirmation.
“Oh! Well,” started Reigen, searching frantically for something to say, or explain, or something. Feeling like a mouse caught with a grain of rice between its paws. “Um.”
An arm flung itself around Reigen’s shoulder, as an elbow wiggled against his ribs, and laughter and cheer filled his ears.
Sounds filled the air, like: “Well I’ll be!” and, “We’ll make a bumpkin of ye yet, slicker!” and, “Ah couldn’t believe mah ears fer a second thar.”
Reigen felt his face warm, he didn’t quite know what to feel in the moment. It felt complicated. Everything was so complicated. A guilty complicated, a joyful complicated, a ‘I wish I could just vanish’ complicated. Maybe take a thousand years to sort his feelings to articulate it better. Instead, Reigen took a deep drag of his cigarette.
He looked at Serizawa, who was badly hiding a smile behind his hand, contented by the jovial display. At least Serizawa was having a better time than before. Reigen exhaled a rendition of laughing along, in a good natured way. Smoke obscuring his features.
“So how’s the fence Sasaki-san?” Reigen stood up, eager to move the conversation forward, and, more importantly, away from him. “To your liking?”
Sasaki stood, looked at the fence one last time, then nodded, “justa ‘bout does it for now.” He crossed his arms over his chest, “so ask what ye want ta ask.”
“Ah,” said Reigen. He felt all eyes turn on him, expectantly. Showtime. “Do you mind showing me your bow?”
Sasaki narrowed his eyes, ever so slightly, it was near impossible to see with the shadow of his cap, but he obliged all the same. He walked to the side of the house where it rested. By the look of it, it didn’t seem like it stayed in one place for long. It probably was propped at a place of honor somewhere inside Sasaki’s house during the night. Like Sasaki always wanted it in sight. Always and forever a part of Sasaki.
“Thank you,” said Reigen bowing respectfully as the bow was passed. It weighed heavier than he imagined, though really that spoke of Sasaki’s own strength.
Well oiled. Well maintained. Well used. Beautiful.
Reigen turned it over.
“Careful, it’s an antique,” said Sasaki, a shade protective.
Reigen turned it over, but with deeper care. “How long has this been in the family?” He asked, admiring the craftsmanship.
Wonderfully painted in such a way it was impossible to see the wood merge with bamboo with a deep red. Even from touching the grip alone it felt alive, despite being tired, (that is to say, unstrung and flat in shape as compared to its strung shape in all its beauty). It felt alive as all weapons felt alive, embodied in that special something. Suspended and waiting, like a prime hunting dog waiting to go out on the next big outing.
“As fars back as one can remember. Farther back than the registry even. We’ve been keeping it maintained. I make the hemp rope myself when need be. Some parts are touched up and adjusted, but its still the same spirit.”
“You maintain it yourself?” Reigen squinted at the carving of the bottom nock.
“We have a side business in creating and sellin’ traditional bows. An art thats been past fer generations.”
“Generations,” repeated Reigen thoughtfully. “perhaps, over a hundred years old?”
“It’s been ‘round the park, sure.”
“Serizawa?”
Serizawa straightened. Reigen lifted the bow, and although he said nothing Serizawa already knew what he was asking. He gave the bow his Business Eye.
Although no one had the ability to see what Serizawa was doing, they felt a ripple of goosebumps bloom up their arms.
“It’s not a tsukumogami,” said Serizawa, pleased.
Reigen smiled. His smile always reached his eyes for Serizawa, “Thank you, Deputy.” He returned his attention back at Sasaki. “This could be a museum piece, you know?” The question was sent forth like a fisherman casting his line. Reigen watched Sasaki’s reaction meticulously.
“I don’t want it in a museum,” said Sasaki, stern and defensive. “It belongs home, with me, and my family.”
“Fair, very fair. This is far too precious.” Reigen looked Sasaki over. To Sasaki’s word, he was answering his questions. “Have you been approached by historical scholars on the matter before?”
“Once or twice.”
“By who?”
“The folks the Takedas keeps bringin’ in to look at that old run down manor.”
“They’re descendants of the old Lord and Lady who over saw this area, yes?”
“It’s funny ye should mention that Reigen-san,” said Sasaki, eyes hard and searching. “Funny indeed.”
Reigen raised his brows, calmly. “You mentioned it yourself that the Takeda family was one of the oldest ones here, earlier.”
Serizawa sipped the rest of his water. What first started like a tennis match of questioning, seemed to be turning into something else. The air seemed…different.
“Suppose I did, huh,” went Sasaki.
“Have these scholarly questions been happening…recently?”
“It’s more on again off again. The Takedas have been tryin’ ta refurbish that old casket of a building fer generations. But it’s always stop an go. Personally, it’s an eye-sore.”
“So it isn’t just you who has been asked about the bow?”
Sasaki nodded.
“I see,” said Reigen. He looked at Serizawa expectantly.
Serizawa, once again, straightened fully, unsure what Reigen expected of him. With his eyes, Reigen managed to communicate ‘any funny business?’
What Reigen seemed to be doing started to make more sense to Serizawa. And, as usual, it was risky. Reigen was trying to draw out the entity by making Sasaki talk.
Serizawa scanned the area. But because of the distance of the arrows, and the height of the grass, he couldn’t see the way the earth glowed where the arrow head disappeared into the earth. Slowly eking its way up the shaft towards the spine.
“I also like to do a little research before taking on a case,” said Reigen, marveling at how thin the bow seemed. “Everyone enjoys watching mounted archery festivals by the Sumida river in Tokyo. But it wasn’t always performed there.”
“Okay?”
“Funny thing about samurai mounted archers. Some historical theories suggest mounted archery was picked up during the conquest of the North. Large amount of foot soldiers against hit and run tactics of Emishi on horseback, certainly caused a struggle for the Yamato Empire.”
Sasaki ran a hand down his face, “ah don’t need a history lesson.”
“No, you don’t. I like to hear myself talk, helps me think. After all, who in the region doesn’t know about Chieftain Aterui’s legendary success and unfortunate beheading in Kyoto during supposed peace talks? Or Northern Fujiwara’s rise to power?”
“I’m stating to regret this,” muttered Sasaki.
“Heh heh,” Reigen raised the bow, it wasn’t strung, nor did he dare try to string it, but only looked down his arm. It wobbled at first, as the length of the bow wasn’t doing Reigen any favors, but he managed to keep it steady with a slow exhale.
Serizawa raised his brows at the sight. He wanted to stare forever, especially at the grip. Feeling his cheeks burn, he forced himself to keep scanning the area. Which was a shame, if he had kept watching he’d have seen a pin point of teal deep in the grip of the bow. Like the smallest spark, or the little glow of a firework’s fuse.
“I sucked at archery in high school.” Reigen mimed pulling back an arrow. “Never seemed to hit the right mark. I was always frustrated by own lack of patience to get it perfect. And that impatience lead to never fully sticking with it in terms of clubs. Like I fluked volleyball tryouts.”
“I bet you were amazin’ at darts,” drawled Sasaki, with a healthy dollop of sarcasm.
Reigen released his imaginary arrow, and grinned. “As a matter of fact! I wasn’t that bad.” He returned the bow to Sasaki respectfully. “But I was better at Whac-A-Mole. Could you demonstrate for us, Sasaki-san?”
Sasaki hesitated. The wind changed. It made the weathervane creak distractingly.
Distantly, Serizawa wondered if he’d have heard or felt anything by now if he hadn’t taken anything for the headache. No, that didn’t seem right. Besides, the air felt static, like just before a summer storm.
“I’m surprised you haven’t retrieved your arrows from the field after practicing,” Reigen continued. “Some are handcrafted too. While others, ah, not so much.”
Reigen looked out at the arrows, Serizawa followed his line of sight, and gasped. The glow that was hidden at a distance and between blades of grass had reached the fletching of the arrows. Motes of light floated from the neck, like a plant releasing pollen. A few at a time, but quickly making the field cloudy.
Serizawa’s gasp was clue enough for Reigen to keep going.
“I ain’t got the time,” said Sasaki making a move to head towards the crated ducks on standby. “Besides, I can make as many as I like.”
“Huh.” Reigen circled around him to block the path. Face obnoxiously pleasant. “When do you usually practice?”
“When I got time,” said Sasaki matter of factly. Just because he agreed to answering Reigen’s questions didn’t mean he’d make it easy for him.
“So at night?” Reigen pressed on. “The evening? When all the toil and chores are done?”
“Alright, yes.”
The change in the wind grew stronger, those without psychic sight could see it in the weathervane on Sasaki’s house fighting to stay a part of the roof, and the way the stream of smoke from the uncles’s cigarette changed direction. The uncles blinked at the smoke stream, and looked amongst themselves.
Serizawa was struggling to look away from the mist of luminous pollen. He thought he could see shapes moving in them, but wasn’t quite sure. People? Dogs? Horses?
“On horseback?” Reigen went on.
“Not always,” said Sasaki feeling his body temperature rise. He dabbed at his forehead with the work rag he kept around his neck.
“Do you sometimes hear things at night?”
“Of course I hear things at night, are ya stupid?”
“No not the usual things, like birds crickets, and owls and stuff. Other things,” Reigen tried to convey the suspicion of the supernatural through eyebrow wiggles.
Sasaki leaned away from Reigen. “Sometimes I take a walk around ta make sure there’s no dogs around. I’d use bear urine but it makes the ducks and Ayumu uncomfortable.”
“And expensive,” muttered Yoshida, resentful of his own personal experience on the matter.
Satō hit Yoshida’s arm lightly, “shut up.” He leaned forward, interested to see where this was going.
The mist was blowing closer. The quacking of the ducks a little louder, as did the sound of wings beating. “Reigen?”
“Just a minute Serizawa,” said Reigen really getting into the questioning. “Lets have an archery competition Sasaki. You and me.”
“Why the hell would I agree ta that?”
Serizawa licked his lips. He was starting to realize the sound he’d been hearing for a while now wasn’t wind chimes. Especially because Sasaki didn’t have wind chimes. And, it was getting louder, no, closer. “Reigen,” said Serizawa with more emphasis.
The worried strangled strain in Serizawa’s voice wasn’t something Reigen could ignore. “Yes?”
“It’s here. Like really here,” said Serizawa, unable to look at them. Fixed on whatever the form, (forms?) in the pollen mist.
If Serizawa had, he would have been able to see that worms were back writhing up Sasaki. Or a pulse at Sasaki’s feet that rippled over the pulse echoing out from Reigen’s feet, and the uncles’s. Or the way the teal glow seemed to give the uncles a bark like texture over their skin.
“Here? What’s here?” Sasaki said, turning to Serizawa. His eyes widened. Teal bled into Sasaki’s eyes like food coloring in water. Not that anyone but Serizawa would’ve been able to see.
It really was a shame Serizawa wasn’t looking.
“I’m going to go out and meet it,” said Serizawa, already walking, “please stay here.”
“Um, right,” said Reigen. He casted a worried look at Sasaki. Something had changed in Sasaki’s stance, he was breathing faster. “How about we postpone the competition, huh? Did I push too hard?”
Sasaki’s chest rose and fell, eyes staring out beyond Serizawa’s expansive back. Into the pollen mist.
“Uh, boys?” Reigen said, appealing to the uncles.
The uncles too had worried looks, but when they stood up, they faltered as if hit by a dizzy spell. As if their joints were calcifying.
Reigen looked at Serizawa, watched as he walked, as if in a trance, into the field filled with protruding arrows. A sinking feeling was making him uneasy. He knew he had to hold the fort here, give Serizawa a chance to talk to whatever this was.
“Here,” muttered Sasaki.
“What?” Reigen stepped a little closer, hands ready to steady Sasaki should he falter or sway.
Sasaki’s voice gradually grew, eyes seeing beyond a veil Reigen couldn’t imagine, “here on my land. On my home. Here!” It was like watching a fire roar up too fast, uncontrolled.
“N-now hang on, Sasaki-san,” said Reigen, readying to grab Sasaki.
Righteous fury blazed through Sasaki, although Reigen could not see how the glowing worms grew and streaked out, roiling and coiling serpentine like. The hazy supernatural glow of fast growing aconite and briars, like a choppy time-lapse video. Nor could Reigen see harsh teal thistles and thorns poke and protrude out of Sasaki, looking suspiciously as if he had been shot a hundred times over by arrows.
Reigen could, however, feel the air temperature change around himself and Sasaki. From the moderate warmth of a chilled early spring, to the balmy white heat of summer. Thunderous.
Sasaki pivoted, clutching his bow expertly. In a moment’s time he strung the bow as easy as breathing, and was reaching for the hanging quiver on the side of his house. A likewise beautiful piece decorated with dragonfly patterns.
Reigen and the uncles (despite how wooden they felt), jumped. Voices raised of: “Hang on!” “Whoa now!” “Sasaki-san get a hold of yerself!” “You idiot, Serizawa’s out there! Damn!”
An arrow notched.
Despite his name being said, despite the commotion of Reigen and the uncles struggling against Sasaki’s weight and strength as he pulled back an arrow, Serizawa didn’t not turn around. It was like hot air was breathing down his bared brain. Or standing mere seconds before a backdraft.
“Please, I only want to talk,” whispered Serizawa in the mist of luminous pollen. Some motes even sparkled briefly, like light quickly caught on gold confetti. Or falling embers from a forest fire.
All around Serizawa there were forms racing and running, shadows that didn’t not want to decide on whether to be people or dogs - no, wolves. Hackles raised, the heavy pounding of feet and hooves. He stared harder, as if that would bring into focus a more detailed image. And immediately wished he didn't.
No matter which way Serizawa turned, the scene was a nightmarish blur of clashing horses, whistling arrows, and sprays of blood soaking into the earth, the soil.
Some soldiers had arrows sticking out of them like porcupine quills, they groaned against their confused and scared horse before being bucked off and trampled on by ongoing fighters. Skulls cracking under their weight like broken flower pots - brains and roots, left to sink into the earth. Fertilize.
There was nothing glorious. Nothing to be sung about. All Serizawa saw was red, and he wept.
However, there was but one solitary figure who did not partake in the fighting and circling of the two opposing groups going at each other. Standing out as only a person could when being the only still being a field of chaos. The figure was on horseback. Intimidating in their massive stature. Moving through the mist, unbothered by the chaos. Slow and deadly as killer whale, seen in partial clarity, until closer than comfort would want. Until close enough to be too late.
“Who are you?” Serizawa breathed out, taken aback by the rider.
Their eyes were two pin points of teal light, and like most light in a mist or fog, it made things harder to see. The steed of this rider snorted air into Serizawa’s face. He sputtered, eyes fluttering.
Despite the dangerous closeness, Serizawa could not make out a clear view of the rider. Whether the rider was in samurai iron armor or leather, nor could he tell if it was a horned helmet, or the pelted helmet of a horned dear, cut at the face with ribbons and beads veiling the face. It shifted from one type to the other, morphing and moving like the mist. Never siding. Never deciding.
But oh, how the pinpointed eyes of the rider remained. Fixed on Serizawa. He had the horrible feeling that if he stared for too long, he’d fall into those pinpointed eyes. He’d fall, and never return. Despite the rising temperature, Serizawa’s spine felt cold.
“What do you want? What are you after?” Serizawa asked. “I want to help. How can I help if you don’t tell me?”
The rider stared. A green emanated from the chest like an open oozing wound. Was it moss cascading out of the rider? Or something else, like sap or puss? The sound around Serizawa rose, and rose, becoming more obviously that of a battle. The ground seemed to tremble with feet and hooves.
Yells and shouts and grunts filled the air, the clashing and clanging of metal, and, almost worst of all, terrifying in its near imperceptibility, until it was too late: the whistling sound of hundreds of arrows. A suspended moment of gasps and silence, like the ringing of a bell, and the air was then replaced with screams. The half aired grievances of the shot. Half aired, because the words died there, in the mouths of the shot. Cold, cold words before the heat of discord and battle. A second alive, then not.
Nothing romantic. Nothing poetic.
Serizawa barely perceived an arrow striking near him, he only noticed it when the rider redirected that pin point gaze from him, to the arrow.
Where the arrow struck, red started to bubble up, as if it struck crude oil. Serizawa tried not to think of it as viscous blood, but no other term wanted to present itself. His mouth felt dry.
The rider retuned his attention to Serizawa. The world around them seemed to get more, and more abstract with strong stroking motions of movement - as if painted by a thick brush. Contrasting with the sounds of fighting and clashing, heightening the absurd realism of it all.
Serizawa tried to concentrate on the rider. On the task at hand. “Please! Why won’t you talk to me?” Serizawa pleaded to the rider, “we only want to help!”
“Yo̵u̶ ̶s̶t̶i̷ll c̷a̵n̶n̸o̴t̴ h̵e̴a̵r̴.”
“What?”
“Y̶̠̍̒ȯ̸̯̬u̸̘̺͒̓ ̷̜͊̏s̴͇̑̊ț̸̢̒͌ĭ̴̻̼ĺ̶̞̱l̸͕͍̽̂ ̸͍̙̄͘c̸̑͜͠a̶̭̒n̵̯̳̎n̶̳͈̂̍o̷̞̐ṯ̷͍͝ ̸̣͠h̶̺͈͛ḛ̷̑̇a̸̦̽̍r̷͓̝̄̓ ̷͓̒”
“I’m trying!” Serizawa winced, it was like the whistling pitch of flying arrows was getting higher in decibel.
“Y̴͈̺̹̬̾̔͋̿̚ͅô̴̮̲̦͍̝̎u̵̢̢͓̮̝̮͚̾̀ ̴̧͈̹̳͕̬͖̈̏̄̕ͅs̵̤̪̯̭̏̾̂ͅͅt̴̖͓̗͔̘̀i̷̖͙͍͍̫͖͒̊́̀̇̄́͘l̴̟̤̜̽͘l ̵̥͍͂́͐̀̒̚c̷̢̭̥͕̙͉̖̾̄͘͝ȃ̴͉̞̼̪̩̾̊̆͆̓͘͝n̵̞̪̈́̑̌̃n̸̥͌̾͊̒̚͠ȍ̵̧͇̺̖͚̠͚͚ṱ̴̥͍̳̱̆̉͗̍̓̿́͘ ̶̘̲̭͔̦͔̮͙̂͊̾̿͐̕͝h̵̤̩͈͚̄͆̚ͅḙ̷̛̥͖̫̳͙̹̇̅̽̃̀̆a̴͕̰̤̺̕r̶̥͚̩̝̺̋”
Serizawa started to sweat, he swayed. No longer was the sound of flying arrows recognizable. It sounded more like metal screeching on a train track - a guttural scream, the high pitched scream of a deer or elk from deep in the forest. It echoed, and distorted around Serizawa.
It was getting harder to breathe. The sky lost, only the mist remained. A mist stained brown, like the apocalyptic haze of a forest fire.
“Y̵̺̬̪͎̑̌͆̋o̶̡̳̩͂u̴͉̗̭̠͊̓̈́ͅ ̷̯̫̜̏̇͠ṡ̶̢͔̰͛̈́͒t̵̳͕̝͈̃̈́̅̂i̶̞̼̹͌̒̂̇ḷ̴̥͍̜̏̄̂̃̾l ̸̜̦̲͓̭̆͂c̷͔̦̗̐̇̓̃a̷̻̽̉̎̂̈n̵͉̼̤̝̋̎͛n̷̢̦̾͘̚̚̕ó̵̖̩̞͚̏t̵̼̟̊̌̈̚ ̶̢̩̤̇́h̴̭͎̘̱̥̐̀̓ȅ̴̞͔̱̚ä̷͖̤̝́̈̏̋̚ŕ̴̦͎͚͐̾”
“I’m sorry-” Serizawa gasped. Pain ripped through him. His throat felt…felt…
Meanwhile Reigen and the uncles were still fighting against Sasaki’s trance like intent. A testament to Sasaki’s strength.
“Damnit. The hell are you playing at!?!” Reigen bellowed, anger roiling up in him. The arrow had barely missed Serizawa, but his adrenaline pumped like a bellows. “Get it to-fucking-gether!!!”
But Sasaki was beyond words. He moved to notch another arrow like some unstoppable force. Slow and creeping as lava down a volcano. The uncles and Reigen wrestled on.
Reigen didn’t waste anytime feeling scared, he got angrier instead. And Reigen, fought dirty. He bit down on Sasaki, hard. Punched up the side of Sasaki’s face, sending Sasaki’s cap flying in the process, latched onto his hair with the downswing - and pulled.
Sasaki yelled, guttural and monstrous. The uncles released him, hands pulling away as if to protect themselves from a bonfire on a hot summer’s day that had blown out of proportion. Reigen held on, and yelled back. He felt sparked, like a firecracker. The worms that grew out of Reigen lit up like sparklers, and pinwheels on fire. His heated exhales hotter than a furnace.
All at once Reigen felt like a teenager again. Which, luckily, was a bastard even back then, and a shin kicker.
Sasaki doubled over.
Reigen risked getting elbowed, but just because Reigen felt like a teenager didn’t mean he was teenager sized. So he brought down his fists hard on Sasaki’s back before the elbow could connect with anything painfully important.
Sasaki crumpled on the spot. Bow and arrow loosening in his hands.
“That,” Reigen wheezed, “is enough.” He fought to get his breath back. His lungs weren’t those of a teenager either.
Reigen lurched forward, hands on his bent knees. He wanted to throw up.
The uncles were shocked to stillness. They seemed like statues, moments from saying something like: “what got over ‘im?” “Sasaki, what was that?” while stuck, posed to protect themselves from a fiery explosion.
Reigen couldn’t see the teal illuminated vegetation that had grown on the uncles. Like statues with overgrowth. “It wasn’t his fault, I’m sure,” explained Reigen reading their worried wide eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
Reigen started to race towards Serizawa, paused, and picked up the bow to take with him for good measure.
“Serizawa!” Reigen called, looping the bow around his neck (for he wasn’t strong enough to unstring it). Unable to see the way the glow in the grip of the bow oozed over Reigen, unable to see the worms growing out of both him and the bow. How they streamed out like a silk scarf made of an on fire wisteria. Petals spun and twirled behind.
All Reigen could think of was Serizawa’s safety. Damnit usually he was the reckless one! Reigen bounded over, grass kicked up behind him as he did so.
Despite having seen where the arrow had landed, fear and anxiety made him second guess himself. What if he was living in a horrible grotesque reality where Serizawa really was shot with an arrow?! What if when he reached Serizawa a vital was cut?!
Reigen’s mind raced, he couldn’t let himself get carried away with the what ifs. Not now. Not like this. All that mattered was getting to Serizawa as quickly as possible.
His ears pounded with the sound of his own heartbeat.
The way Serizawa stood there, stock still, was disconcerting. His hands were reaching towards his throat.
Reigen fought to keep his dread at bay.
Serizawa felt his throat close, no, not close, collapse - and perhaps not even that. Specifically. It was as if someone was pressing a cold metal pipe across his throat. He wanted to breathe, but the searing pain was overriding such a neural request.
Shock is a powerful thing. He choked on it.
Serizawa looked about wildly. Eyes prickling with the rising pain, it watered over Serizawa’s vision of the mist, and of the silent rider.
Yet what really scared Serizawa, almost more than the suspicion that an arrow had just tore open his throat, was Reigen racing up to him. Charging through the pollen mist, and the shapeless battle. Bounding like the hare that doesn’t leap away from the fire, but through it, to the other side.
Don’t. Stop. Turn back, were all things Serizawa wanted to say, but he feared he had no vocal cords to say it. A pitiful gurgle came out instead.
The rider’s attention was on Reigen now. Serizawa’s mind felt like a frazzled state, unable to concentrate enough to form a barrier. There was simply too much going on.
Smoke, the mist was smoke.
Serizawa’s legs buckled. Reigen was at his side like a shot, catching him. Fear blanching his face - frustration tinging his eyes.
Serizawa leaned on Reigen's arm, who accepted this instantly. He hated how numb his senses felt. Not even a tingle in his fingertips.
Serizawa embedded his hand with psychic energy, pressing it to his throat to combat whatever this sensation was. Sadly, because Serizawa wasn't sure exactly what he was combatting - he could not accurately confront it.
It didn't stop him from trying. He had to convince his body he hadn’t really been shot. It would be easier if he was more sure that, that was the real case.
Serizawa pleaded with sorrowful eyes to the looming rider. Distantly he felt Reigen trying to get Serizawa to look at him. How Reigen’s hands frantically searched for flesh wounds.
Serizawa barely managed to read Reigen’s lips saying the words: ‘it missed’. Or the look of full rushing relief flood over Reigen.
A pressure was building against Serizawa’s ears, the sort that caused people to yearn for their ears to finally pop so it'd stabilize with the new altitude.
He couldn’t even concentrate on what Reigen was saying to him. Though he felt Reigen’s hands steadying him. A caress to his face, guiding it this way and that. A gesture for Serizawa to lower his hand away from his throat. But Serizawa wasn’t ready to do that yet.
Frustration rose in Reigen, chest expanding with fear. Once again he morphed that fear into anger. Reigen’s breathing picked up while he gingerly helped Serizawa to sit down.
Serizawa couldn’t quite make out what was fully happening. It was like everything was happening elsewhere. Except for Reigen, and his grounding presence. That Reigen’s hands held him solidly, that Reigen was recklessly telling off the terrifying looming rider he could not see (Reigen wasn’t even looking in the right direction). Then, Reigen’s hands left Serizawa’s side.
He mourned this. Free hand reaching, only to rest it on the ground. Stabilizing himself from falling over.
Serizawa watched, flabbergasted and hazy eyed. He wasn’t sure, but it seemed like Reigen was pulling an arrow from the earth. In a blink, Reigen was notching it. Then, with all the strength Reigen could muster, which left his arms trembling with effort, he pulled the arrow back. Aiming his shot.
Serizawa gripped at his throat, his eyes watered with the struggle to watch on. It was impossible for Reigen to see the rider, and yet here he was, protectively standing in front of Serizawa. Worms emanating from Reigen resembling burnt bark, or on fire vegetation. Dehydrated vines. Wistful wisteria. Before the rider. The rider loomed on, seeming to become impossibly bigger, towering like a mountain. Morphing and shifting.
Reigen let loose the arrow, it whistled past the rider, landing elsewhere unknown. Reigen’s inner arm immediately bruised by the slap of the bowstring caused by bad grip, and forgetting to rotate the elbow. He yelled through the pain, and reached to pull another arrow from out of the ground.
Serizawa was barely able to see his own hand reach out to try and still Reigen’s. Serizawa was amazed by how much growth and sprung up from Reigen’s arm and hands. Shuddered as it seemed like something was moving just beneath the skin waiting to push through, like sprouts through soil.
Serizawa missed catching Reigen. Reigen notched another arrow, arms shaking with effort, exerting strength he did not have. More movement just beneath the skin, wriggling and growing, making the skin seemingly stretch before sprouting vegetation.
Reigen let loose the arrow, another bowstring slap, another whistling miss, another curse at the entity. More plant life seemed to grow. Arms shaking. As if being consumed from within. The smell of firewood burning deep. A pyre.
On the third time, Serizawa stilled Reigen’s hand. Held it tight with all the fear he had of letting go. Fearful that Reigen would slip away, slip deeper into whatever he was trying to do. Cause more worms to writhe beneath, within, through.
Serizawa held so tight with his free hand, it almost hurt.
Reigen turned, and Serizawa gasped at the expression he saw. Something raw, something furious, something protective. Enthralled, even.
It was funny, in the distant numb way things tended to be funny in tough situations, usually it was Serizawa doing the protecting in supernatural cases. But then, Serizawa had to remind himself, Reigen can’t see the rider. He’s acting as he usually does: with his gut…and his heart.
Serizawa watched Reigen’s lips move, not quite able to pick out what he was saying. Regardless Serizawa’s gripped tightened on Reigen. Halting Reigen from pulling out another arrow. He shook his head, hoping Reigen would understand. To not raise arms against the rider. Or, more practically, to not arm himself with another arrow to shoot blindly at a supernatural being.
Reigen’s brows creased. He looped the bow back around his neck, and returned his attention back to Serizawa. To making sure he could breathe, maybe even convince him to lower his hand. To holding him close.
The sound of a horse snorting. Reigen couldn’t see the entity, couldn’t see the supernatural activity or the rider, but his hair moved from the exhaled snort all the same.
Stillness followed.
A suspended moment. Suspended in time. Suspended in place. Suspended in feeling.
The teal brightened like an illuminated fog, but Serizawa didn’t see how it dissipated, didn’t see the rider acknowledge them, and all fade, like a summer heatwave mirage.
Neither of them did.
The ringing in Serizawa’s ears dimmed, transformed to a gentle clinking sound like sea shells under water, morphing into a summer wind chime.
And then, it was over. Although the headache was back. Ibuprofen be damned.
Reigen noticed it was over only because Serizawa finally relaxed more into him. Slowly. Their cheeks brushing briefly as Serizawa tilted his head forward to rest against Reigen. The tight muscles oozing in release. Reigen rearranged his hold on his friend, so he could still hold him, but also see his face. He ignored the sharp pain of his bruised inner arm.
Reigen bit his lip, stoppering his want to start talking, asking all the questions that were bombarding the back of his teeth. He wanted Serizawa to talk first.
Again Reigen tried to gently coax Serizawa to lower his hand from his throat. Still stubbornly there as if trying to stop anything from leaking out.
Hesitant to lower said hand, Serizawa had the smallest of hunches that...he might find blood stained against his palm. Tentative to speak. As if he had to convince his brain he still had a throat, still had vocal cords he could use. How hard could convincing your own brain be? He felt like he was falling backwards, or perhaps on the verge of throwing up. He wanted to sink into the earth, and sleep.
" ...nnn... "
It was a barely there sound. If the pounding in Reigen's ears were any louder he probably wouldn't have heard it. This was worrying. Reigen swallowed, despite not wanting to talk first. He couldn’t help himself: "Serizawa?"
" ...nnng... " Serizawa then shook his head, muscles bunching with rising effort.
“You weren’t hit,” Reigen whispered. The hand on Serizawa's back started to rub him, as if to rub life back into him. Then said, while trying to keep the shake of worry from his own voice, “It’s shock, I-I think it is, at least. Serizawa? Serizawa, you’re okay.”
Serizawa's head tilted, a sign of attention.
"Hey, deputy, can you...talk to me? Please?"
Serizawa remained silent.
Reigen tried to keep calm, and squeezed Serizawa slightly. "You heard what I said, right? C'mon I'm," the unconvincing potential of a laugh tripped out of Reigen, "I'm going to turn into a real worry-wart, you know? ...buddy? ...deputy? ...Serizawa Katsuya?" He willed his voice not to break. It was Not going to break.
Reigen felt Serizawa squeeze him, in a frail sort of way. Face burying a little deeper into Reigen. Grasping at hope, Reigen took it as a good sign. He refused any possible alternative.
"Oookay...how about, hooow about," Reigen desperately pulled at thoughts and ideas, anything that could help. In the end, it came from an unlikely source: once Reigen tried watching voice acting tutorials, in a wild thought to potentially capitalize on the rise in podcast popularity. "Can you hum for me? Nice and easy? You can hurt your vocal cords if you whisper, but it's near impossible to hurt them by humming. Just a gentle touch of sound, okay?"
Serizawa was silent, and just when Reigen was going to admit defeat, to really start to worry, more than he already was, Reigen felt Serizawa head nod into his shoulder.
"Cool! Cool...whenever you're ready. No rush," said Reigen with patient tones he hoped didn't sound too forced or scared.
Serizawa hummed, gently. A small touch of sound. Then silence.
"That's good," encouraged Reigen, squeezing Serizawa a little. "Excellent even. Try again, c'mon Serizawa."
Serizawa hummed again, the sound lasted a little longer. Reigen nodded and hummed a little himself in response.
Serizawa hummed yet again. Not only was it longer, but a little louder too. Confidence was slowly returning. Reigen responded in kind. After a bit it seemed as though they were communicating with hums alone.
Then, finally, Serizawa finally spoke. “It was innntennnssse.”
Reigen was holding Serizawa so closely that he felt the vibrations of Serizawa's voice, more than hear what he said. He huffed his relief, and cupped the back of Serizawa’s neck. Reigen placed all his reassurance into the gesture. He wanted to tilt forward and press a kiss into his short curly hair.
Instead Reigen said: “I bet. Go on, keep talking.”
“Nnothing like it, before. It was... horrible.” Serizawa shook his head, "horrible."
Reigen frowned. “I’m sorry.” He squeezed Serizawa a little tighter, then rested a hand on his wrist, “are you alright to lower your hand now? You didn’t scratch yourself did you?”
“Nno, not scratch - don’t think.”
“Okay, I’m lowering it now then.” Reigen felt resistance once more. "Serizawa?"
"Wait. Before you do..."
"Yes?"
Serizawa felt Reigen thumb his hand some. He looked into Reigen's deep amber eyes. "I wanted to say, thank you."
At this Reigen blinked, baffled silence followed.
It made Serizawa want to laugh, or roll his eyes. He wasn't sure which. "You're always so confused when I thank you."
"Not always," said Reigen, breath tickling Serizawa's ear.
"Yes always," said Serizawa, breath tickling Reigen's neck. His head then moved along with Reigen's little shrug.
"Well, you say thanks for some silly things, sometimes."
"What?"
"What kind of friend would I be, to not try and help any way that I can? You're struggling to talk? I'm going to freaking do my best and help. It," Reigen tightened ever so slightly on Serizawa's hand, "it goes without saying, Serizawa. You've got my back, and I've got yours."
Serizawa lowered his eyes, he wondered if Reigen could feel his pulse pick up some. "Right, of course."
"...I'm going to move your hand now, okay? Nice and easy..."
"Okay..."
As Reigen gently lowered Serizawa’s hand, this time not meeting resistance, Serizawa closed his eyes.
“Is it, c-clean?” Serizawa asked, trying to concentrate on the way Reigen’s fingers moved the hairs on his wrist and hand. On the touch. The numb feeling from before hundred of miles away. Especially under Reigen's careful touch.
“You mean your hand?”
Serizawa nodded, eyes still closed.
Reigen pursed his lips, this didn’t bode well. None of this boded well. Pushing these nervous thoughts aside, Reigen looked into Serizawa’s palm.
Plush, and a little calloused on the thumb from using a console, and a history of intense umbrella wielding. Reigen didn’t quite understand what he was checking for, what Serizawa meant, but he lightly passed his thumb over Serizawa’s palm all the same. Delicately rubbing away any dirt, invisible or otherwise.
“No blood?” Serizawa whispered.
That made Reigen’s heart drop into his stomach. He grazed his thumb over Serizawa’s palm firmer now, tracing the lines, then nonexistent constellations, massaging it. “No,” said Reigen firm with conviction, “no blood.”
Serizawa nodded, and slowly opened his eyes. He glanced at his palm, and smiled weakly. “Good.” Then the smile faltered, “there was a battle here…I’m sure there were several, but, what I felt was…”
“Specific?” Offered Reigen, still massaging Serizawa’s palm. As if it could spark life back into him.
“Yes. …maybe an altercation. I don’t know.”
Serizawa looked at Reigen’s face, his expression, the tendrils of the worms that grew in up and out of him like swaying branches. If this kept up would Reigen find himself encased, trapped inside, like how trees stubbornly grew around objects? Not to mention the illuminated leaves, and, of course…
Serizawa dropped his head into Reigen’s shoulder again. “Reigen, do you know you’re crying again?”
A “whu?” sound huffed above Serizawa’s head, and the globby tears that conjoined at Reigen’s jawline dropped onto Serizawa. Intense quick sniffling followed as if he could rush the tears to end.
“You dummy, don’t ask about me now! Not when you’re like this!! What about you?!”
Serizawa rubbed his eyes against Reigen. No matter how weary he felt, nor how he could feel Reigen’s arms still shake, there was surety.
This time Serizawa was far better held than when they were holding ducks earlier. So close like this, he could see the worms in a detailed fashion. Teal, and translucent (like when sunlight shines through a leaf revealing all the veins), with intricacies far beyond what Serizawa had expected. There was also something…cellular about them, it reminded Serizawa of pictures of plant cells he had seen. He’d be able to appreciate their beauty more, if they didn’t unnerve Serizawa so much.
Serizawa raised a hand, and, tried to touch a curling worm that was growing out of Reigen’s shoulder. It looked like the start of a vine like shape.
At contact, it moved, but Serizawa couldn’t feel it, in a physical sense. However, in a sense that was all Serizawa’s, that heightened esper quality, images blasted rapid fast behind Serizawa’s eyes. Smokey. Too distorted for reason, and his ears filled with that elk like cry again.
“Serizawa!”
Serizawa managed to pull his hand away. His mouth felt dry.
“We should call it,” said Reigen stern and worried. His grip on Serizawa tightened. “We should end the day. Here and now.”
Serizawa ignored this. “Did you feel that? Just now.”
Reigen blinked, “feel what?”
Serizawa frowned, uneasiness growing. He allowed himself to lean into Reigen a little more.
“I’m sorry,” Reigen couldn’t stop himself from saying, “if I didn’t try antagonizing and pushing Sasaki-”
Serizawa raised his head, and gave Reigen a sharp look. “If I’m not allowed to worry about you in this moment, then you’re not allowed to start playing the blame game. Got it?”
Their faces were a hair’s breadth away from each other. Reigen forgot what breathing was. Which was maybe for the best, he was sure his breath smelled of cigarettes.
“Got it?” Serizawa repeated.
“Got it,” said Reigen weakly.
“Good.” Serizawa dropped his head again. The worms billowed by the current of his gesture. It seemed accidental touch didn’t invoke the same images as an intentional touch. “Okay, got to…concentrate.”
“On…to do what?”
Reigen felt Serizawa shake his head. So he patiently waited for Serizawa to do whatever it was he was concentrating to do. While he did so, he watched the uncles start to move again, jerkily like an amateur stop motion production. They seemed confused, but that didn’t stop them from trying to help Sasaki up.
From body language alone, it seemed what happened took a significant amount of energy from Sasaki. While supported by Satō, Sasaki was brought to the wrap around porch of his home. Yoshida went inside, probably to fetch something for Sasaki.
Then, Sasaki finally raised his head. Reigen could not tell from this distance what expression Sasaki was making, what kind of emotion was in those eyes. But it felt important.
Reigen sighed, he wanted a cigarette. Wanted the comfort of his insides full of smoke. Yet, strangely, his body felt a little heavier. Hollow even. He dabbed a finger to his cheek, and found it still damp.
“There,” said Serizawa at last. He raised his head again, and grazed his hands down the side of Reigen’s arms. Nothing writhed beneath, no risk of further sprouting. The shaking was only adrenaline.
It was lucky Reigen was already crying, for Serizawa’s hand brushing his left inner arm made his eyes water with pain. It took everything to not make a pained sound. Oh yeah, that was going to bruise like hell. He could already imagine the deep purple patterns starting to form beneath his sleeve.
“There?” Went Reigen, hoping he didn’t sound too strangled with pain. He held his hands at the ready while Serizawa tested his ability to stand on his own again. “Steady now. There, what, exactly?”
Serizawa watched as the worms slowly died off Reigen, disintegrating into little motes, white as dead coral, fuzzy as raw cotton. “I raised a barrier around the whole area. For now.”
“Won’t that take a lot of energy?”
Serizawa shook his head.
“Well, you look like hell,” said Reigen, trying for levity despite feeling glum.
“So do you,” smiled Serizawa.
They laughed. The sticky sort of laugh, like after a long good cry.
Serizawa pulled out a pack of his own tissues, and handed it to Reigen. “Here, your turn.”
“Ah. Thank you.” With a crooked little smile, Reigen dabbed at his face, letting it absorb the salty sweat, and tears. “My face must be so puffy by now.”
Serizawa hummed an unspoken opinion. Corners of his mouth upturned pleasantly.
“Sasaki is probably waiting for us to go over and explain everything,” sighed Reigen returning the tissues.
Serizawa didn’t bother to look back in Sasaki’s direction. His gaze were on the arrows, the field full of arrows. “Then we should walk over to him, and explain as much as we can,” nodded Serizawa.
Reigen caught his arm before Serizawa could move too far away. “Are you alright?”
“Better now, thank you.” Serizawa looked away from the field, and into Reigen’s searching face. It was a little puffy, but still round and expressive as ever. Serizawa watched Reigen purse his lips, and added, “It’s okay Reigen, honest. I know my limits.”
Reigen nodded stiffly. Serizawa was an adult after all, but still, he couldn’t help but worry. “Okay.”
“This was,” Serizawa took a moment to search for the right word, “enlightening.”
“Do you have any idea how scared I was?” Reigen’s grip tightened marginally on Serizawa’s arm.
Serizawa blinked at Reigen. It wasn’t s if he wasn’t used to Reigen showing he cared, but to openly admit fear was something…different.
Blush tinted the tips of Reigen’s ears. A rare, almost impatiently immature look.
“Very?” Serizawa’s throat felt a little dry, but he managed a small smile.
“Y-yeah,” said Reigen, looking to the side.
“I’m sor-”
“There’s no need. Of course I’d worry about my best deputy.”
Serizawa smirked, “your only deputy, as far as I’m aware.” He placed a hand over Reigen’s, “thank you for worrying.”
“Tch. Of course.” Reigen closed his eyes, then opened one at Serizawa in a squint like fashion. His own rendition of the classic Serizawa Business Stare, “how are you feeling? You said it yourself it was intense. And you looked…” Reigen frowned.
“I was scared too. I’m a little frustrated, but I think important things were learned …and I’m looking forward to that nap later.”
Reigen nodded his agreement expression softening.
Serizawa tilted his head, “what’s with the bow?”
“O-oh well.” Reigen glanced at what part of it he could see. He hoped in all the hustle and bustle he didn’t treat it badly. It was a precious family heirloom after all. “Just, holding it for a precautionary measure.”
“No, no,” tired as Serizawa felt, a suspicion of a tease couldn’t help but enter into his voice. “Walk me through the thought process of bringing a bow to a supernatural, uh…well it wasn’t a fight. Not really. A vision of one…echo? I’ll figure it out later.”
“Well, there’s arrows everywhere and,” Reigen explained what had happened with Sasaki, but kept the harshness of the struggle out of it. “Then I saw you there and… you didn’t look…” he was filled with the sudden desire to reach out and cup Serizawa’s cheek. He stuffed that want away, and looked away. It felt safer to focus on the arrows. “Anyways. I thought if I started firing arrows it’d scare the ghost off - entity, whatever. It just, felt like the right thing to do. At the time at least. I don’t know. My usual distraction tactic I guess. If it focused on me, you could, I don’t know, run away?”
“That, is very sweet,” said Serizawa.
Reigen started to rub the underside of his nose, a half allowed preen.
With the memory of Reigen standing in front of Serizawa baring the bow and arrow up at the looming rider firmly in his mind. What would have happened if Reigen did successfully send an arrow through the rider? What would have happened if the rider chose to retaliate? Serizawa shivered.
“And very stupid,” continued Serizawa.
Reigen halted. “Ah.”
“Come on, Reigen Arataka,” said Serizawa voice all gentleness as he brushed a thumb over Reigen’s hand. “You really think I’d run away, and leave you behind?”
Reigen looked at Serizawa, from one eye to the next. His throat felt sticky, and all at once a heaviness was on his shoulders. Fatigue years in the making. He sighed, “I think I’m looking forward to that nap too.”
Serizawa squeezed Reigen’s hand, as if the gesture alone could wring out every worry. He couldn’t make sense of why Reigen’s eyes looked so sad. “Let’s get through talking with Sasaki-san, alright?”
Reigen removed his hand from Serizawa’s arm. Slowly. Reluctantly. He couldn’t think of anything to say, or add. All he could think of was to ask if Serizawa was sure he was alright. But he also had to trust Serizawa’s judgment, it’s what friends did. So he nodded, lamely.
Together they walked through the field of arrows.
By then all that remained of the uncles were Satō and Yoshida. They were talking amongst themselves, but stopped when Reigen and Serizawa were closer. At the sudden silence, Sasaki looked up from staring into a his tea.
He nodded at Serizawa and Reigen grimly. Then rested his cup to the side to bow deeply. “I’m glad I didn’t accidentally hit you, Serizawa-san. I’m sorry,” said Sasaki remorsefully.
“Ah! Sasaki-san, please raise your head,” said Serizawa earnestly. He glanced at Reigen who was unslinging the bow from around himself, then back at Sasaki.
“I don’t think I’d forgive myself if I did hit you. I’m sorry. So very sorry.”
Serizawa tried to gently coax Sasaki to sit upright, “please Sasaki-san. There’s no need-”
“There is! Arrows like any weapon are dangerous, and,” Sasaki’s throat seemed to clog then, choked with words he couldn’t bring himself to say.
“A-alright then, Sasaki-san,” said Serizawa warmly, realizing there would be no budging with Sasaki, “I accept your apology. Will you please sit up? It’s alright.”
Guided by Serizawa’s hands, Sasaki sat upright once more.
“This is yours Sasaki-san,” said Reigen offering up the bow reverently. “I took it because, well…just in case you got up and had ideas again. But I ended up firing a few shots myself. I’m sorry. I hope it isn’t damaged.”
Sasaki accepted his returned family heirloom, gingerly, and looked it over carefully. Then looked at Reigen’s left inner arm knowingly. At this Reigen couldn’t help but smile apologetically.
“It made sense to do so at the time… I don’t know.”
“Reigen-san…” Sasaki moved to bow again, but was stopped as both Serizawa and Reigen halted him. “I don’t know…I don’t know what more I could say except sorry.” He looked up, eyes suspiciously watery. “Are you hurt?”
At this Serizawa looked at Reigen closely, with a more studious eye. The hypocrite. “Hurt?”
“No,” lied Reigen while pretending not to hear Serizawa, “I’m good, Sasaki-san. Besides, I think I should be the one asking you that.”
Sasaki rolled his shoulders, the center of his back was sure to bloom a modest bruise. “Smarts, but a good smarts. Kept me from doin’ something stupid. So thank you.”
Reigen waved the thanks. “What’s important, was no one got badly hurt. Alright?”
“Right.” Sasaki reached for the comfort of the tea cup, not meeting Serizawa’s eyes. Mind playing terrible what ifs of his own. “There really is something happening here, isn’t there?” Sasaki said at last.
“It’s happenin’ all over,” nodded Yoshida.
“And we can’t just ignore it enough that it’d go away on its own,” said Satō.
“I’m afraid so,” said Serizawa.
“That’s why we’re here. It’s why Gotou-san called us,” said Reigen.
Sasaki finally looked someone in the eye then, and he looked at Reigen. He had that hard to define expression on again, but this time it made Reigen feel a little uncomfortable. Perhaps even a little seen.
Not sure what to do under Sasaki’s gaze, he braved a smile, “I’m sorry if my blows were too harsh, Sasaki-san. But hey, at least we know you have ibuprofen.”
A huff expelled itself from Sasaki. “Got some arnica too.” His face shadowed as he leaned forward. “If it weren’t for you, an the rest, well… just as ye said, no one got badly hurt. I should be thankin’ ya fer keeping me from doin’ something I’d regret forever.”
“Alright,” said Reigen, he didn’t want to fish for apologies or thanks again. Oh well. “Thanks taken. So don’t sweat it so much, okay? It’s like Satō and Yoshida said, these things have been happening all over. I’m sure you already know about Gotou’s own near accident.”
Sasaki nodded, then looked up solemn, and sad. “Is the mountain cursed? The land?”
“Inquiries are on going,” said Reigen, pained by how much he didn’t know.
“But things are becoming clearer,” added Serizawa. “This is the third brush we’ve had with, well we’ve been calling it an entity - but I’m starting to wonder if it’s anything singular. If it does turn out to be something singular, then its something that shifts and changes. Depending on the person.”
Sasaki, Yoshida, Satō nodded along, as did Reigen though as discreetly as possible. After all he was supposed to also be a psychic in the eyes of everyone else.
“What we experienced on the Inoue property, and with Gotou-san, was nothing like this.”
“Yet the trance like behaviors were…vaguely similar,” said Reigen. “There’s a disconnect with time as well,” continued Serizawa. “Inoue in his trance experienced something that happened within his lifetime.” Serizawa paused, then looked at Sasaki, “have you ever had to defend your property?”
“Well, in the usual sense - especially in this economy. Gotta fight to keep from foreclosures. Fer the government ta not just seize it up.”
“But not in a physical sense. I mean, you never raised your bow to a person, erm, excluding now.”
“No, don’t say I have,” said Sasaki bashfully.
“And unless you have some talent of your own to transport yourself to a historical time…well, what I saw wasn’t very ‘within this lifetime’.”
“Ya mean a battle happened here?” Yoshida went, taking his hat off.
Satō rolled his eyes, which was hard to catch with the red aviators. “That don’t mean much, battles have happened over almost every square foot of the archipelago.”
“Serizawa means a specific one,” added Reigen, helpfully. “An altercation of some sort, at best.”
Serizawa nodded. “Yes, thank you. But,” he looked Reigen over, with unabashed admiration, “how did you know it’d be connected to the bow?”
Reigen did his best not to preen. “Sasaki didn’t seem the type to ride around his own property shooting arrows willy-nilly.”
“Ah sure as hell ain’t,” agreed Sasaki.
“Not if his ducks would be at risk. Which brings me to how I noticed the main direction the arrows all landed. The projectile source being his home. So, a want to protect could be gleamed.”
“It was one of the first things ya asked me,” realized Sasaki.
“Well, it’s not every day you see a field full of arrows,” said Reigen, trying, and failing, to not look too happy with his contribution.
Sasaki, smiled. It was perhaps the first time Reigen and Serizawa saw Sasaki smile. He was quite a handsome man.
“Oh,” continued Reigen, “to help in perhaps narrowing this down. Do you have theories of your own? A common denominator of some sort?”
“Between you an me,” said Satō lowering his aviators conspiratorially, “I’d say it stems to some rich bastard. That’s usually the source of bad things happening. A rich bastard trying to get away with something. Right?”
Reigen and Serizawa nodded in agreement. Some of the worst cases brought to Spirits and Such had some rich idiot as a part it.
“Well then, it’d be Takeda’s fault,” said Yoshida. “They’re the ones with the biggest property, and causin’ all a ruckus with that estate. Never fully deciding ta fix it up or tear it down.”
“Now hang on now,” said Sasaki trying to be a voice of reason, “at the risk of soundin’ like some apologist,”said here as if it were a dirty word, “we can’t be too hasty ta be puttin’ blame. And who among us hasn’t profited in some way working along side Takeda an their safflower growin’. Takeda Senior was a right mean bastard in his time, an I hate him as fiercely as the next.”
At this Satō and Yoshida nodded, Sasaki was quite a passionate man beyond his stoicism. And no one around had stronger feelings against the Takedas quite like Sasaki either. But Sasaki was also the sort to not let a personal gripe get in the way of reasoning, if he could help it.
“Yet,” continued Sasaki, “Takeda Kōji has always tried to be as neighborly as the rest ‘o us.” Sasaki sighed, weary and resigned. He took off his cap and rubbed at the hairline, itchy with sweat, “but that’s just how it goes I ‘spose, just like any ol’ place. Every land has its history, reachin’ on back through time like the roots of an old ginkgo tree. Seein’ the fruit of what was once planted.
“This family was here since the Heien period, that family was descended from the Lord that drowned my uncle cuz he was bored that day. The family’s ancestor that done live down the road, shot our Suzuki fer hunting where he shouldn’t cuz he was a personal guard of the local Lord, while their descendants saved each other from the river during a flash flood, and fell in love.”
Yoshida nodded along, “A family ordered to chop wood down the line incidentally runs the lumber yard - ex-set-er-ra.”
“It all twists and weaves like a tapestry. And that’s if the documents are even still around to prove or contest such claims. What we know, what is written, what is told and past on,” said Sasaki. “But it don’t matter much, and perhaps it never did…and maybe it means everything. We’re all just tryin’ ta make a living out here.”
Here Sasaki looked between Serizawa and Reigen. The knowingness of it jolted Reigen a bit. “Yer grandpappy could have been an untouchable for all I care, ain’t a lick of difference ta me. People have, and always will, need people to do dirty dangerous and demanding work.”
Reigen and Serizawa nodded silently in agreement.
From Reigen’s family’s line of work ‘dirtying’ themselves from touching the dead. To the rough manual labor Serizawa’s father and grandfather went through doing labor intensive jobs manufacturing cars, and other backbreaking work given to Japanese Brazilian families when they were encouraged to return to Japan by the government with all sorts of promises.
They shared a complicated, sheepish, look between them. Especially Serizawa, who still did not know of Reigen’s family’s line of work, but had discussed such things with Reigen before. All Serizawa knew of Reigen’s background was that it was a business of sorts, and that Reigen didn’t want to talk about it.
And although certain things like descendants and cast systems weren’t as thought about as it used to be, such feelings could also be passed down, be it unintentional or otherwise. Serizawa’s shoulders felt a little lighter that Sasaki voiced such an opinion. Meanwhile Reigen was starting to realize he had misjudged Sasaki and was glad he hadn’t said anything out loud.
“Yeah yeah, peace an love an all that rest,” said Satō, “that don’t stop the fact, that the way the estate of the old Lord and Lady was built ta cause problems fer the rest of us. They may be gone, Takeda Kōji may be doin’ his darnedest - but when it rains its still us little folk who get the brunt of the water. That rolls down on us.”
“Ye should try bringing the water up to Takeda then, Satō,” said Yoshida, man with whole orchard. “Could come in handy to voice it.”
“You were lucky Takeda Senior wasn’t hovern’ around like a helicopter. Takeda Kōji can only do so much while under his old man’s thumb. I still remember the time after a bad rain ya swung by, drunk as a raccoon dog, worrying yer orchard would rot from the excessive water.”
“Um,” said Serizawa politely, “so, are we to understand the Takedas do care about that sort of thing?”
Sasaki fiddled with his hat, “again, depends on which Takeda ya chat with. They’re certainly the wealthiest family out here, still hold the deed to the ol’ manor beyond the safflowers.”
Reigen quirked a brow, “is the property…visitable?”
“Weeeell,” went Yoshida scratching the hairs on his chin surreptitiously.
“Legally?” Reigen added, with a coy grin.
Satō snorted, “ye’d hafta ask the family I suppose.”
“Right,” said Reigen. He glanced at Serizawa. Despite Serizawa’s pleasant expression, and healthier complexion, Reigen wasn’t entirely convinced a break of some sort wasn’t in order. Sooner than later. Perhaps visiting the Takedas could be a whole day thing.
Sasaki hummed a bit, “well, that’s all here an there, ‘cause the family has been trying to renovate that ‘ol place for generations now.”
“Huh. You’d think the government would jump at the chance to help restore something historic.”
“Well, ya know how governments can be.”
“Yeah,” sighed Serizawa, surprising even himself. But then, he had heard stories from his father and grandfather to know just how disillusioning government promises can be. All pretty and shiny on the outside, only to ring hollow like a dull rusty bell.
Reigen glanced at him then, spotting the rare expression on Serizawa’s face. Despite knowing it wouldn’t account for much, but wanting to show solidarity, Reigen caught Serizawa’s eye, gave an encourage small smile, before wrapping his arm around Serizawa’s shoulder in a side hug.
“Unless…” Reigen went on, casually as ever.
“Unless?” Serizawa said, without missing a beat. A curve of a smile returning on his lips.
“There’s a reason the Takeda family are always off again on again renovations for generations?”
At this Sasaki shrugged, “it’s a funny world all right, but it ain’t my business. Fer now, at least. If they got some Scooby-Doo shit goin’ on it better not mess with the community. That’s all I’m sayin’ on that.”
“We’ll be sure to keep you posted,” said Reigen.
“As well as on the ongoing situation, too,” said Serizawa.
“Of course,” nodded Reigen.
Sasaki, Satō, and Yoshida nodded appreciatively.
“Thank y’all again, for… well before,” said Sasaki.
“It don’t mean mentioning,” said Satō, nudging Sasaki amicably. “So quit bringing it up.”
“Right,” said Yoshida, nudging the other side of Sasaki.
Reigen and Serizawa agreed. Smiling.
Sasaki raised his hand and said, “it does. And one more thing.” Here Sasaki rested the bow to his side, stood up, and offered out his hand to shake.
First to Serizawa. “Thank you Serizawa-san. Your fresh set of eyes is probably what this whole situation needs.”
Serizawa found himself surprised by the strong passionate grip, and how rough and scratchy the callouses on Sasaki’s hand felt. “I’ll keep doing my best, Sasaki-san.”
Then Sasaki turned to Reigen, with a stern look. It was hard to tell if he was rallying, or figuring out where to punch. Then his hand reached out to Reigen.
“I may have misjudged you Reigen-san, I apologize,” said Sasaki.
“Oh, um,” Reigen gulped, unsure how to name the emotion that rose within him. So he placed it into the handshake. Looking into Sasaki’s eyes he said, “I owe you an apology as well, Sasaki-san. I might have been quick to judge too.”
That knowing look flickered over Sasaki, the kind that made Reigen antsy. He wondered if Sasaki could feel how sweaty his palm was.
Momentary farewells made. As well as Sasaki slipping a small container of arnica to Reigen (“For the arm, thats sure ta be smartin’.”). Reigen and Serizawa were off once more.
The quantity of arrows imbedded into the earth depleting with each step. The akebi still trying to grow along the trees. The bicycles right where they left them.
So much had happened in so little time, it was remarkable, almost unimaginable. In an hour or so that felt like months, everything was exactly the same, but different. All it took was a moment.
“What was that about?” Serizawa asked after a while.
“What was what about?”
“Between you and Sasaki?”
“Oh…” Reigen started to swing a leg over the bicycle, but remembered how exhausted Serizawa looked after the ordeal. Not to mention now. “Let’s walk a bit, my butt’s getting sore from using this thing everywhere.”
Serizawa blinked, then shrugged. “Okay.” A pause. “So, you and Sasaki?”
“Hm?”
Serizawa raised his brows, “the two of you had a, charged kind of energy for the most part. Since the start actually.”
“Oh, right. …nothing too major. We were just quick to jump to conclusions about the other, I suppose. But that seems to be amended.”
“Oh. I’m glad it worked out.”
The sound of tires against the road filled the silence. As did the squish of muddied shoes. Unbeknownst to Reigen, Serizawa had been giving him worried looks of his own. For some time now.
Reigen’s expression from earlier was still fresh in Serizawa’s mind. The bags under his eyes, the tear stains, the writhing growing worms, the smoke…
Gently, with a voice no louder than a rustle from a passing deer, Serizawa asked, “how are you feeling?”
“Hm?” Reigen looked up from his surreptitious attempt to scrape mud off his shoes. Distracted. “Fine. And you?”
Serizawa drew a patient breath through his nose. “Reigen-san.”
Reigen blinked at the tone. “Yeah?”
“The worms. They were on you again. This is the third time it has happened. Did you know?”
“About the worms on me? Well you hinted, with the crying mention heh heh,” the care free look slowly faded under Serizawa’s gaze. “That’s …unsettling.”
“Very.” Serizawa halted the bike, causing Reigen to halt and look back at him. “So how are you feeling?”
To Reigen’s credit, he did pause to consider this. “Nothing. Or…” he sighed, perplexed by how to articulate some sticky inner miasma. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I feel, like my normal self?”
Serizawa nodded, believing him.
“It’s strange that this…” Reigen’s brows wrinkled, “whatever this is, is clinging close to - well I suppose I can’t say it’s just a single collective memory. Considering everything you mentioned noticing with Sasaki.”
Serizawa nodded, then looked towards the surrounding forest. The trees seemed closer together. He found himself wondering if, just out of eyesight, he’d see that rider from before. Silently watching. Moving between the trees as easy as a goose gliding in water. He tried not to shiver at the thought.
“But,” said Reigen, interrupting Serizawa’s thoughts, “it really makes you reflect on…the nature of memories…right? I mean it does to me. What, or who exactly, is doing the remembering here? Is someone remembering something that pops in their mind more often than not, or is it some subtle coercion?”
Serizawa considered this with the same careful thought he did with anything. He even made the same face he made when considering a particularly tricky model instruction. Finally he said, “that’s a good point. I’m not sure, I...suppose it would depend on the feeling? Or perhaps intent."
Reigen turned this over in his mind, though his thought process was a bit more like soccer ball juggling. “That could be said with just about anything involving spirits, and ghosts. At least from what I've noticed.”
“Strong emotions can linger,” said Serizawa.
“Heh, isn’t that the truth,” said Reigen, who couldn't help but give a sideways smirk.
Their eyes met.
Reigen was the first to look away, scratching the side of his cheek. Squinting to find some invisible offending bug. “Anyways, it would probably help to narrow down the, ah, kind of emotion, or, whatever. Could that be a common denominator? Is it active remembering? Or imposed?”
Serizawa was still watching him as he said, “That’s an interesting string of questions to consider.”
Reigen smiled at the praise, “thank you.”
“Reigen?” Serizawa moved himself and the bicycle closer.
This got Reigen to look at Serizawa again. “Hm?”
“Have you been, well, remembering things?”
“Oh.”
Reigen looked out at the lush scenery of the countryside. The wind over the paddies. The patchwork of spring pinks and muddy earthy hues. Now, only framed by a window made of branches, but in a few steps along the road, they’d be tucked away on the bend, blocked by trees.
“It’s a bit hard to go throughout the day not remembering things, don’t you think?”
“I suppose…” Serizawa watched as the shadow pattern of leaves danced over over Reigen in the breeze.
“And how can you know if you’re remembering things… well, more than the normal amount? What even is the normal amount?”
“That would be hard, yes,” conceded Serizawa. He eyed Reigen as if he were a trout slipping past his open palm. There was sense in what he was saying, and yet…
”I think of stuff, sure, but I don’t obsess.” He snapped his fingers, delighted as if he discovered some new element, “Maybe obsession is the key! Erm, anyways. It’s, my thinking? Remember? Whatever. It’s idle, I suppose. Heh. Reminds me of something Teruki asked the night before we left,” continued Reigen, thoughtfully. “We were watching this movie, and well..."
Reigen squinted out at the distant underbrush, halfway convinced he'd spot a tell tale sign of a plume of smoke, and a small net to catch lizards. Or something banally paradoxical - rushing to be so mature while so, so juvenile. Perhaps tumbling up from the hillside with dirty feet (and shoes hung around the neck tied at the laces to keep from muddying), trailing smoke from a cigarette, and a bouquet of foraged mountain asparagus to make up for some new mischief.
“Yes?” Encouraged Serizawa.
“About, how often people look back on their childhood, and stuff.”
Serizawa nodded solemnly, “Depends on the person, I suppose.”
“Yes, that's what I said - kind of. And, ah, the childhood.”
“Yes,” said Serizawa meaningfully. Then added: “You think there’s a connection?”
“Well, if this thing is latching on memories, maybe it’s nothing too dramatic as we think. In my case I mean. I haven’t reached ‘Trancing and Night Walking’. For instance maybe it just, saw me watching a movie about being haunted by your childhood self.”
“Haunted?” Serizawa tilted his head. “That’s an interesting choice of phrasing.”
“Or something. …I don’t know,” said Reigen, more defensive than he intended. “And maybe with Sasaki, well with a bow like that I’m sure the nostalgia has been passed down with it.”
Serizawa frowned.
“Please don’t give me that look,” said Reigen.
“And, what look is it this time?”
“The ‘I wish you’d tell me what’s happening’ look,” clarified Reigen feeling wretched in his slanted truths. “Which, I think, is unneeded when nothing is happening - to me at least. Supernaturally I mean.” As far as Reigen was genuinely aware of, that is.
The case was stressful enough as it is, Reigen didn’t want to weigh in his own personal nonsense to the pile… to Serizawa’s shoulders.
“I can’t help it. I do wish you’d tell me if something is happening.” Serizawa stepped closer, fond teasing replaced with the rising tide of seriousness. “Reigen, you were just as affected as these residents last night. Not to mention what happened at Inoue’s. Then again at Sasaki’s place. If something’s amiss, if there’s something you’re not telling me… I’m worried. You didn’t even mention you got hurt during the scuffle with Sasaki-san.”
“It wasn’t really a scuffle,” Reigen couldn’t stop himself to correct, while ignoring the pulsing pain on his bruised inner arm, “it’s not like he hit me. In fact,” he added, not feeling proud, “I did most of the hitting.”
“Between that, your spacing out - yes I did see you and Sasaki-san just staring at each other, and my headaches - I’m very worried.”
Reigen blinked, genuinely confused. “Wait. When were we staring at each other?”
“When I caught up with you. Don’t you remember?”
“Oh! Just before my brilliant plan. That was just a small moment though. It’s not like I was in a trance.”
Serizawa set his jaw, “I’d hate that whatever you’re going to tell me, might happen too late for me to help. Aren’t we partners?”
Reigen looked up into Serizawa’s beautiful copper face. “I…” How honest would he allow himself to be, here, now. Before Serizawa, who has been struggling with a two day headache already. Avoidance would only make things worse, cause Serizawa to worry twice as much, and yet…
“Ookay. Alright. I think this place is getting to me, a little bit, that’s all,” said Reigen, tinting his casualness with a pinch of sincerity, an attempt at some middle road. “And all this talk about the past… I don’t know,” he thumbed the worn old material of the bicycle’s handlebar.
“Similar to how Gotou-san, and the other’s have been thinking about the past?”
Reigen ruminated this, “I’m hesitant to say definitely. I mean, I’m not exactly a resident here.”
“But you could be showing signs the residents were having before they realized it getting out of hand.”
A pained look flashed briefly through Reigen. He looked down at the handlebars. “That’s something we might never know. Unless we build a time machine, or jump directly into the minds of others. Anyways, my gut says…” here, Reigen shrugged.“Something about the countryside makes me think of childhood I guess, and watching that movie before departing probably didn’t help.” Reigen snaked a hand through his hair, and dragged it down his neck. Genuine in his frustration. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. It’s… muddled. Everything is muddled and abstract.”
Serizawa watched him, and found himself wanting to say, I’m sorry, or, for some mystifying reason, my condolences. Instead he said: “I believe you.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, “we knew it would be a complicated case signing up.”
Watching Serizawa brought a tenderness to Reigen. This couldn’t be doing Serizawa any favors. He felt like kicking himself.
“It’ll pass. I don’t think it’s the same as the residents - it’ll pass,” insisted Reigen, beaming confidence for the both of them, “once we get past the starting curve of this case, I’m sure of it. We’ll start spotting some consistencies soon enough. A marathon, remember?”
Serizawa paused, and lowered his hand. He felt the distinct need to remember something, or rather he remembered he had missed something important. “What were you saying earlier?”
“Um? It’s a marathon not a sprint?”
“No, no, earlier. Before everything… by the ducks. About takoyaki and the sea?”
“Uh,” Reigen blinked, “octopus good, and the sea is vast? Something like that?”
“I… suppose.”
It wasn’t that Reigen was being obtuse for malicious reasons. Or the gut response to wriggle at being honest. It merely spoke to the gravity of what was disclosed in that rare moment of honesty, he couldn’t bring himself to say again so casually.
Although this Reigen did say with sincere honesty: “You looked so down, about the ducks - I just rambled about how seafood prep freaked me out sometimes - I thought it’d help.”
“Oh.” Serizawa’s expression softened. “It did.”
Reigen brightened. “Let’s forget the Takeda’s and take that nap. Hm? We can pass by Ogawa-san’s afterwards too.”
Serizawa halted his steps.
The brightness on Reigen dimmed. He had a bad feeling about how determined Serizawa was looking. “What?”
Serizawa shook his head, “something is telling me to keep going. We learned some valuable things just now. I’m eager to continue.”
“Marathon Serizawa! Mara-thon!” Reigen groaned. “Serizawa, you looked like you were going to faint in that field earlier,” implored Reigen the Hypocrite. “You were in shock!”
“How about this,” said Serizawa the Compassionate Compromiser, “is there a route that passes by the Takeda place that leads towards Gotou’s house?”
Reigen felt his heart compromised at best. He looked away, his hands a little tighter on the handlebars. “Well…”
“It’d be better than needlessly backtracking, wouldn’t it? Pragmatic even.” Serizawa smiled the confident smile of knowing he had said a magic word. Reigen was a fan of pragmatism.
“I mean…” said Reigen, wretched and battling with his preference with pragmatism. It was just that he preferred Serizawa’s well being more.
“What does the map say?”
Reigen handed the map over, feeling resigned to a future that didn’t need much psychic clairvoyance to guess the outcome of.
“See, right there is a way,” pointed Serizawa with a bright beautiful smile.
Pragmatic Serizawa, what a lethal combination to Reigen’s constitution.
“Alright, alright! We’ll casually pass by it. And I suppose it would be better than needlessly backtracking.” Reigen had to look away from Serizawa’s brightening smile, just when he thought it couldn’t get brighter.
“I am feeling better than I was out in the field,” reassured Serizawa, meticulously re-folding the map. “Besides Inoue-san cut up apple slices for me earlier.” Serizawa smiled skyward at the memory of how crisp they tasted, “they were very tasty. And energizing! As were the crackers, of course.”
Reigen squinted, brow wrinkling, “apple slices? It - they’re not in season. How did she get apples?”
Serizawa blinked at Reigen as if he had just grown a third ear. “Sure, it might not be in season, but it isn’t impossible to get certain fruits all season long in this day and age. Especially apples.”
Not up here, not when Yoshida has a whole orchard that could be supported, or others who have fruits in vegetables in season that could be supported! Reigen wanted to say. He could feel a rant bubble in his mouth, but tampered it down. Gated it behind his nicotine yellowed teeth.
Was it him, or was his patience shortening lately?
“You’ve seen them at the supermarkets,” continued Serizawa when Reigen’s silence drew on.
“Yeah,” said Reigen, glancing up the road, keeping himself from reiterating how it could take a whole day to go to and from the supermarket. “I suppose I have.”
It was then that Reigen’s phone received a message. He paused his bike pushing, and flipped it open. “Oh god.”
“Wh-what?” Serizawa leaned forward, dreading the worst.
Reigen turned the phone to show the picture, and all the worry rushed out of Serizawa like a gust. “Don’t do things like that!” Serizawa gently hit Reigen’s left arm, which only caused him to grin devilishly more. He played off the real pain as something dramatic and over the top.
Serizawa laughed despite himself.
Reigen smiled at the sight. Tension expelled by laughter could be medicine in itself.
“I think they sent it to you too. Aren’t they adorable?”
Serizawa rolled his eyes, but in a fond sort of way, and checked his phone too. As suspected, he too received a photo.
The picture was this: Mob and Teruki squatting in front of the flowers and plants on sale at the nursery shop Minegishi worked at (who was making a barely there appearance with the back of his head, cryptid like). Mob and Teruki both had the biggest grins (befitting their own personal expressive natures), with hands gesturing peace signs. Teruki did indeed have Reigen’s old earrings on.
Below the picture was the message: “A bit of city nature from us to you! Good luck! Fight on!”
“They’re so sweet,” smiled Serizawa dotingly.
Reigen nodded with a tender familial gaze, “makes you want to get your teeth checked for cavities, huh?”
“I suppose so!”
“I’m glad Mob is smiling more these days.”
Serizawa hummed, giving Reigen a sidelong glance. “You always look so surprised to get a message from him. It’s not like you’ll become strangers.”
“Oh… well…” Reigen’s internal mental gymnastics team was cartoonishly fighting the self deprecating squad. “He’s a good kid.”
“And Hanazawa-kun seems happier too.”
“I hope so. …any message from Shou, yet?”
“Mmm not really, but he’s never been one to like early mornings.”
“Early mornings? Hasn’t the school day started by now?”
“He tends to follow the beat of his own drum. I like to think the rhythm is slowly changing for the better.”
Reigen flipped his phone closed, and stretched loudly before returning to pushing his bike. “UGH this gives me such an urge to give a noogie.”
Serizawa snorted. “I don’t know about that,” he said, closing his phone and following, matching Reigen’s stride along the dusty path.
“Yo, Serizawa, lean down a minute.”
“Pff! Not on your life, I’m not letting you noogie me!”
“Wha? C’monnn! Think of it like, like a scalp massage! Yeah, that’s it.”
“Nu-uh, no way. And no, those puppy eyes won’t work on me, sir.”
“Don’t you ‘sir’ me!”
The sun moved along on its trajectory across the sky. Breezes ruffled the tops of tree lines. A rabbit ducked to its warren for cover at the sound of a twig breaking.
Back at the Sasaki residence, Sasaki was guiding the last of the ducks back into their newly fixed pen. It was helpful they were so accustomed to humans, and easily followed them along.
Closing up the fence gate, Sasaki gave a look at the recently fixed section. His mouth twitched from side to side with consideration.
He then felt a nudge against his shoulder, and the tips of his hair bend to the breeze of an exhaled snort. Sasaki turned, and smiled. “Hey, Ayumu. How are ya?”
Ayumu the horse responded by trying to ponderously nibble at Sasaki’s hat.
Sasaki laughed, and gave the horse grateful pets. “I’m alright too, thank ya.” Then he fished for his phone, and dialed a number “Big Komaba? Yer not gonna believe this…”
Notes:
Those curious to learn more about the complicated history of Japan and Brazil might find these videos interesting [ X ] [ X ] I know I did.
And although I don't have a tailored article or video regarding the Emishi to share (one of the country's native people), I would be remiss to not mention the Ainu, another native people who inhabit Tōhoku as well as Hokkaido. Some scholars say they are one in the same, and there's ongoing discussion on the matter, but there would need to be someone far cleverer than me to untangle. As it happens under imperialism, especially to natives, forced assimilation and colonization attempted to wipe the Ainu people and language. But they're still here, the Ainu language is still here.
This is a beautiful documentary film (2015) produced by Dr. Kinko Ito, a professor of sociology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where Ainu elders are interviewed and speak about their experiences: Have You Heard About The Ainu? Elders of Japan's Indigenous People Speak
If possible, and or if you have the means, I invite you to read Chiri Yukie's “The Song The Owl God Sang” Collected oral tales written down by an Ainu in 1922.
And this is a really neat map of Native Land around the globe!
And with this, we round to a close "I Don't Know" part2 Arrow.
I'm not going to lie, I still think the ending of this chapter is still fuzzy, and clunky, but I can't keep staring at these words anymore lol. I only hope the words make sense.
Stay tuned for the last "I Don't Know"s interview process with part 3 'An Unkindness'.
A lot of things first touched on in these initial interviews will be dived and explored further as the story goes on. I hope I do it justice.Be safe, stay kind, and keep fighting and resisting! 🇵🇸
Chapter 10: "I Don't Know" (Part 3.1) An Unkindness
Notes:
⚠️Chapter Warnings (may contain spoilers)
The Sound of a Baby's Cry. Near Car Accident. Brief Car Accident Discussion.
Took nearly a year, but we managed an update my dudes! I can only hope it was worth the wait. It might have taken longer, but I can't bring myself to keep editing and re-editing. There are sections I'm not entirely convinced of, but sometimes thats just the name of the game lol
I did my best, and thats okay!
Please enjoy( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
[ALL]
LET ME READ YOU A STORY
LET ME READ YOU A ROMANCE
I WILL READ, YOU WILL LISTEN
AND THIS TERRIBLE NIGHT WILL PASS
- Side One. Track One. "I Don't Know", Ghost Quartet, Dave Malloy
❧❧❧
Moving slightly backwards in time. We briefly follow Suzaku Meri’s journey that was happening simultaneously along Reigen and Serizawa’s.
With nothing but a heavy camping backpack and a carryon to her name, she was northward bound. To the countryside. To simplicity.
Or rather, the supposed simplicity imagined by those who had never worked a field in their life, and had only ever scrolled through images online of rolling fields and sundresses, while imagining themselves in an apron. And maybe something diaphanous - just incase a sudden rain shower came on… and maybe… maybe someone tall dark and handsome might be there, taking shelter under the same tree.
An unexpected meeting. The setup to future embraces… after a bit of courtship, sure.
Home baked bread fit in there somewhere…
Ah yes, Suzaku Meri’s mind swam with possibilities.
She lowered her train seat side window, and closed her eyes to the fresh breeze against her face. While trying not to be too bothered by how loud an open window on a speeding train could be. For the look of the thing.
She wondered what newness would become of her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the passenger beside her, politely asking her to raise the window again, because the breeze was giving them earache.
With a small apology Suzaku obliged.
Yet she would not be deterred in her fancies! Suzaku straightened as a new idea came to her. Jane Austen levels of romance aside, why not something more practical?
Yes!
Suzaku could see it now, and sighed contentedly…
She’d help around field and land, working in the early mornings. Give a hello gift to her neighbors, bicycle everywhere. Then, in the evenings, she could set about to writing the Next Great Japanese Novel.
With, well, alright, perhaps some diaphanous clothes could be involved. And a straw hat. She’d always liked a straw hats. Or perhaps those wonderful Mori Girl styles Suzaku had always wanted to try wearing, but felt a bit silly and insecure to try in the city. Especially when working at the publishing office.
Suzaku wondered if she could order any to her new home. Her future, home, a delightful cottage with a garden. Home grown vegetables, and yes! Freshly home baked bread. There, Suzaku knew it’d fit in somewhere.
Ah yes, working charmingly, being, as they say ‘neighborly’, and writing. She could be like that one Western children’s author… what was the name again?
Oh yes, Beatrix Potter!
Except Suzaku’s own drawing was a bit to be desired. Nor had she ever held a painting brush before. Aside from primary school.
But who cares! Why should that stop Suzaku? Who knows, someone might find her little scribbles… charming.
It was a wishful thought.
No, not even her wildest fantasies could give her the courage to believe there was much to be desired in her drawing capabilities.
But no matter!
If her future was to have a soundtrack to it, she would hope there would be a whimsical amount of woodwinds, perhaps with a flute solo.
The bus took a little longer to start than Suzaku would have liked. Yet Suzaku was never one to let a little delay stop her! Well, that is, the New and Improved Suzaku Meri!
The old Suzaku would probably frown and resign herself dejectedly. Readying a message to send to her boss about a tardiness, while apologizing for things that were completely out of her control.
Instead Suzaku asked the kindly woman who had chickens to watch her bags while she rushed off to the closest corner store. It took… a long time. And sure, perhaps a rising surge of fear crept into Suzaku whispering things like: you’re going to miss the bus at this rate, and then you’ll have to spend the night at the bus stop.
But Suzaku lifted her head and sniffed, “so be it!”
A passing granny on the sidewalk blinked at her. “Are ya alright, dearie?”
“Oh! Um. Yes, sorry.”
The granny smiled a gummy smile, and patted Suzaku’s arm. “Ya lost?”
Suzaku deflated almost instantly. “Is it that obvious? I tried to use the gps on my phone, but it keeps acting up. Maybe it needs an update, but it should really be plugged in for that, and I don’t see any free-wifi coffee shops - not that I have a lot of time. I’m supposed to be catching a bus, but it’s taking a while.”
The granny, who was struggling bravely through Suzaku’s rambles, grasped at the first thing she recognized. “The bus! Yep. It does that. Where ya oft ta now?”
“Um?” Suzaku said, in a high pitched non-offending tone of confusion.
“Where are you off to?” she repeated patiently.
“Oh!” Suzaku blushed, embarrassed. “Yes sorry. I’m looking for somewhere that’d sell apples. My mom always said apples are a good way to say hello. Especially the red ones. Not too sweet, not too bitter, just right. Or was that cider?”
The granny tilted her head to the side. “Apples? They’re outta season, girlie.”
“Oh,” Suzaku frowned, then cheered up again. “There’s bound to be some sold somewhere!” With a raised finger Suzaku said, as if repeating a family motto: “As long as there’s apples it’ll be alright.”
“Erm. Well…” the granny wondered if it would be worth the trouble to explain how a fruit that’s out of season probably won’t taste as good as a fruit in season, and shrugged. The girl would figure it out eventually, besides, she looked like she was in a hurry. “If you must, there’s a konbini two blocks that way. To the left… no. Wait. It’s the other left.”
“Really?!”
“Yep.”
Suzaku made to rush, then halted herself to say, “thank you so much! Is - is there anything I can get for you too?”
The granny smiled, and patted Suzaku’s arm again, “Yer a kind girl. I’m fine, dearie. Run along now.”
Little did Suzaku know that the apples she’d buy would travel just as much as she did, maybe even more.
The apples already started its life months ago when it was in season. Then plucked, packaged, and shipped to a massive freezer containment unit where other apples would be stored. Waiting along side its brethren in the frozen unit, it’d eventually be chosen, shipped to another freezer, and distributed amongst grocery store chains and konbini.
Then, it’d eventually be picked by Suzaku to be gifted to her future neighbors. To which the apples would be passed around by nearly everyone in Green Village on the Hill. As no one would outright refuse the kind gift, out of politeness, and instead would incur such a gesture to someone else, who, out of politeness wouldn’t refuse. While in other cases they’d be given as treats to livestock.
After all, there was nothing worse than wasted food.
When the bus suddenly did get moving from the bus stop, Suzaku decided to sit by the kindly woman with the chickens, by the name of Endo Anju.
Suzaku wanted to think she was making fast friends with the woman, and could listen to her discuss her chickens for hours.
“Endo-san, would you like an apple?”
“Oh, erm,” Endo hesitated, making a polite strained sort of expression that Suzaku would come across many times in the future, and would completely misunderstand every time. “Thank you, dear.”
“Shame it isn’t an apricot,” said Suzaku attempting to make a pun out of Endo’s name.
Endo nodded kindly.
The bus turned a particularly long bend, it caused everyone to lean to one side. Suzaku watched the heads gently tilt with each turn. Shoulders bumping into shoulders.
“Looks like you’re not the only one coming up from the south, Suzaku-chan,” said Endo conversationally.
“Oh?”
Endo pointed with her chin to a few seats ahead of her on the other side of the row. Where a pair of salarymen sat.
One whose face was practically stuck to the window sleeping as if the bumpy and winding road was nothing. Dead to the world.
And the other who struggled against the inertia of the buss’s deep winding turns. Very much not wanting to squish against his sleeping travel partner.
“He looks green as anythin’ I bet.”
“Green as in… new?” Suzaku ventured, observing the pair.
“Green as in nauseous.”
“Ah.”
Suzaku tilted her head to the side, and considered this tall dark and handsome man. Already her internal future novel gears were turning. Rewrites to potentialities.
Was this person also escaping the city?
Suzaku allowed herself a small fantasy of the two of them going through some meet cute… perhaps at a fruit stand! Maybe he had also answered Takeda’s website on safflower field tending and picking. The free boarding was certainly a perk not to miss.
And, while working the fields together, their hands could brush while going for the same flower. And, and perhaps after two weeks everyone in the village would know they were both into each other, and were aching for them to finally get together.
Was it wise to fantasize on potential relationships after a breakup? Well…it was only harmless fantasies.
Something to pass the time while she patched her life together. Suzaku sighed, and wished it didn’t sound so wistful.
“What was I sayin’?” Endo’s voice went, cutting through Suzaku’s thoughts.
Suzaku dragged her eyes away from the salaryman with the broad shoulders. Even if the way he kept looking between his traveling companion, the road, and the seat in front of him on repeat was fascinating. She politely straightened, to give Endo more of her attention.
“Oh yes,” said Endo, “now I remember. Suki-chan here,” Endo gestured to one of the caged chickens, “comes from a line of chickens I picked up from Komaba - an absolute dear of a woman. She had a rooster as mean as anythin’ though. Wasn’t even hers, it just, showed up in the pen one day- bold as anythin’.”
“Did anyone ever mention a lost rooster?”
“No, otherwise Komaba would have returned the little devil. Very few managed to collect eggs with that rooster ‘round. Only the brave seemed to manage. So it goes. But that meanness served its purpose, fought off foxes an the like, like a demon. An goodness the plumage on that cock!” Endo slapped her knee, “marvelous.”
Suzaku started coughing heavily.
“You alright dear?” Endo stared with a beady twinkle in her eyes, it carried a mischief that was only mastered with age. And, perhaps, raising chickens.
“Y-yes,” managed Suzaku.
“Where was I?”
Suzaku wasn’t sure if she wanted to respond. “Um,” she hazarded, cheeks warm, “plumage?”
Endo nodded sagely, a suspicion of a tear in her eye. “That’s right, absolutely beautiful. It was a blessin’ when it appeared to Komaba. A blessin’, I say. She was doin’ …poorly for some time. Oh yes…” Endo paused for a moment, remembering Komaba. The sunken dark eyes. She’d never forget. Then continued: “But if there ever was a truth that a rooster’s crow ends darkness it was here. Iffin a celestial messenger came before me, and explained how that rooster was a reincarnation of the rooster that got Amaterasu out of her cave - well! I’d believe it.” Here Endo slapped her knee again, for emphasis.
“That sounds quite powerful.”
Endo nodded, and jutted her chin towards her own chickens, “you can see a little of that sunlight in my Suki-chan. If ya squint.”
“I wouldn’t sell Suki-chan too short Endo-san. She’s beautiful even in her own right.”
Endo smiled, and patted Suzaku’s arm, “you’re a nice girl. Humoring me an the like.”
Suzaku straightened, ready to protest that her interest was beyond just humoring, but Endo waved this away with a smile.
Then Endo gestured to Suzaku’s massive backpack, “planing on hiking?”
Suzaku nodded, “at some point, yes. I’d like that a lot. I heard there’s many beautiful trails and-”
Endo cut her off, face looking very grave indeed. She held Suzaku’s arm, and leaned forward conspiratorially. “Don’t you know where you’re headin’ girlie? This is Onryō country.”
“O-onryō?”
“En-do-chaaan!” Came the singsong voice of another older woman. She stood up to lean on the backseat of Endo’s seat. Hitting Endo’s arm playfully she said, “quit bein’ a stereotype an scarin’ the poor thing. Big doe eyed girl like her? Ye’d think she’s lost. Already about ta tumble her way inta a fairytale. She don’t need you callin’ up horror stories an givin’ her Their attention. Ya gonna have her whistle in the forest at night too?”
“Actually,” said Suzaku politely, to the new woman with impressive wiry hair. "I heard about the whistling - I wouldn’t dare. Even in the city it’s not…” she trailed off, spotting it’d be a lost cause to continue. Connoisseur of stories as she was, she could spot ‘A Bit’ when she saw one.
“Ah,” said Endo, not looking guilty in the slightest, “yer right. Yer right - when yer right, yer right.”
“Besides,” sniffed the woman, who was clearly close friends with Endo. She then leaned, and posed like a stage play caricature as she said, “it’s more Mountain Witch country than anything.”
“M-mountain witch?” Suzaku managed a tittering somewhat nervous laugh, “will I come across Kintarō while I’m at it? Or his ghost?”
“Whose ta say!” The pair giggled along, to the chorus of clucking chickens. Laugh lines creasing all the more, tracing a lifetime of shared giggling, like the grooves in a stone that endured the same path of traveling water for hundreds of years.
Suzaku smiled at this.
“But really,” said Endo, raising a finger and tapping the side of her nose, “it’s tha Snow Woman ya should mind after.”
Her friend cackled, yes, out right cackled. “Endo-chaaaan,” she said swatting Endo’s arm playfully, “you’re too much. That poor snow woman will be resting till next winter.”
“I ain’t so sure,” said Endo, rubbing her knee meaningfully, “my joints are achin’ somethin’ fierce - an if that don’t mean snow, I don’t know what it means…”
A significant pause followed. The pair of them considering the secret warnings of aged bones and joints.
Somewhere leaves rustled. Moisture continued its ascent through evaporation into the air, collecting to become some future cloud.
Some future rain.
Some future storm.
“Arthritis mostly,” said the friend.
The two friends shared a look, and laughed all over again. Suzaku’s own cheeks hurt from smiling at the comedic duo.
“Damn rheumatoid,” said Endo at the tail-end of her laughter. “But seriously now, where are you headin’ Suzaku-chan?”
“I plan on moving to Green Village on the Hill. Fresh start, fresh everything. I’ve had enough of city living,” she sighed again, wistfulness coming in at full force. “I need a slower, simpler pace in my life. Really build myself back together.”
The older women exchanged looks.
“I see,” said Endo diplomatically. “Already have a house, do you?”
“Well, erm, no. Not, exactly,” said Suzaku bashfully. Then added, in a rush, as if it would make up for the social transgression of not following a societal norm, “but I’ll be staying with the Takeda family in the meantime, while I help with the safflowers. And I have a bit of money saved up from my time working at a publishing company.”
Suzaku didn’t notice, but the temperature of the conversation had chilled the moment she had said Takeda.
The old women exchanged loaded looks.
Not understanding, Suzaku inclined forward some, bowing. “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t be too much of a burden on the community.”
“Raise yer head girl,” said Endo sharply, though not unkindly. “Raise yer head an keep yer wits about you.”
Suzaku raised her head, “sorry?”
“The Takedas have a history,” said Endo meaningfully. Her wiry haired friend nodded along emphatically.
Then, before Endo could expand on the statement, the bus broke down.
The chickens became restless.
A baby onboard started to cry.
❧
Takeda❧ An Unkindness
“I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.”
― Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher
Present.
An interesting word. Signifying the here and now. And a gift.
The cries of crows sounded their arrival. A murder of them. Circling, swooping, before disappearing below the forest line at the edge.
Reigen followed their areal acrobatics with his eyes. Then said, unprompted, “ever heard a raven?”
“Those are crows, Reigen-san.”
“I know,” said Reigen with a light elbow nudge. “Corvus macrorhynchos, if we want to get ~fancy~ about it.”
“Oh-ho!” Went Serizawa, with a mild mannered applause. Letting the bicycle he had been walking by his side rest against him to do so.
At this, Reigen gave a small mock-bow.
“Are you secretly a bird watcher, Reigen-san?”
Reigen slid his eyes to the side, toward Serizawa, “I’m a man of many secrets, Serizawa-san.”
Serizawa slid his eyes to the side, to meet Reigen’s, and added a raised brow, “I’ve noticed.”
They held their gaze, just long enough for the spine to consider changing its structure at an atomic level. Perhaps to something more jelly-like.
Reigen was the first to look away. Discharging whatever surfacing feelings with a loud yawn. Then said, with a modest shrug, “nah. Not really. Just read a lot.” He then thumbed the lapels of his suit jacket with the airs of a studious professor, “pretty occult bird, your ravens and crows. After all, can’t be the Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century without knowing some fun facts, right?” Reigen snorted at a memory, “had a whole case once about this guy who thought his house was being haunted because his tv and phone line kept jumping - turned out there was a whole murder of crows making a mess out of a telephone pole.”
“Huh, you don’t say.”
“I do say! Mundane reality can be so much stranger than we give it credit for.”
“I don’t know if I’d use the word ‘mundane’ then, if it’s strange.”
“No, no it’s like the term…uh…finding beauty in the small things.”
“Well that makes sense,” went Serizawa sensibly. “Because small things can be beautiful. But calling something that is mundane, strange is…well, a bit of an oxymoron.”
“Okay, okay,” waved Reigen, ears burning a little in embarrassment, not that he’d admit it out loud. “Well studied.”
This time Serizawa gave the mock bow. Reigen applauded good-naturedly.
“Oxy-moron,” Reigen repeated after a while, feeling the word in his mouth, “good word, oxymoron.” A moment passed filled with overlapping bird calls, and the occasional sound of a branch being skittered on, or breaking. Falling from canopy to forest floor.
When, just as Serizawa thought they were done with the discussion, Reigen started right back up again. As if no time had passed at all.
“Then how about this,” Reigen rallied, pointing so close to Serizawa’s cheek he could poke it, “sometimes big mysteries have little solutions. No wait, uh…” Reigen snapped his fingers as if that would help accelerate his brain into saying something clever. “The impossible is probable, especially when the, uh, improbable is…proven true? No that’s a butchered quote…”
“Gosh this is a long road, my feet are starting to hurt,” said Serizawa mildly.
Reigen frowned. “Oi.”
Serizawa glanced at him, then smirked.
“All this sass isn’t going to look good on your performance review, deputy. Besides, you’re the one who wanted to push on!”
Serizawa hummed.
“Anyways! The point is!! …well nothing really,” Reigen deflated, “those crows just…made me think about ravens. That’s all,” finished Reigen a little lamely.
Serizawa huffed a little laugh. Enjoying the chit-chat as they walked on along the roadside toward the Takeda property. “Alright.”
“So, have you?” Asked Reigen, bouncing back quickly.
Serizawa blinked, a little turned around, “have I what?”
“Heard a raven?”
“Oh! Um, well now I’m not so sure.”
“They have a different sounding cry.” As if on cue, the identified corvus macrorhynchos gave a cry. Several of them did actually, echoed out between the trees. “Like that,” Reigen pointed skyward, “but…~deeper~.”
“Is this a lead up to a pun?” Serizawa hazarded. After all, the word ‘karasu’ in Japanese was a rather big umbrella word for the archipelago's corvid population.
“No. Though give me enough time, and I could think of one.”
“Polite pass,” chortled Serizawa.
Reigen shrugged, grinning wryly, “your loss, good buddy.”
“I’ll take my chances.”
They shared a smile.
“Anyways, no. I…don’t think so at least.” Serizawa paused then said, “are there even ravens in Japan?”
“I’msogladyouasked,” beamed Reigen with the airs of someone who genuinely enjoyed sharing this information.
Serizawa shook his head, unable to hide his smirk away to even attempt any sort of faux emotion.
To an outside observer it probably seemed as though Reigen did a lot of talking at Serizawa. When really Serizawa had always found Reigen’s rambling as a refuge of sorts, and found contentment in hearing Reigen’s meandering thoughts. Especially in his earlier days of joining Spirits and Such. Back when Serizawa was still hiding notes under his sleeve and peeking at pocket sized ‘How to Hold a Conversation’ books.
Now it was something Serizawa enjoyed encouraging, occasional tease included, like the warm fire in a hearth. Besides, when examining Reigen’s words with a knowing eye, he felt that, sometimes, Serizawa could find a nugget of truth Reigen wouldn’t share with just anyone.
Amongst Reigen’s slanted words, Serizawa was learning to tilt his head at just the right angle.
Reigen returned to the airs of a professor, thumbs in lapels and all. “So your corvus corax or your northern raven, or common raven, what have you - are actually migratory. They migrate over in winter, and mainly stick around up north. Hardly seen lower than Zebra.”
“You really went all in on this for not being a bird watcher,” grinned Serizawa.
Reigen waved a mild hand. “I just stuck to the occult ones.” Here Reigen slid a hand along the bicycle handle bar as he leaned forward. He looked up at the circling crows. “I know most people these days just think they’re pests, and messy - getting into garbage. But,” Reigen shrugged with a crooked smile, “it’s just a sign of their cleverness and adaptability, I think. Same as foxes, and raccoon dogs. I bet they would love nothing better than to just pick at a rabbit, or some eyeball-”
“Eyeball?” Serizawa interjected, making a face.
“They’re carrion eaters, scavengers- nature’s clean up crew, and morticians. Look. Forget I said anything about eyeballs, I didn’t mean to gross you out. I-I’m sorry I brought it up. Erm.”
Serizawa waved Reigen to continue. With quick little apologetic cough, Reigen did so.
“The point is,” went Reigen, “one day they’re enjoying some tasty rabbit, the next they look up and go: ‘hey someone put a city where this forest used to be’ and end up realizing maybe MobDonald’s isn’t so bad. It’s certainly easier to find than rabbit.”
Serizawa nodded along, a gentle smile on his features.
Reigen chuffed a little, his nose scrunching at a memory before sharing, “You know I,” here he turned to Serizawa, to that painfully tender expression of his, and the tale stopped dead in Reigen’s throat.
The tale of how, when Reigen first got his apartment, he would leave out apple cores on his balcony (instead of throwing them away properly), inadvertently feeding crows and causing trouble in the process - remained inside Reigen.
Reigen exhaled slowly as if exhaling a wisp of smoke.
“Yes?” Went Serizawa amicably.
“I need a cigarette,” said Reigen changing mental gears as he patted himself down.
“Reigen-”started Serizawa, wanting to gently reminded Reigen that in a single morning alone he had smoked more than his average amount. Was all the good progress in cutting back going to go to waste?
“Ah-ha!” Reigen pulled forth a little lollypop, brandishing it before Serizawa victoriously. “Don’t you worry, my good deputy,” he said twirling it.
Serizawa relaxed, and shook his head.
“They say,” went Reigen as he fiddled with unwrapping the lollypop one handedly, “a group of crows is called a murder.”
“Mhm.”
Reigen decided to use his teeth to try and open the lollypop wrapper. It was a sorry sight. “And - I didn’t learn this until recently, but, can you guess what a group of ravens is called?” He asked through his teeth.
Serizawa, could have sworn he had seen a fox in the city try the same thing when it was trying to get into some garbage. Unable to keep watching with horrified fascination, he took the lollypop from Reigen and unwrapped it.
“Aw gross,” said Reigen, “you’re hands gonna be all - here.” He exchange a tissue for the opened lollypop. “Sorry,” added Reigen, blushing to his ears “didn’t mean for you to touch my - well, you know… thank you.”
Serizawa cleared his throat. Cheeks warm. “So what is a group of ravens called?”
Reigen looked at Serizawa, up into those warm gentle eyes, “an unkindness.”
Crows cawed on above.
“…Ominous,” said Serizawa.
“Right?” A grin bloomed, “so much doom and gloom, and yet they’re one of the smartest and silliest birds out there. With a wildly strong sense of community! They even hold funerals for goodness sake!”
“What?”
“Well, that’s what some, uh, bird studier person noticed while observing them. They kind of just, gather around a fallen companion. Something like a funeral…”
Serizawa stared at Reigen for a moment. He tried to decipher that curious expression Reigen had, it had come up more often this whole morning. He wondered what it meant.
At last, Serizawa said, “that’s incredible.”
Reigen brightened. “Exactly! And they’re so loyal!! They can remember faces, and! and!! Did you know some of them can even imitate human speech? Like parrots?”
“I can see how they can be considered frightening. Imagine hearing something like that… like a human, but not, while traveling alone. It’d light the fire of anyone’s imagination.”
Reigen snorted at the thought, delighted at the idea more than horrified. He looked up ahead along the path. “They get a bad reputation - almost universally! For just, what, being themselves? Eating carrion? Working smart instead of hard? Picking off funeral offerings when no one’s looking?”
“They can be a bit intimidating in those large groups.”
Reigen nodded, “I’m sure. Anything in a group can be intimidating though.”
Serizawa looked along the roadside, pensively. “Hmm, so Hitchcock-sensei should have named his thriller ‘Anything in a Group’ instead of ‘The Birds’.”
This earned him a full bodied snort sounding laugh from Reigen. Serizawa smiled, proud of himself.
“You’re a funny guy, Serizawa-san,” said Reigen between chuffs, amicable elbow jabbing included. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“I didn’t know this was such new news to you,” joked Serizawa. “But alright, I won’t… but only because you said so, Reigen-san.”
They shared a grin. The crows kept circling, and crying.
“They might be pests,” said Serizawa after a while, “but, at least here, despite that, corvids are quite auspicious. Well, auspicious pests to be fair.”
This earned Serizawa another chortle from Reigen, “that’s very true.” He looked up at the circling murder, watched them swoop and circle.
“I wonder what has them flying,” said Serizawa mildly.
“Well, if I’m any guess,” went Reigen, self appointed ‘corvid expert’. He thoughtfully sucked air between his teeth. “Something might have startled them. Or maybe a falcon or something got a little too close to some eggs.” He shrugged, “or maybe something died and they’re just waiting their turn at a meal. Might be road kill up ahead.”
Serizawa controlled his features to not make a face. “That’s all?”
“Wellll who knows.” Reigen struck a theatrical pose, inspiring something of the mysterious and mystical, wiggling fingers included, “maybe an old Tengu has a message to send.”
“Possible, very possible,” Serizawa nodded along, humoring Reigen.
Then Reigen paused, deathly serious as he leaned toward Serizawa conspiratorially. He waited for Serizawa to lean in as well before saying, “then again, it is mating season.“
Serizawa sputtered and coughed. Reigen cackled, amused by his own childish sense of humor. He amicably patted his friend’s back. Then walked ahead without waiting for Serizawa.
“Good grief,” muttered Serizawa.
Slowly but surely, the landscape was changing around them.
Much to Serizawa’s surprise, he marveled at how often a mountainous area could change so much with just a few paces. From incline, to evened out stretches of earth, to yet another twisting bend and incline.
Like a hill within a hill.
What had once been trees and the hillside of the mountain, was turning into a high stone wall.
Abandoned to time, with wild flowers and weeds growing through it, but still there.
Older than Serizawa and Reigen combined.
Older than some of the other houses.
The borders of the old stone wall, what it kept in and kept out, was forgotten to public memory. People passed the wall every day, be it walking, or driving. Animals lived inside, from centipedes and beetles, to the rat snakes coiled within. Littered with a few bird droppings, and moss.
Was the mountain absorbing the wall back into itself? Or was the wall emerging from the mountain?
After a while, curiosity got the better of Serizawa, and he asked, “where did this come from?” He lifted a hand to it. Not touching the old wall, he reached out psychically. “Why was it built?”
Serizawa felt nothing from it, which puzzled him. something so old looking looked like the perfect place to occupy, well, something.
Hallowed even. But it was hollow, vacant. Like a healed wound, dented and open to prod at. Though not too deeply.
There was a small indent in the wall. Deep enough and wide enough for…a place to hide secret messages? To rest idols of gods? Was it an abandoned votive shrine?
Reigen, glanced at the wall, and shrugged.
Serizawa raised a calculated brow. “You mean you didn’t research it?”
Reigen paused.
Serizawa watched the stem of the lollipop swirl ponderously.
“Well…” started Reigen, “the local theory is…”
“Yes?” Serizawa leaned towards him in anticipation. Urging his eyes to see beyond the shadow pattern of leaves and branches that danced over Reigen’s face. Obscuring the finer details of any micro-expression.
The lollipop cracked between Reigen’s teeth. “Something you should ask a local, of course.” He leaned to the side, face entering a beam of sun, and grinned at Serizawa. It was a grin that stunk of mischief. “Aaah, yup. I bet this place is full of weird bits we’ll never get complete answers about. So it goes.”
Serizawa wilted a little, slightly put out. He tried to ignore the way Reigen was shaking his arm playfully, and the way he laughed around the lollipop.
A sigh escaped Serizawa.
“C’moonnn, deputy, you can’t expect me to know everything!”
“No, I suppose not,” said Serizawa, resigned. “But you do tend to try and find some sort of inventive answer to say.” This time it was Serizawa’s turn to grin. “Even when you don’t actually know.”
“Hey now.”
“You didn’t even try to discreetly look it up on your phone,” said Serizawa pretending to sound disappointed.
Reigen clicked his tongue, which, with the lollypop, sounded more like a slurp. He amicably bumped Serizawa’s shoulder with his own.
They kept walking.
The sound of crows cawing filled the silence that followed. Reigen wondered what they were calling about. The secret language of crows. Of all beings. The way they spoke, and didn’t. What could be said without saying anything.
The power in language.
The magic in language. In words.
The intricate differences, and oh so subtle similarities. The different thought process behind the words.
Reigen found himself feeling a little jealous of those who knew more than one language. Jealous, and in awe.
“Reigen-san?”
“Hm?”
Serizawa strummed the handlebars of his bicycle in a small fidgety sort of way. “Did I take the joke too far?”
Reigen blinked at him. Perplexed. “…what?!”
“You know, tease you too hard and,” Serizawa scratched his reddening cheek, “I don’t know… I could be having a small bout of paranoia.”
The dots finally connected in Reigen’s mind, and he laughed before hurrying to place a reassuring and on Serizawa’s shoulder. “No! No it was a good tease!! Honest. I earned it, heh heh.” Besides he doubted there was a malicious tease in Serizawa’s body. “I just, got a bit distracted for a minute there, that’s all.”
Relief flooded Serizawa, he melted a little against Reigen’s hand. “Oh, okay. Whew.” Then he paused, and looked at Reigen with a more Business Look. “Distracted how?” Eyes scanned over Reigen looking for anything suspiciously bioluminescent.
Reigen leaned away, he could feel the hairs on his neck and arms stand on end with the intensity of Serizawa eyeing him. He covered his nether regions and chest, in joke. “Whoa now. I wasn’t strolling through memory lane if that’s what you mean, heh heh.” He pointed skyward, “just thinking about the crows again.”
Serizawa looked skyward. “Oh.”
They walked on in silence.
Crows continued their calls.
Bicycles clicked on pushed along side them.
Reigen could just make out a large wooden signpost up ahead. Marking the turn to the Takeda property. It was the biggest sign yet.
“…hey, Serizawa?”
“Yes?”
“How do you say ‘crow’ in Portuguese?”
Serizawa opened his mouth, brimming with confidence and joy to show something off. Only for his mind to go completely blank. His face plastified into place, and a strained look came over him.
Reigen tilted his head.
Embarrassment flooded Serizawa as he grasped at thin, barely there strands. His face grew hot. “Um…”
Reigen removed the lollipop from his mouth.
“It’s not coming to me. I keep thinking the word ‘exultar’ but that isn’t the one.”
This was because lately Serizawa had taken up the habit of attempting to read a children’s version of Peter Pan in Portuguese. In the hopes of upping his reading level in the language. And ‘crowing’ was certainly something the character Peter was known for.
After watching Serizawa frown into the middle distance, brow pinched with concentration, Reigen said, “that’s okay,” with a small reassuring smile. He didn’t want to sound patronizing.
“I know,” said Serizawa, a little too fast, and not feeling entirely ‘okay’ about it. In fact, sometimes things being ‘okay’ were very frustrating. But he’d rather think about finding the word than explaining.
“I can imagine it’s… frustrating.”
Relenting and wilting, Serizawa said, “I can’t remember… it’ll probably come to me at three in the morning.”
Reigen smiled sympathetically. “Fair enough.”
Serizawa looked down, feeling like he failed regardless. In the theatre of his inner mind, he could imagine his grandmother pursing her lips and shaking her head silently. At his age and barely managing. Trying to learn this late? What was the point?
“Serizawa?”
Serizawa tried to rearrange his face to something calm, and cheerful. “I’m good,” he said in a way he hoped sounded convincing.
“Don’t kid a kidder,” said Reigen gently.
And then the source of a sound both Reigen and Serizawa were vaguely aware of hearing, turned the bend on the road. Fast.
A sports car, its motor loud and obnoxious filling the air with a shrieking sound.
Reigen felt his insides twist as the car came towards them. Or rather, in their direction to pass them and continue down the road. Logically he knew the car would follow the trajectory of the road. But something about how fast it took that curve, the way the rear tires seemed to overcorrect. Skid.
Something crawled up Reigen’s insides, using his ribs and spine like a horrible little jungle gym.
A part of himself wanted to weld itself in place. At least until the fight response kicked in.
Reigen pushed Serizawa to the side against the mountain wall. Pushed with the unchecked strength drawn from fear and protectiveness. The sort that made one easily forget their own strength.
Now, by all accounts Serizawa was bigger than Reigen. But much can be said about an unaware person being shoved, about unbalanced distribution of weight - that is to say if Serizawa had centered himself into a defensive stance, then he would have been no where near as moveable as he was. When Serizawa didn’t want to move, he didn’t move.
But pushed in surprise he was, and as the saying goes ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’.
Neither of them could hear the harshness of which Serizawa hit against the stone wall over the roaring rip of the passing car, but Serizawa felt it. His eyes momentarily seeing stars while pointed bits of the bicycle had scratched Serizawa. Specifically the handlebar.
The surprised “oof!” from Serizawa was barely registered. The car ripped passed, leaving echos of its horrible sounds vibrating up Reigen’s bones, and teeth.
And then, as fast as it had come, the car was gone. Taking its horrible sound with it.
The silence was suffocating. As velvet as a pillow, smothering a face. The sound of surrounding wildlife scared off, leaving only insects, and the cries of crows.
Distantly Reigen thought of roadkill. Of accidents. Of crashes. A totaled car. Tears. A body on the slab, unrecognizable in its sustained injuries. The smell.
Reigen wanted to throw up.
Serizawa’s face came more into focus. “Reigen-san?”
All at once, Reigen was looking Serizawa over, patting him down for injuries, and talking rapidly: “Are you okay? Did you get hurt when I pushed you? Thank goodness for that wall, huh? Are you okay?”
“Yes Reigen. Just, a little shocked.” What shocked Serizawa more, however, more than a speeding car ripping through the road and scenery, was how Reigen looked at him.
He looked at Serizawa like he wasn’t truly seeing Serizawa. Like something else had flashed before Reigen’s eyes. Whatever it was must have been horrific.
“The hell was I thinking pushing you like that? I shouldn’t have pushed too hard.”
“Reigen, I’m fine. It was impulse. You had good intentions.”
“What if there wasn’t a wall?!” Reigen nearly yelled. He clapped a hand over his mouth. Then said, softly, “I’m sorry.”
“This really rattled you.”
“Y-yeah.” Reigen made an attempt at deep breaths, but it just ended up looking like he was catching his breath “…yeah I suppose it did.” He cleared his throat and attempted a smile, it didn’t reach his eyes. It came out as crooked.
After the brief millisecond of reprieve, Reigen was back to checking Serizawa over.
Serizawa allowed this, mainly because he was observing Reigen in turn. The paleness, the heavy breathing, bit sweatier than usual-
The observation was cut short when Reigen’s clothed collarbone came more into full view. Serizawa felt Reigen delicately run a hand through his hair. At the back of his head. The side. The wispy baby curls at the base of his hairline.
Serizawa managed to stop a shiver.
Gingerly, Serizawa’s face was turned this way and that. It would have been more… appreciated if Reigen didn’t look so worried, or nauseous.
Reigen looked at his fingers, relieved nothing wet sticky and red was there. “…I shouldn’t have pushed you like that, you could have hurt your skull.”
“I’m sure my barrier would have kicked in,” Serizawa placated.
“Wish you’d protect your head more. Your barrier didn’t kick in with Rusty.”
“Reigen-san,” warned Serizawa. Not wanting to drudge up old arguments. Not when they were both running on fumes as it was.
“And with all the headaches recently. What if you got a concussion? Again! Or your skull cracked open.”
“Honestly, Reigen!” Serizawa held Reigen’s hands in place. “I’m good.”
Reigen stilled, but his eyes moved ceaselessly. Scanning searching.
Then Reigen said, as if the words were drifting past his lips from a long way away: “You’re good? …You sure?”
“Calm down and see me, really see me.”
Reigen did so. Big, broad, and gentle Serizawa was before him. Unharmed, unhurt.
Then, in a flash of guile, to add some levity, Serizawa said, “it’s sweet that you worried. But you’re going to need a lot more oomf before you can push me in a way that’d hurt.”
Serizawa watched Reigen’s face contort. Clearly he hadn’t been fully listening. Where all the energy was directed towards making sure Serizawa was okay, it morphed toward a new prerogative. Anger.
Anger on Serizawa’s behalf. Anger thinking about…about… Reigen couldn't stomach himself to let his grieving thoughts linger on the matter...
Disappointed his act of levity went unremarked, and seeing there was no stopping Reigen, Serizawa relented. Reluctantly he let go of Reigen’s hands. Resigned to the fact Reigen wouldn’t be content to move on until he tired himself out.
Reigen scuffed his shoe against the road in a want to kick something in anger. Then did a series of kicks into the air.
It would have almost have been comical, if it weren’t for the glint in Reigen’s eyes. The deep bags looking a little deeper. “Bastards! People live here you know!! This isn’t some outdoor playground! You wannabe speed racer, shit!” Other swears and curses escaped him. Each one worse than the other, raising in volume until it meshed with the overhead cawing of crows.
“That was the first car we’ve seen in some time,” said Serizawa delicately, once Reigen stopped his vengeful swearing.
“Yeah,” said Reigen, a little out of breath. He lifted the bicycle up, glancing over it to check for damages.
“Are… are you alright?”
Reigen’s head lifted. He looked so exhausted, with a marrow filled weariness. The bruises of sleepless nights seemed almost darker, deeper.
Serizawa watched him take a slow inhale and a steady exhale, probably counting.
“Again,” said Serizawa like an open invitation, “that was a strong reaction.”
“…yeah,” said Reigen, looking away.
“Did something… happen?”
Reigen nodded, his mouth felt dry. He looked at Serizawa’s expectant and patient face. Then out at the empty road. It was just them out here.
“I..." Reigen licked his lips buying himself time. "I Got into an accident once. Wasn’t…yeah. I don’t… maybe another time.”
As much as Serizawa wanted to know all the details, he understood. “Another time,” repeated Serizawa.
Then Reigen blanched, remembering, “even Mob got…” he couldn’t even bring himself to say it.
“Yes,” said Serizawa, gently, “yes he told me. I was sitting next to you, remember?”
"Oh... that's," he laughed at himself humorlessly, "You're right. How could I forget?"
It was during the aftermath of Mob's tornado.
Reigen had recently been discharged from emergency care. His forehead needing a few stitches and a staple, plus a broken rib, bruises that left him black and blue and sickly green, and a fractured tibia at the same place he had broken it when he was younger.
Mob and Serizawa were visiting his studio apartment. Quietly making sure Reigen was doing alright.
When Serizawa left for the kitchen to make tea, Mob said quietly, “does it hurt?”
He was eyeing Reigen’s hairline. The staples, and the bald spot surrounding it. A patch of Reigen's hairline had to be shaved off to reach the area in question safely.
“Not at all,” lied Reigen with a brilliant smile. Sunshine like.
Mob considered this, seeing the little lie for what it was, and smiled ruefully. Not that it was funny, but because the response was much like his Shishou. Always trying to make sure others didn't worry. Habits didn't break in a day though, or a hospital visit for that matter.
Serizawa returned with tea, with a mix matched assortment of teacups. Since Reigen didn't have a unified tea set, so each of them had a different pattern, and shape. Serizawa was using a novelty Green Day American Idiot tour mug. Grenade heart and all. Mob had a small cup with rain drops and frogs on it. While Reigen enjoyed his usual cup that was in the same style as the cup in his office. In fact that was where the rest of the tea set was.
There was something to be said, about how Reigen's only full tea set was mainly used for his office.
Then, once tea was drank, refills were offered, and chits-were chatted - Mob at one point would straighten and announce: "I'm... I'm going to talk about what happened."
Reigen's brow raised, though not too high on his forehead since his head ached if he became too expressive.
"If you're sure," said Reigen.
"We're listening," said Serizawa.
Mob nodded his thanks and started to explain what was the catalyst to the tornado, beyond just teenage emotions. How he was hit by a car while trying to save someone from traffic.
Mob spoke down to his hands while he explained, and so didn’t see the horrified expression on Reigen’s face. How he stilled, frozen with a rapid paced heartbeat. The sheen of tears cumulating. The look of a man whose world was dropping out from his feet.
But Serizawa did, he reached for a tissue. But before he could give it to Reigen, Reigen was already moving.
Extending his arms to bring Mob into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry,” croaked Reigen. "That's - that's awful."
Mob looked at Reigen in the worried fearful way young people reserved for the horrifying experience of watching an adult cry. Then, in the contagious way of tears, Mob started to cry too. Fresh globs of tears. But no outburst followed. Save, perhaps, a waterfall of tears. As if this were the first time Mob was crying all over again. Accepting his own feelings and expressing them was also something that couldn't be learned in day. But that was alright.
Reigen hugged Mob all the tighter, and Mob hugged him in turn.
“I’m so sorry,” repeated Reigen.
“But Shishou," whispered Mob, ignoring Reigen's 'you don't have to call me that'. "I saved the other kid, I saved him,” blubbered Mob.
It took a very long while for Reigen to unstick his throat, but somehow he managed, “you sure did… you sure did.”
"The kid's alive."
"You both are, kiddo. Never forget that."
Serizawa blew his nose, teary eyed at the scene. He wondered, briefly, if he should leave the two to their moment.
Until a rasped, emotion thick, voice came from Reigen, and said, "get in here, big guy. You're a part of this too."
More tears followed. Needless to say they ran out of tissues. But what Reigen lacked in extra tissue boxes, he made up for in ordering pizza, and an impromptu pizza party was created. Quickly joined by Ritsu, Shou, and Teruki as well.
"I'm sorry for not remembering, Serizawa."
"A lot did just happen," said Serizawa loyally.
Reigen nodded, looked down, frown deepening, and kicked at nothing again, for good measure. “Bastards. Assholes, thinking they can just… never mind.”
“Reigen, are you sure you’re alright? You’re as pale as gho-”
“Please don’t say it,” Reigen laughed weakly.
“Alright. I won’t… but you are.”
Reigen looked at the road, and beyond it the forest line. “Just a close call is all. Except it wasn’t, huh? I imagined something and, jumped to conclusions.”
“The car wasn’t close to us, no… but if that bus ride up here was anything to go by, roads like this can be harrowing.”
“It. Really, really surprised me, haha…” Still looking away Reigen rubbed the back of his neck.
“Hm…” Serizawa considered him, then, after a decisive nod, hugged Reigen.
“Aw geeze,” went Reigen blushing furiously into Serizawa’s shoulder. He squirmed like a cat not wanting a bath. “You don’t have to - it was a long time ago - look, it really isn’t that big of a-”
“Ssh.”
Reigen’s cheeks puffed out. Serizawa’s gentle bear hug tightened ever so slightly. Reigen exhaled all the air stored in his blushing cheeks. There was no other option left, but to accept the hug. So Reigen did, and melted a little.
Arms trapped to his sides, Reigen made an attempt to pat Serizawa his thanks. The hug tightened, briefly, before slowly releasing Reigen.
Reigen needed a small moment to remember how his legs worked. Wobbling slightly. It earned him a chortle from Serizawa.
“erm…”
“Yes?” said Serizawa pleasantly.
“…thank you.”
Serizawa refrained from hugging him all over again. Instead he raised a finger to right the bicycles psychically. “Anytime.”
They walked on, following the Takeda property sign.
“Hey,” said Reigen after a while. He licked his lips, “did you hear that?”
Serizawa took a moment to try and listen. He was met with velvet silence, crows, the occasional bug song. “What…exactly, should I be hearing?”
“Eh…must be the car’s engine echoing.” Reigen turned on his heal, scowl returning, “geeze the nerve of these people.”
Between the trees hidden by the natural pattern of fauna and shadow, watching eyes.
They turned up the bend towards the Takedas, leaving the road and the path behind them.
<< reigen-san. >>
Serizawa whirled back around, and stared at the forest line again. Beads of sweat forming from the effort of exerting his eyes, extending himself to... to... what?
It was as hard to pin as a cloud, as an allegory, as anything.
For a moment, Serizawa regretted pushing himself to visit another resident's home. He shivered. Ears ringing.
"Let's try and make this quick, okay?" Reigen called over his shoulder, the path was getting steeper.
"Yeah," said Serizawa, picking up the pace to reach Reigen's stride. Hating how winded he already sounded, “sounds… optimal.”
Then Reigen remembered something, “did you say oomf before?”
“Ah, now he perks up,”said Serizawa, to no one in particular, and a smile in his voice.
“Cause I’ve got loads of oomf. Oomf for days!”
“Would now be a good time to re-show you the pictures Dimple took, when he possessed my phone? You know, of the time you thought it’d be a good idea to drunkenly sumo wrestle me in front of Happy Trails?”
“………I thought you deleted those.”
Serizawa laughed heartily for so long, he was out of breath by the end. “Absolutely not.”
The property was indeed vast, and quite the sight to see.
Like an intimidating pastoral painting, framed between the forest line and distant hills. Which wasn’t too unlike the other homes Serizawa had seen. However, out of all the homes Serizawa had seen so far, this was indeed the richest.
The property line went on and on, dipping into rolled hills full of a stem like looking crop. It gave the impression of an earthy sea. Every so often a white form would pop up with hat, like a dolphin cresting a wave.
The more Serizawa looked the more he realized the rolling hills were filled with many people in uniform. A white jumpsuit. Tending, weeding, and caring for the fields.
It looked, official.
And that was what Serizawa could see standing by the entry gate.
Yet there was a curious… dissonance to it.
Together they walked down a finely paved path (quite unlike the gravel or mud rich dirt paths of other properties).
There was something slanted, and off about what Serizawa thought of as a ‘main property building’. Stately, larger, and older than the other sporadic buildings that doubled as garages, or sheds. With finely carved and lacquered beams, and roof ornaments that…didn’t entirely seem to fit the original style of this new and renovated main building.
It was as if someone took a stately large old building and took the concept of refurbishing to an almost clinical level.
Serizawa’s nose scrunched.
“What is it?” Asked Reigen, perceptive as always. “Feel something already?”
Somewhere a tractor was sputtering to life. Birds took flight.
“Definitely,” said Serizawa. His body temperature felt like it was rising exponentially. The equivalent of a psychic hot flash. “Something horrible happened here.”
Reigen looked out at the property. “I bet.”
Serizawa raised a brow, “anything show up in your… research?”
Reigen ignored the way ‘research’ was inflected. He placed his hands in his pockets. “Nothing Sasaki, and those other uncles haven’t mentioned before. They’re descendants of the old Lord and Lady that oversaw this area, as you know. Some sort of drama happened, I think something related to the Lady’s child. And…at some point along the generations something fiscal must have happened, cause the house you’re seeing,” here Reigen pointed to down the paved path at what Serizawa had been calling ‘the main house’, “is a tricked out side home. A massive old servants quarters.”
Serizawa nodded, “the architecture is a bit…”
“Like if someone decided to transplant decorative stuff from one house to another? Yeah.”
“Yeah. Mismatched.”
Serizawa placed a hand to his temple. Then pointed past a canopy of trees where the edge of a roof could barely be seen. There was a decorative statue on it, something that had wings. Considering the lack of western design, it being an Angel was easily ruled out. Tengu?
“And that must be the old main… manor?”
“As a manner of speaking, yes. Heh heh,” went Reigen. A pause. Silence. Reigen’s little self satisfied smile dropped some.
This hadn’t caused the reaction Reigen was hoping for. He observed Serizawa a little closer. “You don’t look so good, Serizawa,” said Reigen in gentler tones.
It didn’t help how hot and bothered Serizawa was already feeling. With the back of his hand he dabbed at the beads of sweat showing up on his forehead. It was as if summer came early, but only for Serizawa.
A door opened from one of the sheds. Together they watched as two people with plastic bags exited it. Busy with their talking, and tasks. One was putting on heavy duty gloves.
With so many workers Serizawa was surprised no one came to greet them. Were they just, used to people ambling up the road unannounced?
“I can’t tell if this presence is ‘the Entity’ or just… the vibe of a very old place that had a lot of… unhappy things happen on the property.”
“It could be intertwined,” said Reigen glancing between Serizawa and the two workers enter into the fields.
“It could be,” nodded Serizawa, “it very much could be. I’m not looking forward to it,” he dabbed under his chin with the back of his hand. Then shrugged off his muddy jacket.
A cool spring chill immediately brushed against Serizawa’s warm body. It was instant relief, but it started to make the cooling sweat stick too. Which also wasn’t great, but he couldn’t stand the feeling of his jacket on him any longer.
Looking at Reigen’s expression, Serizawa gave a comforting look. “Old places attract presences, especially places with history, or unhappy places or-”
“Cemeteries?” Reigen offered.
“Yes,” said Serizawa.
“Perhaps there’s an unmarked gravesite around here,” Reigen frowned. Already scanning for potential locations for an unmarked grave. Would an old estate like this have a small potter’s field of sorts? He ignored the needly cynic in him who pointed out: of course there is.
Serizawa hummed, “very possible.”
Serizawa lifted a psychic infused hand and moved it about the air, as if moving magnetic powder around. Shifting through the centuries to try to find the specific residue he had come to associate with the Entity.
Disease, unwanted pregnancies, indentured servitude, the struggle of living within a strict cast system, the little joys and happiness found against great odds, love lost, love found, treachery, betrayal, an unspeakable sacrifice.
Yet nothing specific. Or rather, recent for their cause.
Not quite tinged in enough teal.
Or so it seemed.
Was that a tale-end of a noise? Just beneath the rumble of a tractor? Could it be crying? The call of a deer? A strange combination? It was unsettling how many animals existed that could make a sound similar to crying.
It came and went like a wave, just out of hearing. And just when Serizawa could place it, it was gone. Re-absorbed into the sounds of the day to day work on the property, and the distant cawing of crows.
Perhaps there was a baby on the property somewhere, having a cry.
Sometimes old places like this were a little easier to read. The psychic equivalent to geologists reading the foliation on a canyon. The pressure of time centuries, or the weight of grief squeezing the flat or elongate minerals (or in this metaphor; emotions, locations, old old objects and so on), within a place so they become aligned.
This isn’t always the case of course.
Something as vast and profound as emotions can hardly be contained within such parameters. But it helped Serizawa contextualize it all. Perhaps other psychics had other approaches, everyone was wonderfully different.
Serizawa lowered his hand, and lifted a thin barrier. The psychic equivalent of wearing beekeeper’s gear.
It, the floating residue of emotions, were all mainly harmless.
The barrier, thin as he made it, wouldn’t ward such presence away either. It was light enough for these little entities and detritus of emotions (in this new honey filled metaphor) to even perch and walk along the psychic bee suit curiously, but still, nice not to risk getting stung.
It was something Serizawa found himself doing frequently around locations filled with a menagerie of strong, lingering emotions.
There was great potential for a haunting here on the property, if not now…then in the future. Dormant and waiting for just the right catalyst. Patiently in pause, until the liminal opening presented itself.
And so on.
Reigen leaned into Serizawa’s field of vision. Giving his arm a gentle nudge with his elbow. “You good?”
“Yes. Thank You.” Serizawa resisted the urge to cup Reigen’s lovely round face in his hands. His hands fidgeted some.
“Pick up on anything in particular?” Reigen moved the bicycles so they wouldn’t be in the path of others passing.
Serizawa shook his head, “usual old place stuff.”
“Old as balls, huh?”
Serizawa rolled his eyes, Reigen beamed.
Then after a while Reigen asked: “…What do they look like?”
“Hm?” Serizawa blinked at him, he had expected another jovial joke.
“The, uh, old place stuff,” here Reigen wiggled his fingers indicating all the spiritual hodgepodge he imagined floating about. Or, sticking?
Serizawa smiled. Once again happy Reigen had come clean and was able to stop squirming long enough to admit to not having powers. It meant a lot less jokes about things being strong enough or weak enough to be seen. And, it meant Serizawa could share more about this side of himself with less song and dance.
“Every location is different…” Serizawa paused, and wondered how he could put it in a way Reigen would understand. “Like…like how some vegetables need the right season. Or…uh, soil…levels?”
Reigen nodded, “ph levels. And an acidic scale in the soil. Plus, weather, I’m sure? Except the weather could be…uh, anything?”
“Yes!”
Reigen looked skyward. “It’d make sense that the afterlife is just as varied and different than the, uh, …life life,” he finished sheepishly.
Serizawa noted no one had yet come out to greet them, then again, they hadn’t rung any bell or anything. He considered the fields, and considered all the different type of fields he had witnessed in a single morning alone. He considered Reigen, full to the brim with green thumb facts.
A breeze rustled over the pair of them.
Serizawa folded his muddy jacket and draped it over his bicycle.
“…Give me your hand,” said Serizawa, almost inaudible.
“What?” Reigen looked at him. At the outstretched hand, with little calluses, the vast squishy palm, the little hairs that peppered the back of it and knuckles. “…okay.” Reigen gulped and tried to keep his head on his shoulders.
Serizawa held the hand, and concentrated.
Reigen shivered as something overcame him. Not just emotion. It was like a film was slowly being stretched over him. Reigen felt like a blushing leftover dish being preserved for another day’s meal.
“…a barrier?” Reigen guessed. It wasn’t the first time he experienced such a feeling, though this was slightly different. It made his eyes water a little like bad hay-fever. Or what he had always imagined hay-fever to be like.
In short, this was new.
Serizawa nodded proudly. “Correct!” Then he squeezed Reigen’s hand ever so slightly.
It caused another shiver, he had to bite back a gasp as his lashes fluttered as if someone used a harsh flash, and everything was blotchy with after images. Something about it made his nose tickle too.
Just when Reigen thought he wasn’t, in fact, going to sneeze, Reigen sneezed.
Serizawa tried not to laugh.
When Reigen could focus again he saw…saw…
“Oh… I see,” whispered Reigen.
It was as if a cell animation was placed over what Reigen had always considered ‘reality’. Motes of light made of amorphous spirits. Strange beings that looked like Cambrian era daydreams mixed with impressionistic art styles. It was breathtaking, and melancholic all in one.
“Do you…see this all the time, Serizawa?”
“Not always. Sometimes I don’t want to.”
“What do you do then?”
Serizawa shrugged, “do the psychic equivalent of putting on sunglasses I suppose. Sometimes it’s for the best that I don’t see…they’re not used to being seen, so if the wrong kind of spirit sees you seeing them well…it’s not always a fun time. You see?”
“I see,” nodded Reigen. “Unwanted attention.”
“Yeah. …annoying even.”
“Sounds potentially, um, tedious.”
“It is, but, I learned…”
“True…”
“Yeah,” said Serizawa resisting the urge to make little designs with his thumb over Reigen’s hand. “Yeah…”
Reigen frowned as he nodded. “…Do the kids have to deal with this too?”
“Most likely.”
Reigen’s frown deepened a little more as he considered this. The implications. Privy to view a world beyond potential imagination, except it was very real to them. And if they were lucky, they could meet someone else who could see beyond.
“Sounds…hard.” Reigen dared not add; lonely.
“It can be intuitive,” encouraged Serizawa.
“I suppose,” said Reigen not entirely convinced.
“‘Can’ is the operative word here,” amended Serizawa.
Reigen turned his head to look around more with these ‘fresh psychic eyes’.
He observed as something pale lanky and massive poked about the fields, using its long finger like appendages as a child would go about using a stick to aimlessly poke holes in mud. How people seemed to walk straight through the being, unperturbed.
Floating one eyed scarecrow like…things. Some sort of prehistoric looking fish made out of the lines of a canyon wall, swimming through the air with the memory of a long gone ocean.
Motes of, dirt, or feather balls. A many tooth horned something that popped in and out of the grass like an earthy crocodile emerging from a river.
It was like a childhood fantasy come to life.
Meanwhile what could be seen of the Takeda manor in the background, had a hard to see-through miasma around it. A constant fog. Or the swirl of a coming thunderstorm. It was hard to look at for a long time, as if the act of merely perceiving the manor caused a harsh pressure to Reigen’s eyes.
Oppressive.
Reigen wondered if these intense pressures was causing Serizawa’s headaches, it certainly felt like the start of one.
And yet there was something about the miasma around the Takeda manor. Dark and obscure as it was, it had its own…color. Like the rainbow found in an oil spill.
It was all so terrifying, and beautiful.
“How’s the headache?” Asked Reigen.
Serizawa shrugged, then gestured to the Takeda manor, as he guessed correctly, “looking at the manor too long? Some places are like that. It’s like its own world.”
“What a piece of work. I bet you can’t wait for a closer look,” said Reigen, dryly.
“To tell you the truth, I kind of am.”
Reigen wanted to squeeze Serizawa’s hand. Instead he said: “Won’t…I bring attention to myself, being able to see this?”
“It isn’t permanent.”
“Oh…” then Reigen added, “right, Mob did something similar once.”
Serizawa nodded remembering the memory that Mob had shared with him. The night Mob’s powers were passed to Reigen, and allowed for the adult he gratefully trusted completely, to take over. To make sure everything would turn out alright.
Because funnily enough, as Mob and Serizawa had noticed over the months and years, things usually did tend to work out alright when Reigen was around, in some strange interesting way.
“It was… exhilarating, and,” here, Reigen couldn’t help but allow a small smile escape him, “in retrospect maybe even a little cool. But I was so concerned about the situation at the time, and… angry. I didn’t get to really look around or notice things beyond the fact that it was absolutely Mob’s doing, hehe. I wonder if I would have seen something like …all of this.”
“You might have. Keep in mind this location is… really active to say the least.”
“Incredible,” breathed Reigen taking in the supernatural scenery.
“You’re welcome to see it anytime though, just…ask.”
The connection brought by the touch of their grasping hands felt very, very warm indeed.
“Thank you,” said Reigen just above a whisper. “I might take you up on it…in the future. And…thank you, for showing this to me now. It’s…” a smile grew on Reigen’s face.
Serizawa wanted to preserve it gently like a flower in a book.
“…it’s wonderful, Serizawa. Thank you, again.”
“My pleasure,” said Serizawa with an aching weight. “You share things with me all the time and…and today alone you’ve shared so much I just… I’m happy.”
They looked at each other.
The look lingered.
The sound of rustling trees and bending grasses.
“I’m going to let go now…it’ll break the connection. So you won’t be able to, well, See. It might be jarring. Is, ah, what I’m saying.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll keep the barrier up. Just in case.”
“Thank you.”
Serizawa made no move to let go of Reigen’s hand.
Reigen waited politely, albeit curiously.
Serizawa swallowed. “I’m, uh, concentrating…” he lied.
“Oh!” Went Reigen accepting this instantly. “Makes sense.”
Serizawa restrained the impulse to shake his head, or Reigen for that matter, as he thought: How could someone so perceptive be so dense?
With an internal sigh, Serizawa slowly let go of Reigen’s hand.
For the best, thought Serizawa.
The hands hovered in the air for a while, lingering, before gently returning to their sides. The connection broken.
After a while, for something to say, before he crawled out of his own skin, Serizawa said: “What crop is in the fields?”
“Safflowers,” said Reigen not bothering to look. He was still observing Serizawa.
“Really?” Serizawa blinked, it looked like rows and rows of needled stems. “I thought it’d be more, well…” he gestured something that would invoke to the imagination the word ‘fluffy’ maybe even ‘cloud’. Finally Serizawa said, “more… yellow.”
Reigen snorted kindly, “they don’t bloom until summer - sometimes late spring. And continue blooming throughout the summer. Depending on when the seeds were planted, of course. It’s a relatively fast growing crop. Plant the seeds in May, flowers are ready in July.”
Serizawa was smiling again, Reigen tried to focus on sharing fun facts so not to get lost in the way Serizawa’s eyes crinkled.
“Since the flowers can be harvested all at the same time, or routine bloom, they’re sometimes planted in sporadic rotation.”
“Excellently put!” said a man in leather overalls and heavy work boots. He stood on the house porch with his arms crossed.
The man had a wide hat, with circular glasses that had thick frames and coke bottle lenses. It was like being approached by a bug-eyed friendly cricket. “You certainly have done your research,” continued the man amicably.
Reigen tried not to look nervous. Looks around my sister Kaho’s age, proceed carefully, Reigen reminded himself.
The friendly cricket man gestured to the fields, and the workers therein, and said: “Some fields are planted now, the other part is planted a little later, and so on - so there’s always a little bit to harvest through out the season.”
“How come?” Asked Serizawa, unable to contain his curiosity. There was something about the man. Dressed smart, yet not too afraid to get dirty.
“Once they’re harvested they won’t regrow,” said the friendly cricket like man.
Reigen nodded, adding helpfully, “sort of, one and done - you know?”
“Oh, I see…” said Serizawa, looking from one to the other.
“Though sometimes,” continued the friendly cricket like man, with the airs of someone who could materialize clipboards from thin air, “since the flowers can come in a slight variety of colors, I mean very slight - we plant certain verities in certain rotations. Though, everyone’s always after the famed, distinct, traces of red,” winked the man. He profited a recently cut stem from his apron pocket for Serizawa and Reigen to inspect. “This is safflower bud stem.”
Serizawa looked at the plant, “they look a bit like thistles.”
“Haha, I suppose so. The stems are like… well, like that of a sunflower, aren’t they? But sturdier, maybe even like trees.”
“You can easily imagine kids using them like swords.” Reigen smirked, “just watch out, they’re a bit prickly.”
“You say that like you had experience,” said the friendly man.
Reigen coughed. “Takeda Kōji, I presume?” He then bowed again a little deeper, “Or should I say, Takeda-dono?”
At the sight Serizawa wasn't entirely sure Reigen wasn't somewhat poking fun at Takeda Kōji, as Reigen often did at authority. Regardless, he followed Reigen's lead in bowing again.
“Ah! Yes that is me, but please, please lift your heads, both of you,” said Takeda Kōji as he scrambled to gently guide them to straighten up. “There's no need for such honorifics. Please.”
Reigen awaited an explanation of a sort. A reason why. But no such explanation came. So he said, “thank you.”
Takeda Kōji adjusted his glasses, “how can I be of help? Oh! Well I must have talked your ears right on off, huh?”
“I don’t mind,” said Serizawa kindly, “it was fascinating.”
“Well there’s a number of people who come up here to learn about these beauties,” Takeda Kōji looked at the stem fondly, “It’s a fascinating subject and history, and I’m happy to oblige. So! How can I be of help? You must be the…ah,” Takeda Kōji searched for a polite word to use and eventually managed: “Fellows from the city. Yes?”
The ‘fellows from the city’ caked in mud, dirt, and salaryman attire, nodded.
Serizawa stepped forward and bowed a greeting, “I’m Serizawa Katsuya, Deputy of Spirits and Such Consultation.”
Reigen stepped to Serizawa’s side, joining him, his own bow though polite, didn’t last long as he popped back up and thumbed at himself, “Reigen Arataka, Rising Star of the 21st Century.”
Takeda Kōji, with the help of his glasses magnifying his eyes, very clearly blinked.
Serizawa observed, yet again, someone do the physical reaction of a double take at the sound of Reigen’s family name. Déjà vu portrayed as a physical comedy routine.
“Rei-gen,” Takeda Kōji repeated slowly. As if the slower speed could scratch under the surface of his memory. Takeda Kōji sucked air through his teeth thoughtfully, “are you by any chance related to…”
Takeda Kōji looked Reigen over again.
Reigen looked like the salaryman equivalent to a fish out of water, soggy and muddy, and not even close to being dressed appropriately. With random feathers for some strange reason. Not to mention the precise Standard Japanese. But that could be something learned, Takeda Kōji certainly did, dancing between Standard and Regional as he pleased.
“No… Never mind,” Takeda Kōji finished at last. Though his buggy eyes did linger, as if making a mental note.
Reigen shrugged the moment off, and as far from him as possible.
Serizawa fought everything to not reach forward to shake Takeda Kōji by the shoulders and say, “who?! who does he remind you of?! Who do you think he’s related to?!” But didn’t. His head was starting to feel a bit fuzzy. Not to mention that on going crying in the background.
“A pleasure to meet you both, gentleman,” said Takeda Kōji.
“Thank you,” said Reigen and Serizawa.
“Considering the news I’ve heard so far, you both have come a long way,” said Takeda Kōji.
“True,” said Reigen. “Is it safe to assume you’ve already heard Gotou-san hired us to investigate a few… uncanny scenarios that’s been going on?”
Takeda Kōji nodded, “absolutely safe to assume. It’s been the talk of the mornin’!”
“Heh, word spreads fast,” said Reigen rubbing his chin some.
“You better believe it,” smiled Takeda Kōji.
“Be that as it may, we have a a few questions to ask. If you don’t mind. If not now, perhaps later?” Reigen gestured to the fields, where cleaning, clearing, sowing, plus the tending was being done. “I don’t want to assume how hands on you are, but it’s certainly busy here, and we wouldn’t want to be in the way. Safflower is an important export after all.”
“Hm.” Takeda Kōji tilted his head to the side, as if considering Reigen from a different angle. Then brightened, “would you fellows like a personal tour? Shame ya didn’t come up during prime season.”
“Truly,” said Serizawa, wistfully looking at the fields.
“Hey,” went Takeda Kōji kindly, “just means ya gotta come back.”
Serizawa smiled.
“Maybe another time,” Reigen butted in as politely as possible. Eyeing how Serizawa was still sweating. He looked almost sweatier than himself. Which was saying something.
“I don’t mind,” said Serizawa quickly.
“It could be a quick tour, a walk around the property. Call it a jaunt even!”
“Well-” started Reigen, only to be interrupted by Serizawa holding up a finger as a gesture of ‘one moment please’.
Takeda Kōji continued to smile pleasantly.
Serizawa bent to give Reigen an aside. With a voice low for only Reigen to hear, he said, “its what we’ve been doing at all the properties. Takeda-san seems amenable to answer questions. Even more so than the others.”
“What happened to quick ‘in and out’?”
“We barely got here, Reigen-san. The walk alone was long enough, not to mention we shouldn’t snub Takeda-san’s upfront kindness.” Serizawa paused, and grinned, “it’s not pragmatic and it wouldn’t help us in the long run.”
“Tch,” Reigen turned his head away quickly, cheeks warm. He gave himself a little moment before turning back to Serizawa’s beautiful face. “What about you?”
“What about me?” said Serizawa a bit testily. Concern and worry were fine, cherished even, but he wasn’t a delicate flower. “What about you, yourself?”
Reigen held back the impulse to scoff. “As soon as we got here you started feeling, well, not great,” he said in his most reasonable voice.
“Dare I mention the car?”
“That was different, and you know it.”
They stared at each other. Teetering on the edge of an argument.
Serizawa pinched the bridge of his nose, and exhaled steadily. “I won’t push myself, Reigen-san,” said Serizawa mildly.
Reigen eyed him critically.
“I promise,” added Serizawa patiently. “Besides, don’t you want to snoop around? Takeda-san might even bring us to, you know,” he gestured to the foreboding stately manor in the background at the top of the hill.
They both looked at it.
Looming.
Ever present.
Giving off that feeling of a hovering hand, not quite touching, but very there.
It was a wonder how narrative convention didn’t cause a lightening strike or two. Perhaps the tolling of a distant bell with a chorus. An organ tune thrown in for good measure.
There was certainly the swooping of birds now and then.
Not just any birds: crows. Most likely the murder from before.
“Alright, alright,” said Reigen, raising his hands, relinquishing, “fine. But first sign of anything-”
“I’ll let you know,” smiled Serizawa. “Honest.”
“Right.” Scratching the back of his head, Reigen turned to the patiently waiting Takeda Kōji. Collecting vim and vigor, Reigen said: “Alright! We, of Spirits and Such Consultation, will be more than delighted to take you up on that tour.”
“Capital,” smiled Takeda Kōji, in the way some people had a smile for every occasion. “welcome to the Takeda property, gentleman. It’ll be my honor to show you around, Reigen-san, Serizawa-san.”
Suzaku Meri leaned on her hoe and dabbed at her forehead with the cloth she kept around her neck. She patted her white uniform jumpsuit, noting how it was already dirty with a morning’s hard work, and smiled.
It was a good feeling to work with her hands.
It was explained to Suzaku that most gardening work happened in the early morning was because the soil was still soft with dew collected at night. Thus making it the best time to work before the soil could harden under the sun.
She hadn’t anticipated how much it’d make her back ache though. If this was softer soil, she’d hate to think what hard soil felt like.
She rested her chin her hands and let her mind drift, ever so slightly.
It was her first day here. She’d like to think she was starting with the right foot. Managed to gift some apples around too.
Suzaku had been so excited she could hardly sleep at all. That and the eerie quiet was a little unnerving. It made every small, intimate sound, so much expansively bigger.
Her cheeks blushed when she thought of that in romantic contexts. Aaaah soon her life would change. It was changing.
In a way life was always changing.
And the Takedas were so kind to her upon her arrival. She wondered what Endo-san and her friend meant by keeping her wits.
Probably generic ‘be mindful’ things.
Suzaku watched as Takeda Kōji walked by. In her mind he seemed like a handsome cricket, and clutched at her hoe when she realized how very handsome indeed he’d look in a western style waistcoat.
The two gentleman following Takeda Kōji looked vaguely familiar, not to mention handsome too. Especially the tall dark glass of water.
“Good grief,” she told herself, “I’ll never get my life together if all I think about is romance.” And then she sighed, and tried to push some inner loneliness away with physical work.
Though one thing Suzaku found curious, was how she distantly overheard the taller of the pair pause and say: “did you hear that?”
“What?” said the shorter one, he reminded Suzaku of a shifty scarecrow.
Suzaku strained her ear, curious. Always eager to hear something interesting that could be used for a future story.
She just barely managed to hear the taller ask: “Is there a baby crying somewhere?”
The pair kept going, the rest of their conversation obscured by distance, and day to day sound. Suzaku blinked. She rested her hoe again, and tried to listen.
There were spring bugs. Birds. A curious amount of crow caws. Other people working, and distant conversations.
But… no crying babies.
“Huh…”
A shiver ran up Suzaku, that she blamed on a chilly spring breeze.
Notes:
Quite a few references were made in this chapter, to name a few:
The folk hero Kintarō
The mountain witch also known as the Yama-uba or Yamauba
The tale of Amaterasu and the Heavenly Rock Cave
OnryōAlso I know that within mp100 crows are used as symbols of loneliness, and I wanted to expand on that in my own way by yes and-ing with my own personal love of corvids, and injecting that love into Reigen.
Also also, just when you thought Suzaku Meri would never return BAM she's back! I love her, and I can't wait to share what I have in store for her.Best wishes♡
Chapter 11: “I Don't Know” (PART 3.2) An Unkindness
Summary:
The last of the I Don't Know chapters.
Notes:
⚠️Chapter Warnings (may contain spoilers)
The Sound of a Baby's Cry. Distorted Text. Survival's Guilt. Mention, and Brief Action of Self Harm. Dealing With Remains. Child Theft/Purchase.
Oh man this is it!! The last of the "I Don't Know" chapter parts!! And man oh MAN have I been excited and yearning to share this!! I'd like to think this is quite a turning point in the story... also a soft reminder to look at the tags again...
Please enjoy! ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“I used to think that a dead person’s words die with them. Now I know that they scatter, looking for meaning to attach to like a scent. My mother used to collect orange blossoms in a small shallow bowl. I pass the tree each spring. I always knew that grief was something I could smell. But I didn’t know that it’s not actually a noun but a verb. That it moves.”
- Victoria Chang, Obit
“Who could drive the curse out of this family? These people are glued to ruin.”
- Aiskhylos tr. by Anne Carson, An Oresteia; “Agamemnon”
❧❧❧
It was towards morning’s end, entering into the sun’s highest arc, into noon. And, somewhere, the sun was slanting into the back of a broken Karasu Tengu statue. Giving it an effect as though it was lit from within… with an internal flame.
The thing about being given a tour was, well, one’s gaze is guided to where the tour guide wants you to look.
At Takeda Kōji’s pleasure they were being given a personal tour, sure. And it was also at Takeda Kōji’s pleasure where they were being directed to look at.
Needless to say, the distant mansion looming ominously in the distance was hardly remarked upon.
Almost outright ignored.
It was fascinating to observe Takeda Kōji in this regard. And frustrating. There was a huge part of the property’s history yelling in the background ‘LOOK AT ME’ like a bleeding open wound, and Takeda Kōji refused to acknowledge it.
Serizawa even tried to ask a question about it, and Reigen was sure Takeda Kōji pretended he didn’t hear him.
Reigen tried again all the same, and said, “have you and your family always had such a large property? I assume it reaches to the mansion of the old Lord and Lady Takeda.”
“We’re an old family, yes. And very fortunate,” said Takeda Kōji pleasantly.
“Ooh?” Reigen leaned forward, finding this a promising avenue of conversation.
“Of course. There isn’t as much of a need to use safflowers in this modern age,” explained Takeda Kōji, whose voice dipped into an almost script like explanation. Despite the real love, there was still an unmistakable practiced technique to his explanation.
“Ah,” said Reigen, swallowing the disappointment.
Serizawa patted his shoulder, and mouthed ‘it was a good try’.
“It’s no longer one of the few ways to dye clothes,” continued Takeda Kōji, unaware of the silent conversation between Serizawa and Reigen. “Or create lipsticks - though, thankfully, there are still enough cosmetic stores, and even traditional wear rentals that are interested. The arduous process, and sheer traditional experience, really elevates safflower products - as it once did.”
Serizawa nodded eagerly along, absolutely fascinated.
Reigen nodded along, politely. He glanced at the field workers, and wondered if any of them asked about the mansion estate. And if they did, did they get the same response? The waved off, half ignored sort?
The field was surely vast.
“Do local schools still bring classes here? That is to say,” corrected Reigen remembering himself, “it isn’t uncommon for field trips to take place in such traditional facilities. Fun little local excursions and the like.”
Takeda Kōji nodded happily, “but of course! It’s important for the knowledge to be shared - essential for ongoing interest as well. It’s a bit of a drive for some schools. Especially where the main schools are located. And we can’t cater to too large a class, but always enjoyable - not to mention important, to pass the knowledge on. I said that already though, huh? Haha.”
Serizawa marveled. He let himself wonder if he would have enjoyed such a trip. Would he have delighted in passing his hands over the flower stalks? At the excitement of being so far from home? But with the safety of school and security that he’d get home alright.
Perhaps, pressing a flower or two in a notebook to take home and remember the outing by.
Serizawa remembered his mother describing him as a thoughtful child. Which…checked out in his books.
Serizawa hardly remembered what it was like, his life before locking himself away an in self imposed isolation. Like childhood was something that had happened to other people. To him, it was the prelude to a long, lonely, and somber nocturne.
There was nothing he could do to go back, and change it. Serizawa tried to remind himself of the small things that had brought a smile to his face.
It wasn’t such a tragedy…well, maybe not a Greek tragedy. He supposed he did have a childhood, of a sort. An electric one, filled with chat rooms and so on. There were positive days…even if he didn’t always remember them.
Yet, standing there, the little grief that occasionally haunted him, would rise in Serizawa’s chest. Wistful for…perhaps something that had been a bit more conventional.
He looked down at the feeling of someone touching his arm. And smiled when he saw Reigen looking at him, silently checking in.
“Did your school go on excursions, Reigen-san?”
Reigen blinked, thrown off by the question. And Serizawa watched him, searching for the truths that’d slant through, as carefully as sunbeams through a half closed blind.
Please, Serizawa wanted to say, hand aching to hold Reigen’s again without pretense, let me live vicariously through your stories. Let me in.
Glancing at Takeda Kōji, and his oh so pleasant watchful smile, then back at Serizawa, Reigen shrugged casually, “sure. They were… very informative.” Then he grinned mischievously, “what kid didn’t love days they didn’t have to sit around in a classroom?”
Serizawa nodded, patiently. Tampering down further questions.
“So true!” Takeda Kōji laughed. “Much to our advantage.”
“Do any kids wander off? When they visit I mean,” asked Reigen. “You do have quite a large property.” He glanced at the mansion. “I can imagine this place is full of nicks and crannies to get into mischief.”
“Well,” said Takeda Kōji, refusing to look at the mansion, “there’s always a few… rambunctious types.”
Reigen, an absolute rambunctious type in his day, nodded sagely.
“But between teachers, chaperones, and the general coming and goings of people on the property, they didn’t wander too much.”
“Chaperones! Fancy private schools visit too? Must take them hours to get here. Most of them are so far away.”
Takeda Kōji shrugged modestly. “It isn’t just private schools who ask for chaperones, after all.”
“Ah, right…true,” corrected Reigen. He stamped down the urge to say a ‘back in my day’ like comment. But it was there, needling him.
“We try to make it a point to outreach to all schools. We’re one of the biggest producers of safflowers around. It might not say much considering how small Green Village on the Hill is to begin with,” Takeda Kōji gave Reigen a measured, albeit polite look, “especially to …outsiders.”
Reigen’s face was unreadable.
Takeda Kōji brightened, “But! The importance of safflowers has never fully died, and with the crop we carry quite a bit of influence. Even schools from outside of Green Village on the Hill Visit. And we cater to their needs, of course. Offer lunches, and all that. All locally grown, of course. Sometimes they stay the night if anything happens.”
“Of course,” nodded Reigen.
Takeda Kōji nodded, contentedly. “Institutions will fail us, but community is where we hold power.”
Reigen gave a thoughtful hum, then said: “What about the local branch school?”
“The branch school, Reigen-san?” Takeda Kōji laughed, “you certainly did your research well before visiting. But surely you’d have come across how the branch school has been closed down for, well… years now!”
Reigen made a show of thumping his forehead with his palm, “you’re absolutely right Takeda-dono-I mean-san. How could I forget. It’s now being used as a city council meeting place- or something like that, yes?”
Takeda Kōji nodded. “Something like that, yes. Sometimes we host council meetings here too.”
Reigen made a convincing show of surprise. “Really?”
“Though most people don’t think us hosting is, well, very neutral ground,” explained Takeda Kōji.
“I’m shocked,” lied Reigen.
Here, Takeda Kōji sighed, “there hasn’t been enough families with children in Green Village on the Hill to justify keeping the branch school open. Most folks move to the suburbs, or cities farther out. So its nice for the building to still be used and not leave it to, well, nature to reclaim.”
“I imagine that can be a bit of a, well a struggle, keeping Green Village on the Hill funded civically. Roads, street signs, council buildings, and so on. But from what I understand that can be the case in many rural areas, not just Green Village on the Hill,”
“That was… astute of you Reigen-san,” said Takeda Kōji pleasantly.
“Thank you.”
Serizawa, who was watching this back and forth carefully, couldn’t help but observe how Takeda Kōji used the pleasant smile… well, a bit like a mask. A vast ocean of thoughts and opinions could be hiding, just beneath the surface of that pleasant, attentive, smile. Not too dissimilarly to how Reigen sometimes operated. Which made the whole exchange all the more fascinating.
Like a poker game of smiling, smiling, smiling. A smile, with an edge.
“You’re quite… insightful of these matters. Or so I’ve come to understand,” continued Takeda Kōji.
“Oh? I’m curious, how so?”
“Oh… word gets around, in a small town like this. Especially about city fellows like yourselves.”
“Of course,” smiled Reigen, pleasantly. “Stands to reason.”
“Hmm… anyhow, it only underlines just how important the safflower production is here. The more money and visitors, the more we can give back to the community.”
“Empowering,” beamed Reigen. Who pointedly added, in the privacy of his mind: what little community there is left, of course.
They were entering into the fields now. Reigen paused as a breeze passed over him, then let out a slow exhale. The smell of freshly dug earth and soil, rich to the senses.
He barely listened in on Takeda Kōji’s new explanation now. It was something about government funding. Though every so often Reigen’s attention would return. Like how a lazy cat, regardless of napping or resting, kept an eye open for passing opportunities.
“Worth ten times their weight in gold,” Takeda Kōji said enthusiastically, “well they used to be haha.”
“Haha,” went Serizawa politely.
Reigen fished for another lollipop.
“The safflower isn’t inherently native to Japan,” Takeda Kōji droned on in that pleasant tone, with the oh so pleasant smile, “but followed the silk road and appeared, maybe around the Kofun period…”
Reigen watched as Takeda Kōji and Serizawa turned a corner into another row, and didn’t follow.
Confident he could easily catch back up with Serizawa and Takeda Kōji if needed. While not entirely feeling the need to learn anymore about safflowers, Reigen had heard and learned and been on trips about it for a childhood and then some.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t proud of the safflowers, especially the ones grown in his prefecture, but that also didn’t mean he wanted to re-listen to how the quality of the safflower secured for the region half of the nation’s annual trade.
Smirking at a memory, Reigen poked at the tree like thistle stalk. “You’ll grow beautifully again this year, I’m sure,” he told the stalk fondly.
In the distance, the sound of child laughter.
Reigen frowned and looked around the field, scanning it - but could see mostly Takeda’s field workers.
Reigen sighed, and ran a hand over his face, giving himself a brief reprieve between the stalks. Turning his head skyward, he looked up into the massive blue sky, and let the sunlight warm him. Hug him.
Distantly Reigen could hear Takeda Kōji describing trading to a rapt Serizawa. The way petals of safflowers were fermented and pressed into round cakes that would be sent to Kyoto and Osaka as cosmetics. For nobles and courtesans to enjoy… the workers of safflower fields however, hardly ever got to enjoy their own product.
A golden flower indeed.
“The absolute best of red hues!” Takeda Kōji’s voice trilled over the stalks.
Reigen wondered if Serizawa would buy some cosmetics for his mother, as a gift… and Reigen’s mind wandered, mischievously, traitorously… to the idea of showing Serizawa how to use the Beni, and just how red the safflower can tinge… be it on his lips… or his own.
Reigen’s face reddened like a beacon. He scratched his scalp as if that could scramble his thoughts to… purer directions. “Good grief,” he scolded himself. “Get it together…” he sighed. “Alright,” Reigen told himself, after realizing the idle voices were a little too far away for his own comfort, “time to catch up.”
Reigen followed where he had seen Takeda Kōji and Serizawa go.
Stepping around the corner to another row…
And stepped right into summer.
Into a world of yellow and orange and gold.
To safflowers in full bloom.
All without any fanfare, or warning.
The heat was sweltering, and humid thanks to the massive nearby river.
The thing was, Reigen knew it’d get hotter, because it wasn’t even the midday sun. He didn’t even have to look up and check to see if that was the case. He felt it. In his bones.
The cool rich soil smell of spring was replaced with something more…cake like, powdery. Like freshly baked clay.
And every which way Reigen looked was absolutely covered in full blooming safflowers. Perfectly ready to be harvested.
The world seemed to be made of endless safflowers and the sky.
Reigen felt directionless. Like a lost castaway amongst a sea of orange and yellow.
Meanwhile a distant mist obscured the distant mountain and hills around the mini valley. Leaving no landmark to judge direction. North was a mystery.
All that mattered, was the safflower sea.
In the distance a whistle was blown, the kind teachers used to round up rowdy students. The sort of students that liked to venture farther than they should. Reigen knew that whistle very well.
“This here is an important lesson today, kids. Cultural like. Your culture and history. It’s a part of ya, part of what helped make this region prosperous and the like,” came the distant voice of the teacher. What was her name again? Ikeda-sensei?
The sounds of cicadas raised higher, and higher the more Reigen tried to remember. As if the sound was meant to block further thoughts and remembering.
It wasn’t what was important right now, not to Reigen, nor to the reason he was allowed to step into this… curious safflower season.
And then the cicada song stopped. Completely. Jarringly. Marking the sound of a pair footsteps approaching.
Followed by laughter.
Reigen knew that laugh too.
It made him shiver.
Wind passed over the safflowers billowing and bending the yellows and orange. A summer heat wave come alive. Personified.
“Usually,” the teacher’s (Ikeda-sensei), voice carried over, continuing a lesson that has been taught time and time again to the children of the region, “safflowers are picked in tha early morning. As the dew makes the flowers less hard, and the like.”
Laughter. Distinct laughter, from a very distinct voice. A distinct memory.
Reigen clutched his chest. “No,” he whispered, wide eyed, “…please no.”
“Way back when,” Ikeda-sensei taught on, “the ladies who done the pickin’ didn’t have the commodity of usin’ gloves. Ya see them prickles at the top. Yep. They do hurt. Be mindful not ta try that again Nanase-san. Alright, cut the laughter. Where was I? Oh yes. Ladies fingers would be bloody raw. Pickin’ an pickin’. And it be harder still if picked after the dew dries. Now, who wants ta guess the percentage of red pigment each flower has?”
“Taka,” came a voice from the past. A voice Reigen hadn’t heard in a long, long time. “Look at this cool beetle ah found.”
Reigen closed his eyes. Hard. He bit his lip to keep it from contorting. “Please stop. Whoever is doing and causing this… please stop.” Reigen’s voice dipped to a low, sad mutter, “this is just too cruel.”
“Now class,” continued Ikeda-sensei, “who can tell me tha famous poet that done passed through here? From Edo upwards, recording his journey. Go on now, we talked about this last week. Who wrote: ‘The Narrow Road to the North’?”
“Taka!” The voice was loud enough to scare a skylark into flight. It trilled, and trilled, until it morphed into the actual trill of a flute. The notes rounding a start to a flower picking folksong; Benibana-tsumi-uta.
It flowed into the air, the seeds, the petals, and blood.
People sow safflower seeds from Mt. Chitose,
“Reigen-san you payin’ attention?” Ikeda-sensei called.
Reigen crouched amongst the safflowers, and covered his ears. He knew that wouldn’t be enough to snap him out… of whatever this was. But it helped make him feel better all the same.
“Honestly now,” the Ikeda-sensei’s voice carried, “If it ain’t one thing it’s another. Where was I? Oh yes. The Heian period… now, the color made from repeated dying with safflower was a special color reserved for high-ranking people.”
I could try pinching himself, Reigen thought. He did so. No change.
The Ikeda-sensei’s voice explained on: “Now we all know what the color red is associated with - sun, fire, and blood, therefore symbolizes life.”
“Taaaaakaaaa,” went the other distinct voice from the past, singsong like.
Goosebumps rose in Reigen like a rising tide. He shook his head, as if that would ward off this weird Memory Lane Pocket Dimension from Hell he had found himself in.
thus Yamagata is full of flowers, let’s pick up, pick up.
“C’moooon Taka. Don’t go ingnorin’ me.”
Ignoring corrected Reigen half heartedly in the privacy of his skull. Hating himself for doing so.
He breathed in through his nose, and out through his mouth. Steadily.
“Ya can’t fool me Taka. Ye’d have laughed at ingnorin’. Yer Pa forcin’ diction lessons on ya again?”
Reigen searched for his lighter, patting himself down. Maybe burning himself would shock him out of…whatever this was. …Or give him a bad burn he’d have to explain to Serizawa.
Reigen frowned, unable to think away the sad look Serizawa would no doubt give him.
Damn.
He pressed his hands even harder against his ears, and squeezed his eyes tighter shut. Chest tight. Reigen wished Serizawa were here.
Even before the dawn, along with a song of picking safflowers up,
“…Ya can’t be mad at me, right? Pff! As if! I mean. Sure this is a pickle. But I would-a thought you’d be more… well, happy ta hear me again. Ta see me again.”
Reigen tried to mouth along with the folksong. If he concentrated on that, perhaps that would…cancel out…this? Whatever this was.
By the end of the thought Reigen wasn’t very convinced.
But he tried it all the same.
skylarks trill, let’s pick up, pick up.
“Haha, oh Taka,” laughed the voice with fondness. Full bellied and jovial. “See, this is why all the grannies wanna pinch yer cheeks all the time,” the voice teased. “Yer such an old lady at heart Taka!”
“Go away,” said Reigen. Then he snapped open his eyes, wide. Very wide.
Because the voice that came out of Reigen’s mouth was years younger than his actual, current adult self.
Yet to drop, yet to be too influenced by years of cigarettes, or too entangled in diction classes. “Shit.”
“Now ah know ya don’t mean that Taka,” went the voice from the past, sounding lopsided with mischief. “An ye know what? I bet you’ve been hopin’ ta see me. Fer some time too… deep in that artery ya call a heart. Heh. Now how about that?”
Footsteps grew closer, padded on warm summer soil. With the occasional crunch of a stray dried up leaf.
While the sounds of the cicadas, birds, and distant teacherly lectures were suddenly very much absent.
Not even a skylark, or the folksong was present.
“Go on now. Look at me, Taka. …it’s been, gosh, so long. Years.”
“I ain’t! Gonna!” Reigen said, screwing his eyes shut again. Knowing, just knowing he’d see a pair of bare feet should he open them. And then the owner of those feet, the owner of that voice.
“…do ya hate me?” The voice from the past was so small, so hurt, so sad.
Reigen lifted his head faster than a skylark taking flight. Heart rabbit fast, “‘o course I don’t!! I could never!! Never you… It’s,” he sniffed, youthful teen voice, brittle and ready to break. Full of regret and shame, “it’s you who should hate me!!”
It was the exact face Reigen was anticipating. In the exact state Reigen was anticipating it to be in. And despite the fact that the figure was holding a bundle of safflower stems, the tufts of orange and yellow blooms obscuring the face, the figure was clearly smiling.
Smiling a sadness that seeped into the bone.
“There you are Taka, lookin’ at me at last.”
“Who am I to dare hope ye’d come ta me?” Tears spilled over Reigen’s eyes. “An, an come ta me after,” Reigen hiccuped, “after everythin’? You should hate me. Ye’d be right to hate me. I hate…”
And Reigen cried.
Cried as long as the longest day in summer, and a thousand years more.
Or so it felt like, within the logic of dreams and surreal obscurity. Lung filled, with choppy hiccups.
A boney skeletal hand soothed Reigen’s back. Chilling. Reigen welcomed the comfort all the same. Indigent of his deserving.
“Oh Taka… Taka, Taka, Taka…” The teen figure said, voice low and melancholic. “Yer bein’ foolish again.” A little laugh that wanted to be a sob followed.
As the figure leaned forward, Reigen watched on, helpless. His breath caught in his throat.
Watched as the figure’s tear ducts produced, not tears… no. It was a mixture of the red tinted liquid extracted from the seeds deep inside the safflower made for clothing dye and cosmetics, and blood.
“Don’t ya know?”
The red mixture and blood overflowed into the bundle of carried safflowers, that obscured the rest of the face. It dripped down the stems.
Stained the figure’s hand. A never ending stream.
“Didn’t we promise?”
It was as if the color red started to have a life of its own, to wiggle, and undulate. Like stained worms.
The wind picked up, the summer bright sky changing with it. Like a time-lapse toward a harsh angry summer storm. With large charcoal black clouds. The harsh contrast between the dark clouds and bright safflowers made the divided into two sides, black and yellow.
Tufts of black feathers, acting as individual little clouds, whipped around them. And ravens and crows of all sorts cawed into the sky, into the rising wind.
“We promised so many times. An ya promised again, right at the end… when I-”
“Please,” croaked Reigen, “don’t say it.”
“Ya can’t deny what happen. An I know it weighs yer mind.” The figure reached a skeletal hand forward, and cupped Reigen’s face. Tenderly. Staining it.“You and yer Pa put me together again. I was unrecognizable after…”
Reigen sniffled, he wanted to turn his head away, but the skeletal hand pinched it still.
“Well… you know. You were right there with me. And you were right there with me after, doin’ yer Pa’s work. So my folks could recognize me again. And they did, didn’t they Taka? Go on, nod. Ya know its true. You and yer Pa did good work.”
Reigen nodded.
The figure from the past leaned forward closer to Reigen’s face. Whispered, like a spell, “and with your hand in mah chest cavity, between the ribs, in the blood, ya promised me again. Ya promised me again, Taka. Go on, say it too.”
“I,” Reigen’s teen voice cracked with emotion, “I promised you again.”
The mixture and blood like tears kept flowing. Staining everything. The figure offered the stained dripping safflower bundle to Reigen.
Reigen gulped, and, mesmerized, accepted the safflowers. His own hands staining. Iridescent, red.
“We’d be thick as thieves,” whispered a young teenage Reigen Arataka. “Always.”
“Yeah,” laughed the figure. A somber sound. “You an me. Forever.”
It was like a vow. It was like a threat. Repeated time and again.
“I never did get ta thank ya.”
“Ain’t never been a need. It was a duty ta be done,” said Reigen Arataka.
The figure grinned, crooked teeth that braces never had the chance of adjusting flashed. “Yeah… you would go on an say a foolish thing like that, huh?”
Reigen had a deep surging want to hug this figure. So tight and never let go. And sob, and sob, and sob for a million years. While knowing a million years would never be enough.
Grief didn’t work like that.
“I’m glad yer back Taka. There’s mischief happenin’. Be sharp.”
“Can ya tell me about it?”
“Naw, ya always wanted ta be a private dee-teck-tive. Now’s yer chance.”
“But… but it’s serious business.”
“Damn right. …don’t give me that hurt look, Taka. How’s this. …say my name Taka. Say it, and I’ll help.”
Reigen Arataka licked his lips, they were still bruised and cracked from the accident, and the fight that took place afterwards. He looked down at the safflower bundle, face full of shame.
“…Still can’t say it, huh? Well, I don’t blame ya…”
“…I love you,” breathed teenage Reigen Arataka. Big blobby tears falling down his beaten and bruised face. Stinging his swollen shut eye. "Loved you so much... I hate that. Why did... why did it have to happen? It... it should have been me."
The figure didn’t respond. But Reigen Arataka felt the weight of partly flesh, partly bone, pressed gently to his hairline. Like a bony kiss. Perhaps a quiet: I loved you too.
Reigen Arataka hugged the bundle of safflowers tight, and cried a mixture of beni and blood.
The smell of smoke and funeral incense filled Reigen Arataka’s nostrils.
It made him dizzy.
Or was it the heat? Or was it the fact that since it was now him holding the safflower bundle he could see the figure’s face fully?
Could look into the eyes…the little teal glow deep in the sockets… the-
Someone behind Reigen touched his shoulder. It was very gentle, and very hesitant. But all the same, surprising.
Reigen whirled around towards it.
Away from the haunted summer setting, its suffocating heat, the never-ending gaze of the figure’s eyes.
The figure’s name he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud - that screamed in his mind, his memory, his grieving heart.
Reigen returned to early spring.
To being an adult.
To the present.
To having to keep on living. Despite everything.
…what was he doing crouching amongst the safflower stalks again?
How long was he in the fields?
Where was Serizawa?
Reigen felt confused, disorientated - which only fueled some inner anger he didn’t know was building. His heart raced for a reason Reigen could no longer remember.
The land did, it remembers all.
Benibana-tsumi-uta sang on in Reigen’s mind, like a song stuck in his head he couldn’t shake.
What made him think go that of all things? Probably being amongst safflowers again. After so, so long.
“Oh,” said a little voice that definitely didn’t belong to Serizawa. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Reigen deflated, and felt utterly exhausted. He had deeply hoped it would have been Serizawa. But it wasn’t.
It was just him, and this person in the middle of the safflower field, months away from blooming.
Skylarks trilled overhead.
The distant chatter of idle conversations and directions being given floated over. The big bright blue sky.
But no Serizawa. …Or Takeda for that matter.
Reigen dropped his head into his hand. With his palm against his eye, he felt a damp wetness.
He had been crying. He had no idea. How long had he been crying? Was that why he was crouching in the fields? Why won’t his hands stop shaking?
<< what could be heavier than grief, reigen-san? tears muddling the mind... >>
Unaware to either of them, worms had returned. They undulated and grew from Reigen. Teal, and tinged with a red moss, with the promise of thistles.
“Shit,” muttered Reigen.
“I’m sorry,” said the woman, “I didn’t realize you were having a moment.”
“Allergies.” Reigen scrubbed his eyes dry, as quickly as he could manage. Leaving redness in the unkindness of the action.
The image of The Figure swam to the forefront of his mind, like the blotchy after image that happened when staring at something bright for too long.
Unlike an after image, the blotch moved. Waving and smiling. Hopping from foot to foot like a bird. A youthful, awkward, sparrow folk dance.
Reigen’s heart ached painfully. He hadn’t thought of that since…since…
“Oh. Um, Takeda-san, and your friend, asked me to find you.”
“Right,” said Reigen clearing his throat, unsticking it as best as he could from lingering emotion. “Right. Where are they?”
“Um, inside. …look are you sure you’re alright? You seem… dazed?” she said with a slow coaxing quality. Like she didn’t want to startle Reigen any further. “Like you’ve seen a ghos-”
“Don’t.” Reigen bit his lip, and oozed the harshness out of his voice. “Please don’t say it. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have- Excuse me, what did you say your name was?”
“Oh! Forgive me for not introducing myself.” She held out her hand. Pleasantly, oozing positivity. “Suzaku Meri,” said Suzaku Meri, “pleasure to meet you.”
Reigen politely shook her hand, “Reigen Arataka.”
She gasped. “Like, from tv?!”
Reigen froze. Briefly. Then smiled humorlessly, “I’m surprised that little happening is still remembered at all.”
“Oh, well, sure it happened a while ago. But it was still very story worthy,” nodded Suzaku, remembering the novella potential of it all.
“Erm…right.”
“I used to work at a publishing company,” said Suzaku by means of explanation.
“I see.”
“I always wondered who you were referring to. Just before the press conference went into chaos. I was at the edge of my seat!” She leaned to the side with a good natured attempted at comradely. “You wouldn’t want to disclose that to a stranger would you?”
“No.”
This upturned some inner checklist in Suzaku. “Right…right of course.”
“You mentioned Takeda and my friend…?”
“Right. Ah, this way, please,” said Suzaku gesturing out of the safflower fields.
Serizawa thumped his palm against his head, “of course! ‘Corvo’! I should have known. Like the name of that one video game character.”
Takeda Kōji stared at him.
“Ah,” said Serizawa trying to shrink in size from bashfulness. “Sorry, I just. Remembered something I was struggling to remember earlier. It sort of just, came to me, hehe. Funny how that can happen, right? Erm, its not important…you were saying?”
They were in a charming sitting room. Traditional, with signs of remodeling.
Reigen had been right in his guess that the home was once a servant’s quarters, as Takeda Kōji ended up confirming during his own explanations.
It was the closest Takeda Kōji got to remarking on the mansion and the prestigious lineage of the Takeda family.
The home had been refurbished, bright lacquered, and deftly decorated with all sorts of antiques that would make a historian salivate. No doubt carried over from the original estate.
“That’s alright,” said Takeda Kōji, “I do sometimes drone on and on. If no one stops me there’s a risk of me just, turning into white noise.”
“No, the fault is mine,” insisted Serizawa, feeling guilty.
Before them, displayed on the beautifully carved low table, made from an exquisite wood Serizawa couldn’t begin to guess the origin of, were rice paper samples.
Some pages were tinted yellow, and others had little bits of safflower petals and seeds mixed in with the rice paper. The quality was incredibly high.
“I’m a little tired,” admitted Serizawa, “but I do find this fascinating! Which company or, er, store is it that is selling these?” His hand hovered over one, tempted to touch, but not wanting to risk staining the samples with the natural oils on his skin.
Takeda Kōji, seeing this, pushed them closer to Serizawa. “Please,” he insisted, “they’re samples for a reason. And the texture is quite lovely if I do say so myself hehe. I’m quite a fan of stationary too.”
Serizawa dared to place his index finger on it, then gently raised the sample page to the light. It was marvelous.
“I know someone who might really enjoy a journal with this paper,” said Serizawa, thinking of Shou.
“I’ll give you one of their business cards. But please, the fault is mine for not offering any tea,” said Takeda Kōji, rising from his zabuton.
“Oh, but,” started Serizawa, but was politely waved to silence by Takeda’s insistence. At this point it’d be rude to refuse. “… thank you,” relented Serizawa.
A noise struck Serizawa’s ears, loud and hard to ignore. He winced as it grated on Serizawa’s nerves.
“Um!”
Takeda Kōji, looking unremarkably unaffected, paused at the sliding door. “Yes?”
“Is the baby doing alright? It’s been crying for some time. Is there anyone looking in?”
Takeda Kōji tilted his head to the side, “pardon?” He smiled, but it was a pleasantly puzzled sort of smile.
“The… the baby?” Insisted Serizawa, puzzled. Surely Takeda Kōji could hear it screaming its poor head off. It sounded like it was just on the other side of a wall…or…
Serizawa glanced at the tatami floor.
“What baby?”
Serizawa nodded, and felt his hands go clammy. He was afraid Takeda Kōji would say that.
“So there’s no…” Serizawa’s fingers strummed and twitched, “no baby on the premises?”
“I’m afraid not,” laughed Takeda Kōji, amicably. “Unless there’s a surprise waiting for me. I’m… still a bachelor,” here Takeda Kōji looked sheepish. Almost apologetic. He cleared his throat, “anyways, I’m not so work oriented enough to not notice if there’s a baby on my property.”
“R-right,” said Serizawa.
“I think you’re more tired than you realize, Serizawa-san.”
“Ah, you’re probably right. My apologies.”
“Think nothing of it Serizawa-san!” Takeda Kōji smiled. “Think nothing of it!” He waved and went on his way.
So, Serizawa was left alone in the sitting room. With himself, his thoughts, and the beautiful old antiques. He looked around, treating the space as though he were in a museum, and wondered when Reigen would return.
At least the art was distracting. There was a lovely painted folding screen depicting safflower trade, starting with ladies pressing seeds with their feet, the fermenting process, and a journey that took to the other side of the screen that lead down the mountain all the way to Kyoto merchants and nobles.
Despite it not being Hinamatsuri (doll’s day), there was a full seven tiered imperial court displayed behind a glass case. Mainly showing off the striking usage of the safflower clothing dye the hina dolls were dressed in. A striking display of Heian period court attire.
One thing in particular, however, that kept inviting Serizawa’s eyes to be drawn back to it was a beautifully painted shoji room divider. Whoever the painter was did a marvelous job. It was positively mesmerizing. Serizawa was almost able to forget about the sound of a crying baby.
Almost.
He focused on the pained shoji room divider.
Unlike the first mentioned screen divider depicting the traveling trade of safflowers. This depicted an intense battle. With quite a bit of red.
On one side there were soldiers on horseback with armor from an era Serizawa couldn’t quite pinpoint, surrounded by canine like creatures (most likely wolves, or dogs). It was hard to tell if the creatures were a symbolic addition. They came out of the forest, and seemed to be ambushing the other side…though at the cost of a lot of casualties.
Then there was the other side, also on horseback but with more foot soldiers to their side. Behind them, as they raced downhill to meet their opponents, was an ornate castle. A noble figure was amongst the charge.
A Lord.
The old Lord Takeda-dono, perhaps? Serizawa made a note to ask Takeda Kōji when he returned.
The background was full of painted trees, and the sky was full of black birds, or, considering it was a battlefield, corvids.
“This feels…important,” said Serizawa to himself.
Thats when the world became... fuzzy, to poor Serizawa.
He had never been here before, could testify as such, have physical proof provided to him. And yet, despite all purpose and reason, Serizawa felt like he was participating in his own homecoming. Of a sort…
But this wasn't his home. His fields. His mountain.
Then perhaps he was feeling someone else’s homecoming? That didn’t sit right either.
The rays of sunlight slanted through the trees, and dipped into the sitting room from a window. And, in a blink of time, the angle of the slant changed.
Another blink. Another change. Another blink. Another change.
Not merely from side to side. But rotating.... in the way that a vertical line, then a horizontal line, presented in rapid succession managed to trick the brain into seeing movement.
Most movies were founded on this principle.
The light did strange and unusual things to the sitting room. The hina doll eyes glinted like bright coals. The red dyed clothes and cloths seemed brighter, unfathomably richer than its natural richness.
What was most unusual, was the shoji room divider. The ornate painted design that was on there seemed to …move.
And… come alive.
Did it always have mold?
Was the mold... growing?
Was the mold... moving?
Was the mold…moving towards him?
Pushing out of its painted dimensions. Bleeding out onto the tatami floor like a watercolor. Stretching out and out to meet Serizawa like a growing path. Blotchy, and fuzzy.
Just for him.
Serizawa gulped, his headache, back at full force, was absolutely piercing.
The sound of the crying baby sounded as if it were just on the other side of the shoji room divider. But Serizawa knew better than to think it was actually on the other side…it was most likely coming from inside it. Because of course that would be the case in a scenario like this.
The moldy watercolor moss had stretched close enough that all Serizawa had to do was reach out, and touch it.
“It’s a good thing Reigen isn’t here,” muttered Serizawa. Unsure he knew what scared him more. Whatever this was… or facing it with Reigen going head first into danger.
He frowned at himself for thinking that. Despite a different level of higher stress Reigen’s presence provided, he also had a sharp wit, and a cleverness about him.
They complimented each other.
Serizawa’s outreached hand hesitated, thumb and forefinger rubbing momentarily. “I should wait,” whispered Serizawa.
The baby’s cries grew suffocating, harsh and angry. At this point it’d probably loose its voice.
It sounded right there.
Reigen’s voice surfaced in Serizawa’s mind, from one of their many discussions held during the aftermath of Rusty: “Someone had to do something, and the only someone around at the time was me.”
Perhaps, in this instance, he could try to be a bit reckless for once.
“I’m here, and a job needs doing… so I might as well do it,” quoted Serizawa.
He touched the watercolor moss.
They were walking towards the house. Suzaku lead the way, despite the house being very clearly evident and easy to find. Perhaps Takeda Kōji had taken Serizawa somewhere less clearly evident and easy to find.
Reigen frowned at that.
Then pushed the needling monster of ridiculous jealousy back from whence it came.
Besides, he had other concerns. For starters, the gap in memory he had.
What was I doing standing in the safflower field? Why hadn’t I followed Serizawa and Takeda? What happened between that space and time, and now?
While Reigen had completely forgotten about the vision he saw, lived through. His body didn’t. It continued as an occasional tremor. Adrenaline pumping as if he had just finished a marathon. Forced to appear calm and collected before Suzaku Meri, when really all he wanted to do was scream.
Not only that, Reigen wanted a cigarette. Wanted to get back to…
“Are you and your friend signing on?”
“Excuse me?”
“To work on the Takeda property. Help with the safflower fields. From planting, to nurturing, to harvesting. I’m really excited, it’s nice to be so hands on in something.”
“No, we’re here on other matters.”
“Ah, so not a business retreat?”
That’s what they’re calling working someone else’s field these days? They re-branded it to a business retreat? Reigen didn’t know whether to be impressed or disgusted. “Afraid not.”
“But a business situation nonetheless huh?” Here Suzaku winked.
“Erm… yes. Spirits and Such business.”
Suzaku stretched inviting the passing breeze to catch as much of her as possible. She inhaled the smells deeply, to a point where even Reigen thought she might pass out from the head rush.
“Aaah!! You must admit though Reigen-sensei. It’s wonderful to be here.”
Reigen smirked at the honorific. So she was one of those who really believed him to be a psychic. His mind filed that under C for Potentially Convenient for the future. She seemed like the type that would want to help - which would be good if him and Serizawa snuck back here later.
“Oh yes,” said Reigen politely. Notably without his usual vim and vigor.
“I can’t wait to see the safflowers bloom! And to be able to help grow them with my own hand. It’ll feel satisfying I’m sure.”
Reigen looked over Suzaku critically. With her words of fancy about living in the countryside. Working the land.
Did she even understand the back breaking labor that went into it? The risks? The hardships beyond little cottagecore flights of fancy?
But then again, perhaps he was judging too much from one interaction alone. Besides, who was he, hypocrite that he was, to judge on the matter.
You left for the southern cities as soon as you could, like a fucking shot. Sneered an inner voice.
So did others, replied another inner voice.
“I’m sure,” said Reigen distracted by his own mood. Why was it so hard to un-stick this…whatever this mood was? He just couldn’t bring himself to up the customer service antics. People skills, remember people skills. “Heh. First time in the countryside, huh?” Not like that!!
“Y-yeah,” Suzaku laughed. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear demurely. Somewhat bashful, “I guess it shows a mile away. But can you blame me? I mean just look around!” Suzaku spun in unrestrained joy. It probably would have a more ~romantic~ effect if she were in a sundress instead of white dirty work overalls. But that didn’t bother Suzaku. It was if her heart was wearing a bright sundress.
Reigen watched the muddy path squelch. It gave a little beneath the ball of Suzaku’s boots. Idly wondered if she’d loose her boot.
“Do my eyes look red to you?” Reigen asked patting his cheek, he hoped his face didn’t look puffy.
“What?”
“nothing,” mumbled Reigen. More and more puzzled with himself. He examined the end of his nearly finished lollipop.
“So when did you get here?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re from the city right? Like me.”
Like hell I am, yelled a needly inner teenage voice in Reigen’s head.
He ignored it. Then, feeling a traitor while doing so, Reigen repositioned the placement of his tongue. Carefully. So he could sound crisper and more precise. Perfect Standard. So there wouldn’t be any slip-ups. “Um. I came up from Seasoning City yesterday.” He crunched the rest of his lollipop into oblivion. The inner teenager raged.
“Wow, we must have been on the same bus! Or well maybe. It’s possible there are other busses up here from the station. But it took fooooreeevvverrrr to get going. It was the funniest thing.”
“Side splitting, I am sure.”
“But I don’t mind. Gave me a chance to talk to the locals some.”
“How nice,” said Reigen, the sentiment didn’t reach his eyes.
“Have you spoken to any? They’re so charming!”
“Ah-huh.” Then, feeling Suzaku’s expectant gaze he added, "I am sure it is an interesting change of pace.”
“Oh for sure!”
“I am glad you are enjoying yourself. I hope you learn a lot.”
“I hope so too,” she beamed with a wistful smile.
“That is good.”
“The accent the locals have can be a bit thick,” she admitted enjoying the moment of solidarity. “Luckily some know a bit of Standard.”
Reigen didn’t trust himself to say anything, so he said nothing.
Suzaku sighed returning to soaking in as much of her surroundings with her eyes as possible. “So remote and far away. It’s like all the world’s worries can get lost on the trails here. Between the gaps in the trees. Who needs civilization when there’s all this,” she gestured to the fields, the hills, the trees, and the expansive sky.
Reigen gave her the look of the cynical pragmatist eyeing a romantic. Then dragged his eyes away before saying anything too mean. Instead he fished for a cigarette.
“‘Civilization’ is wherever people are,” insisted Reigen, who then fished for his lighter. “But most good hospitals are in the city, and it can take a while for an ambulance to get here, and go back.” Reigen frowned as a mental image presented itself to him, resurfacing with a lopsided smile, barefooted, and with a bundle of safflowers.
His palms felt clammy. “A long while… especially if the roads are not in order. But that takes funding.”
“Oh…well,” Suzaku deflated some, “true. But aside from that, where’s your romance?”
Reigen observed the end of his cigarette, the thin smoke rising skyward. “No amount of romance in the world can bring back the dead. That’s the art of 1800s capital ‘R’ Romantics.”
“Edgy much,” Suzaku awkwardly giggled, hoping to keep the conversation bright and cheerful.
Reigen took a drag of his cigarette. “Yeah.” No apology followed. Damn he should probably take a walk or something before rejoining Serizawa. Find a space to punch the air a bit. Cool his head.
“You sounded like some edgy disillusioned 90s character,” she continued with a hum to her voice.
Reigen stopped walking, utterly surprised by the comment. “We’re from the same generation?? We lived through the 90s. The economic bubble popped over our heads!” Then he faltered, remembering the trickiness of women and age, (or so far as his older sister enforced into his brain. He could still remember her noogies while scolding him). “Erm…well, I did at least. Uh, …sorry. Shouldn’t assume.”
Suzaku amicably stuck her tongue out at him. The comment would be forgiven, but certainly not forgotten. Besides, despite him being right, there was a secret sort of delight in watching someone fumble.
Reigen realized despite her annoying comments, not helped by his growing bad mood, Suzaku was a rather handsome woman.
Suzaku Meri then went on to say: “Was that a literature reference?”
“Sorry?”
They were walking again.
“1800 Western writing, right? Era of big expansive emotions. Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, Poe, so on.”
“Um… yeah.”
“Do you like to read?”
Reigen wasn’t entirely sure how this conversation was still continuing. He felt a bit off center. “Um…yes. I majored in liberal arts.”
She opened her mouth happily about to start another tirade. Eager to bond over a shared appreciation of literature.
“Look,” said Reigen, as kindly as he could manage. He hoped he didn’t sound as frayed as he felt. “Takeda-san and Serizawa-san are in there, right? The big building?”
“The sitting room, yes.”
“Thank you for walking me here, but I could use a moment,” Reigen lifted his unfinished cigarette by means of explanation. “Plus, there is a phone call I have to make. I will see myself in afterwards. I will not detain you further.”
“O -oh,” said Suzaku her voice a little quieter than before. “Of course. I’ll…leave you to your moment then.”
“Thank you.”
“Be sure to dispose of the cigarette properly, this isn’t the city you know.” She meant it as a light hearted joke. It didn’t quite land very well.
The grip on the cigarette between Reigen’s fingers tightened ever so slightly. “Right. Thank you.”
Just like that Suzaku Meri was off, returning to whatever she was doing around the Takeda property before. And Reigen was alone with his thoughts, and the feeling his insides were burning.
He felt his shoulders sag.
Looking around, he moved to a more remote location towards the forest line on the property, and squatted behind a lone wheelbarrow out of casual view.
He wanted to sleep, to lay down on the ground and let the soil do the rest. Wanted to eat. Wanted to punch something. Wanted to return to a summer that would never come back again.
Resting his head into his palm, Reigen realized he was crying again. “Shit.”
He rubbed at his eyes, torn between an unkindly roughness and knowing if he was too rough it’d make his face red.
Reigen needed to collect himself. If he went back to talk to Serizawa in this state he’d never hear the end of it. And Reigen would hate to see Serizawa frown.
There was enough on their plates as it was. He couldn’t burden Serizawa like this.
“Okay,” said Reigen to himself in the tones of desperate pep-talks everywhere. “I’m going to finish this cigarette. Pull myself together. Maybe make a call.”
After finishing the cigarette, Reigen rolled up his sleeve to the large bruise on his inner arm. It looked deep purple and nasty. He frowned at it.
Taking the arnica container Sasaki had slipped him, Reigen spread it over the bruise. He winced at the faintest touch. The arnica felt almost icy against the tender skin.
A thought came to Reigen, creeping out of a dark underbelly that usually waited for Reigen in lone drunken alleyways and the blackest of nights alone.
Reigen pressed his thumb against the bruise, and urged the press herder, deeper, ignoring the pain with a distant morbid fascination of how long he could go before it was too much. A pain he could control over.
Then he stopped all at once. Catching himself, and scolding himself in the process.
“This isn’t pulling yourself together, dummy,” he told himself.
He finished spreading the arnica in silence, then looked skyward. Watching crows circle overhead, singing or crying, or both.
“Crying,” he said to the air and weeds around him, “interesting word ‘crying’.”
The folksong was still stuck in Reigen’s head.
skylarks trill, let’s pick up, pick up.
It was like entering a dream, Serizawa told himself.
Before he even knew it had started, he was at a destination. He looked out at a world tinted in teal. Not quite as if Serizawa was wearing teal tinted sunglasses, but as if he were watching an old silent film, and someone had painstakingly hand painted every frame shades of teal.
What truly threw Serizawa off, was that he was before a family. Not just any family. But his own.
Every family member that once was alive was there. Ancestors Serizawa couldn’t even recognize. Some speaking Japanese, some Portuguese.
They were speaking to Serizawa all at once, and so, they didn’t make any sense whatsoever. But one thing was sure, they were trying to help. Some gesticulated with arms, pantomiming mysteriously at him while still making no sense. As is the way in the language of dreams. Or strange surreal supernatural pocket dimensions.
“Tenha cuidado,” said an ancestor cupping Serizawa’s cheek with paternal fondness.
“Yes,” said another, “and don’t whistle.”
Another ancestor clicked their tongue agreeing, then patted Serizawa’s chest, as the ancestor explained, “é pôr do sol, sobrinho.”
“You’ll attract snakes,” said an ancestor.
“Sim! E maus espíritos.”
“Right,” said Serizawa, “thank you, obrigado.”
One ancestor tutted at Serizawa’s hair, and assessed that he could stand to grow it a bit more. To show off his beautiful curls.
Others shared overlapping opinions on the matter some in favor, others against. The ancestors had opinions on just about everything. It was beautiful to watch and listen. And in this surreal world, language was no barrier. It was the feeling and power behind the words that did all the work.
Serizawa smiled.
It was like attending a large warm family dinner. Chaotic with never a still moment. But the real feeling, was as though his ancestors were preparing Serizawa for a harrowing journey. To make sure it was a journey Serizawa could come back from.
The ignored how Serizawa wanted to stay here. Wanted to stay for as long as possible. Ask hundreds of questions, hear different opinions.
“There will be time,” said one ancestor.
“Sim. Querida alma.” agreed another ancestor adoringly. “Mas não tenha pressa em se juntar a nós tão cedo, meu coração.”
Serizawa nodded, and repeated, “but don’t rush to join us too soon, my heart.” He hugged the ancestor, “obrigado.”
He hoped he’d remember all this. The way his ancestors looked at him… as if they were proud. It made Serizawa’s heart ache.
For the longest time, he thought he did his ancestors a disservice, that his locking himself away, and terrorist activities, would be… well… irreversible. But he was proven wrong.
In this surreal world, at least. Even if his heart felt the need to be convinced still, gently reminded. It was a comfort all the same.
Serizawa didn’t realize he was crying until more and more ancestors were patting and embracing him. It did little to stop the tears.
“Let them fall, there’s no shame in tears,” said an ancestor.
Embraced with loving arms, Serizawa cried in the timeless space.
“Well,” said Serizawa to himself with a sticky voice. “Obrigado, thank you.”
An ancestor tugged at his jacket, indicating for him to bend down a little, with a chittery comment of how wonderfully tall Serizawa was.
“A sign of strength to be sure.”
“Sim!”
Blushing, Serizawa obliged, and was surprised when an ancestor placed rosaries (one Catholic the other Buddhist) around his neck, and another attached talismans to his suit jacket and inner pockets. While the majority stuffed his pockets with dirt, “this is…comforting?”
He didn’t question it, if an ancestor in a dream was giving you something its probably for the best. Except he wasn’t dreaming…despite all this feeling like a dream.
This was a supernatural dimension. Serizawa had to remember that.
As this logic took root in Serizawa’s mind, a deep sounding caw cried out. It cut through the chattering, and farewells.
Turning to the sound Serizawa saw perhaps the biggest black bird he had ever seen, perched on a weather faded sign post.
The sign itself looked more like a chipped woodlice filled beam of wood, more than any kind of sign Serizawa could recognize. A gust of wind away from crumbling to sawdust, even.
Meanwhile, the black bird was as if two crows were eaten, absorbed, and morphed into something far larger, and far more intimidating.
In its talon was a strip of meat, and Serizawa shuddered not to think of what creature the meat once belonged to.
“So you’re a raven, huh?”
As a response the creature puffed its massive feathers, then shimmied into a relaxed position. Dew and steam rose from the creature.
Serizawa winced as, with its massive beak, it ripped the meat in its curved talons with simple ease.
“A…divine messenger perhaps?”
The raven fixed one beady eye on Serizawa, the meat swaying from its beak from the inertia of the movement. Then it continued swallowing. Perhaps the raven’s presence didn’t mean much, it was just curious.
Pff yeah right, retorted Serizawa’s thoughts. Everything is going to mean something here. But what?
Serizawa frowned. He placed his hands in his pockets and touched the dirt therein. A small comfort. “Well, I better get going. Moving forward on the… erm, path.”
Serizawa looked forward. Mist obscured the ground making steps a constant act of faith that the ground will continue to be there. Despite this, there was the continuous sound of moving water.
The raven cawed, it sounded like a deep unsettling laugh. Its talons tapping on the wooden sign post. A bit of meat slipped past its talons and fell to the ground. Making a hole in the mist where it passed through. Where the meat touched, the ground was illuminated. Like a barrier was formed around the mist, making it no longer fill the empty space.
Slowly, little worms started to spring up from the ground. It looked like a quickened time-laps of growing plants more than real worms. Up and through the fallen meat.
The raven atop its perch flapped at this occurrence, and cawed deeply. Perhaps psyching itself up to intervene.
A choice was before Serizawa.
Pickup the meat and help the raven/corvid/potential divine messenger, or let it be consumed by the glowing plant-like worms.
The raven flapped its wings, its wingspan intimidating and massive.
Serizawa gulped, and made his choice. He bent forward, and gently moved the worms and plants away as he said, “excuse me. Sorry. Um, pardon.”
He tried not to think of throwing up when he felt how slimy the worms were. Or how wet the meat was.
Picking up the meat, and, while hoping the razor sharp beak would focus solely on the offered meat and not, for example, take his fingers with it, returned the meat back to the raven.
The raven twitched its head, this way and that, unable to decide with which eye it wanted to observe Serizawa with. Then, finally deciding something, it leaned forward and gingerly took the slice meat from Serizawa. The wet slice sliding from his fingers.
It was here when Serizawa noticed how the bloody meat tinged his fingers and palm red. How it glowed red like safflower clothing dye, then paled to bright pink. No matter how or wear Serizawa would try to wipe it off, the tinge wouldn’t leave.
A shiver ran up Serizawa’s spine as the raven did jerky head movements to let the piece slide down its throat, whole.
Afterward it gave a deep satisfied caw.
“You’re welcome,” said Serizawa as politely as he could manage.
Then, laughter.
Serizawa wasn’t sure where the sound came from. Had it echoed, or did it come from the raven?
The raven then spread its magnificent wings, and, with uncanny intelligence, bowed to Serizawa.
Serizawa bowed back. He felt as if he had been tested, but was unsure if he had passed or not.
With a beat of its elegant wings, the raven took flight. Rising higher and higher into a cloudy overcast sky. Up towards a familiar looking hill, and a familiar foreboding looking mansion.
When Serizawa stepped forward toward the same direction, the world around him changed.
Including himself.
He was now wearing a traditional raincoat made out of straw, and fighting against a slanting pouring rain. The air so crisp and sharp that it chapped his lips.
Serizawa picked at the straw coat, trying to get a better look at it. He wanted to take it off for a moment, to admire it fully. There seemed to be a mystical quality to it. But the way the raven swooped back around and eyed Serizawa made him re-think himself.
The surrounding trees bare and skeletal, save for a few shriveled autumn leaves.
‘T̷i̸s F̸a̷ll̷. A̸t t̵h̷e̷ h̸our̵ o̴f̸ t̷h̴e̶ O̴x. A̶ trag̶e̴dy̶.
“Here we go,” muttered Serizawa.
With all this autumn ambiance he craved for chestnut rice, especially how Reigen made it.
Serizawa felt as though he was stepping through ruins. Broken up foundations that were once long since decayed.
Long since buried.
The path seemed never ending. Except Serizawa no longer felt as though he were walking a path, but upon massively large tree roots. There was also a sneaking suspicion that below the tree roots, was not just an underground river - but oblivion.
A baby cried. Howled. Screamed a raw throat’s wail for attention. For love. For a plea to live. For a parent’s embrace.
M̴a̴d̴n̵e̴s̵s̵. M̴a̸n̷i̶a̶. Is d̵e̴a̵th̶ a̴ m̶o̵ck̵e̸ry̵ of̷ li̷f̵e?̶
Serizawa pulled the straw raincoat closer to him still.
Walking along the path made of tree roots Serizawa knew he had to walk carefully. That just one misstep, one slip, and he’d fall somewhere farther away than anyone could hope to reach him. That it would take perhaps more than the brilliance of Kageyama Shigeo. Or the confessed love of another, to save him from the unknown beyond.
Serizawa wasn’t sure this was all true, but he felt it in his bones.
Which made the heavy falling rain even more nerve wracking.
W̵h̷a̸t̵ d̶o t̸h̷e̶ d̷e̷a̸d̴ k̵n̸ow̶, I w̴o̴n̶d̷e̷r.
“What do the dead know, I wonder,” dutifully repeated the raven flying overhead. Gliding lazily, enjoying itself. Unaffected by the elements.
“I’m trying to find out,” said Serizawa, unfazed by the raven’s sudden ability for speech. It was nice to know he was right, that this was no ordinary corvid. “It’d be a help if the dead weren’t so… cryptic.”
The raven laughed. Chattery, guttural, and profound all in one.
Thunder rolled.
The sound of it made Serizawa’s teeth chatter so hard, he felt like he had to hold his head together, just to keep his jaw connected to the rest of his skull.
When the thunder passed, and he opened his eyes, Serizawa gasped.
All at once Serizawa was in a huge ornate hall.
He dripped rain wherever he walked, and left muddy footprints. The mud of which glowed and sprouted saplings and plants and flowers ever so briefly, before crumbling like over-baked clay. He was inside an extravagant house.
No. It was a mansion.
No. It was the mansion. And somewhere in its labyrinthine depths was a baby crying. The sound of a woman’s tears entered into this chilling chorus. Added to this ghastly mixture, was the sound of Noh instrumentalists. The instrumentalists were indecisive between tuning their instruments, or beginning a song… it was as if the instrumentalists had to decide to start together, as a unified collective.
Oh dear, thought Serizawa, things are about to become abstract aren’t they? Well… more than they already are.
He walked along the mansion halls. Lit candles billowing by his careful passing.
The path itself twisted and spiraled without architectural reasoning. While shadows of people and grotesque …shapes made lively patterns on the shoji walls.
Silhouettes of drinking and debauchery that made Serizawa blush. The clinking of glasses, and barely understood vivacious discussions punctuated by laughter… and even the occasional squeal.
Serizawa’s blush deepened and made sure to walk a bit faster. Refusing the growing curiosity of sliding a door just to peer inside. No matter how brief. Serizawa was sure nothing good would come of it.
In fact, as the hairs stood up at the back of his neck, hearing wet sounds, the clinking of dish wear, and further laughter.
Serizawa was sure that if he did peer in, it’d risk himself getting sucked into the room…perhaps to never leave. Forever trapped in the courtly musings and dramas that’d make his head spin.
His headache pounded an almost waltz like rhythm against his temples.
Somewhere behind Serizawa footsteps quickened, echoing from other rooms. And behind him, the candles started to go out. One by one.
Meaning whatever this force was, was racing towards Serizawa.
If Serizawa stayed still for too long, he’d be lost in the dark. Alone in the hallway with only the high-spirited sounds beyond the shoji walls. Directionless.
“The dark ain’t so bad,” said the raven from some unknown location. “But yer here for the performance ain’tcha?”
“Um?”
“Pitter patter,” said the raven. If it were human, it’d probably be giving a lopsided amused grin. “Lord’s awaitin’.”
The raven took flight.
Serizawa ran.
Every so often he’d hear the beating of wings.
The shoji walls distorted and morphed along the hall as if Serizawa was running down a breathing tunnel. Serizawa very much knew he didn’t want to be lost in the tunnel when the light went out.
Then the worst possibility occurred.
There was a dead end.
“Run straight through it!” instructed the raven. “Quick! Or it’ll get ya.”
“What?”
“Ḓ̵͍̑Ö̷̗́̽͜ I̵͖͘T̴̜̹̏”
Serizawa charged at the wall as fast as he could. Readying himself by covering his head with his arms, waiting to make first contact with his side.
The shoji wall broke.
He tumbled. Bouncing dizzily while doing so. The sound of which was accented by brass drums, and ox bells.
He tumbled directly into a Noh theater seat.
It would appear he tumbled right on time. Or so it made sense in this strange paranormal dream-time.
Opening instrumentals entered into a presentative crescendo.
The stage backdrop, an enormous painstakingly hand painted piece, depicted: a large mountain, a stream that emptied into a lake, a grotto, forests, and at its center surrounded by yellow flowers that could have been stylistic safflowers, a massive tree whose branches and leaves formed a pleasing circular shape.
“K̵EE̶P̶ THE̸ ST̸R̶A̸W̴ CL̸O̴A̶K̸ TIG̴H̷T, ̶A̷N̸D̴ ̵ Y̵O̸U̴ SH̴A̴L̷L B̵E̶ I̷NV̶ISIB̶LE̸.”
The voice entered directly into Serizawa’s mind, and seemed to agitate his splitting headache. He winced, “I don’t understand. I want to, I really want to.”
“T̶H̶E̸ D̵IR̴T. I̷N̷ ̷Y̷O̵U̸ ̵P̶O̶C̶K̵E̴T̶S̴. ̶E̴A̴T̸ IT.”
“It?”
A talon as large as a bear’s paw touched at Serizawa’s pocket. It took everything in Serizawa not to scream. “Oh,” said Serizawa remembering, “the dirt.”
“Ŷ̵̞E̵̗͋S̶͉̈́.”
Whoever was sitting beside Serizawa in the audience was massive. Which made him further wonder how high the ceiling in this room was. Perhaps it stretched on into the heavens, Serizawa tried not to think about it. His hands were clammy enough as it is.
Due to the dimmed lights he could not see his companion, and a part of Serizawa was thankful he couldn’t. Something large and feathery ruffled, with it, the sound of a fan opening. It caused a small breeze.
Although he could not see this companion, Serizawa could feel himself being watched with expectant eyes. A feeling of ‘I should not keep this person waiting’ encroached upon him.
Serizawa dipped his hands in his pockets, and carefully took the dirt out of his pockets. Then, before any of the dirt could crumble away, he lifted it to his mouth, and consumed it.
GOOD. said the voice, directly into Serizawa’s mind. It sounded almost amused.
Serizawa coughed, beating his chest lightly.
GOOD. YOU’LL UNDERSTAND A BIT MORE NOW. BUT ONLY JUST.
Serizawa wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “…thank you?” His chest heaved. Once the dirt had passed his teeth it had become liquid. It had shocked him.
Then came the sound of beating wings, something settling to perch. Serizawa hoped it was the Raven. He didn’t know why, but it felt like more of an ally than this… being. No, this being probably sided with no one, but itself.
“Um,” Serizawa pushed himself to speak, doing his best to keep a shiver out of his voice. “If you please. Where am I? Who are you?”
SSSHH, said the seated companion. Candle light caught the glint of the giant talon, it pointed towards the Noh stage. THIS PART ALWAYS GETS TO ME.
Serizawa settled, awkwardly. His hands unable to stop twitching and strumming against his knees.
The music made a crescendo.
Figures glided onto stage. Slow and sliding. Passing the four pillars of the stage’s bridged entrance. Those without masks were merely shades with glowing sockets, which made those with masks somehow more…otherworldly.
❧
[Scene. The bedroom of a Lord and Lady. The Lady is on the verge of madness.]
CHORUS: It is a cold dark and soundless night. Utter depression of the soul. Woe to the dying.
LADY: My little girl is dying. This is the future. Hear it true. My little girl… she is dead.
CHORUS: A binary star…shinning. Two women. Two sisters. Two siblings. Two children. It was a cold autumn, when the Lord watched on what was befalling his dear Lady. Following the loss of her only child a sickness has taken over the Lady. A sickness of the mind. A shadow of herself. Sanity stretched thin, and paranoia blown to epic proportions.
LADY: My little girl! This is the future…my little girl is dying, is dead. I can not be consoled. I will never feel happiness again.
LORD: Astonishment and dread in this noble house.
CHORUS: A decree was made to the people. A call to mothers. A call to daughters.
LORD: Bring forth the girl.
[Music. Stage hands go to COMMON WOMAN who sits beyond a prop shoji screen divider. They take from COMMON WOMAN a small bundle and bring it to the LADY. LADY dances with the bundle. COMMON WOMAN weeps.]
CHORUS: A bundle was brought forth. It moved. It cried. A small hand reached up, searching. And the mania of the Lady was quenched. If for but a moment.
LORD: She will do. I see a smile return to my Lady. Yes, she will do.
COMMON WOMAN: I am trembling beyond the shoji divider. Please I shriek. PLEASE! MERCY!! Madness will beget madness.
LORD: What a horrible price to pay for happiness. You and yours will have compensation. Be thankful.
CHORUS: The bundle is never returned. Praise to the new little heiress. The little girl lives. The little Lady lives.
LADY: My little girl…my little girl.
COMMON WOMAN: My little girl…my little girl.
[Music. LORD AND LADY exit with bundle. COMMON WOMAN moves center stage. Stage hands move shoji screen behind COMMON WOMAN. COMMON WOMAN is framed by nature and the mountain.]
CHORUS: A bitter ghost was born, despite not being yet dead. With sunken eyes. She is clutching her remaining daughter as though she would turn to mist. Thin lips and spiderweb hair.
COMMON WOMAN: I have my last remaining daughter. I have my last remaining daughter. By all convention my life is meaningless before the stage of greatness that is our Lord and Lady. Praise be to our betters. That is what I should say. That is what I should sing. ‘Praise be to our betters’. I bury my face in my hands.
❧
Serizawa’s seated companion seemed to be rustling through some sort of paper bag.
Whatever the companion was eating was something that caused crunching and slurping wet sounds. Serizawa closed his eyes, and forced his imagination to not wander towards the grotesque. He tried to focus on the sad drama before him.
The melodically sung chanted voices was a little difficult to follow sometimes. But he managed all the same.
❧
COMMON WOMAN: Fall is here. The trees are nearly bare. I love my daughter so. I love my daughters so. The Lady will give my little girl a life she could never have with me. I love my daughters. I have one daughter. One daughter remains in my care. Woe.
CHORUS: Her child was stolen. She blames herself. Her child was bought. She blames herself. Watch as she wastes away. Watch as she fights every day. News comes forward, the Lady is sick again. Her old sickness remains. What has become of the little girl? That taken bundle?
COMMON WOMAN: Is my daughter not enough? Is her new daughter not enough?
[Enter LADY. COMMON WOMAN gives space for LADY. Music.]
CHORUS: Lady O Lady you are crying. You sing discordant truths. Lady, and Common Woman you meet despite distance. Like the different faces of the moon. What sadness. What avoidable sadness.
LADY: Return my daughter.
COMMON WOMAN: You have her.
LADY: I saw her walking beside you.
COMMON WOMAN: I had two daughters, now I have one. You have the little girl, my Lady. My little girl is yours. She is your little girl now. A little Lady.
LADY: I speak before this chilled Fall. Before the Winter enters my grounds. The earth is hard to open, but I will force it so. You have something of mine.
CHORUS: The sickness that had once taken over the Lady, that still lingers inside the Lady, grew. It was contagious. Her actions, and the actions of the Lord, passed the pathogen onward.
LADY: Little girl? Where is my little girl? Why did you leave me? Why did you disappear? I must push these words beyond the walls. Maybe then you’ll hear me!
COMMON WOMAN: You have her. She is mine and you have her. It didn’t use to be like this. We were once a free people. What is this? Why must you taunt me so? I call! I call for decaying trees, and balmy air, for the Gods of the Mountain to do justice. Answer me! Answer me!! Help my revenge!!!
CHORUS: Will they answer?
❧
Serizawa was aware of his seated companion was moving again. Leaning forward. The air around the companion adjusted itself to the companion’s massive size. It was like reality was constantly distorting around the companion. As if the companion was the only Real thing in this space.
I LOVE THIS NEXT PART, said the seated companion. REALLY STRONG STUFF.
Serizawa shivered.
Especially remembering the largeness of the talon. And the crunching and loud slurping. Like some rude noble about to throw bones for their hunting dogs to fight over.
Besides, there was something larger than life about this seated companion. As if the seated companion was only momentarily allowing themself to be perceived in this shape.
For Serizawa’s sanity. And even then, with the theater lights dimmed, Serizawa couldn’t even see the fullness of the seated companion.
❧
[Tempestuous Music. Stage hands help COMMON WOMAN to don a Hannya mask]
CHORUS: Will the Gods of the Mountain answer? A new mania. A mania that grows. Anger lighting more anger. A growing fire of revenge begetting more revenge and fire. There is moss on the shoji. Her child was stolen. She blames herself. Her child was bought. She blames herself. The money that was thrown at her that fateful night is buried beneath the trees. Watch as she wastes away. Watch as she fights every day. There is moss on the shoji.
COMMON WOMAN: I will transcend! I call for decaying trees, and balmy air, for the Gods of the Mountain to do justice. Plight. Plight! My little girl, forsaken. I will inspire horror. Hear me Mountain! May the birds peck out your eyes! May you never know a moments rest. This oppressive air will hold no longer! I shriek something hard and piercing! My little girl! Wind carry my message before it is too late. The hills, the hills are covered with blood!
[Enter LADY and LORD. The LORD tries to console the LADY. She will not listen.]
LADY: The stones are alive. There is a family evil here. The decaying trees whisper to me. The rhapsodies and dirges between the notes of music - do you hear it?
LORD: Peace. Where is our daughter?
LADY: She was buried for a fortnight. She was buried for a fortnight!!! It's alive - all alive! There is moss on the shoji. Look! But not loudly!
CHORUS: My Lady the commoners are at the gates. My Lady an uprising. Is this divine retribution for taking a common girl in your noble home? Or something more? Where is the order here? Such disjointedness. There is no balance here. You have lost the grace of the heavens, this is destiny. This has all happened before.
LADY: O my little girl why did you have to go? Do you hear it? There are footsteps in the hall.
LORD: Be not afraid, we will fight them back. These dogs will be brought to heel.
[Music. Stage hands transform the LORD’s costume to that of armor. A weapon is brought forth. LORD exists.]
LADY: The dead can sing. And there is a storm in the night. Can you hear her? Let the storm in, let in the terrible wind! There is blood upon my robes. Redder than safflower dye. My heart will burst. She is outside the door, I am sure of it. Was she even dead? Do you hear the scratching? Was she buried alive? All this time?!
❧
Serizawa did hear scratching. It sounded as though it were coming from just beyond the theater walls, and just below the floorboards. He felt nauseous, and tried to focus on the stage’s horrible events.
❧
COMMAN WOMAN: Where is my sister?
CHORUS: You don’t have a sister.
LADY: Where is my little girl?
COMMON WOMAN: Where is my little girl?
CHORUS: She is gone.
LADY and COMMON WOMAN: She is gone.
[Music. LADY and COMMON WOMAN die.]
COMMON WOMAN: At the hour of the ox. Tragedy. In death I am avenged. In death, tragedy.
CHORUS: Tis Fall. So falls our Lady. Tis Fall. So falls this noble house. At the hour of the ox. Tragedy. But woe. As one girl died, another still lives. What became of the second daughter? Alone? War rages on, and on, and on, in its steady pace.
[Music. Curtain.]
❧
The seated companion stood. Or at least Serizawa felt a feathered movement rush upwards. The creak of floorboards gave the impression of standing. Space seemed to be sucked out as the companion boomed with uproarious applause. The wind picked up.
Serizawa applauded as well, politely. Though couldn’t help but feel as though there was a chunk or two missing from the story. He didn’t know much about Noh dramas, but it certainly didn’t feel…authentic.
SO FALL THE LORD AND LADY, IN FALL. GET IT? said the companion, voice deep and full of self amusement.
The candles were starting to alight around the stage, bringing more light into the seating area. Everything was dyed red, the richest of red. Brilliant. Like liquid silken fire.
The first thing Serizawa thought upon glancing at this massive companion was: Beaks shouldn’t have that many teeth. In fact, they shouldn’t have teeth at all.
And then, with the snap of a fan, a wind started to rise, tempestuous and roaring. Candles and decor toppled over. Seats began to push about with the growing current. And the curtain before the stage billowed. The strain of groaning instruments followed, along with the cawing of corvids.
Despite the curtain being closed something terrible was happening …just beyond. As if the world of the stage had not ended for the actors there. The actors didn’t see themselves as actors. It was all real, all painfully real.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW. NOW, YOU MUST GO.
There came the sound of arrows, screaming, shouts and battle. The wet clattering thunks of bodies falling.
A feast of carrion awaited. The monstrous companion made to move forward. Reality contorting around it.
The rising wind grew with more and more strength. Serizawa tumbled about, and gripped onto a pillar to keep himself from floating high up into the heavens. Face blanching.
“W-wait!!” Serizawa yelled over the roaring wind. “Please! I have questions!! I-!” but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The large mountainous figure laughed and laughed and laughed. Jovial and jolly in the face of prideful tragedy. With another snap of the fan, another wind, harsher and sharp as winter’s fingers raking through the fall.
The last thing Serizawa saw before being blown completely away through the roof, was the massive creature moving towards the stage, hungrily.
Instead of calling Reigen Kaho, Reigen Arataka texted her.
Not wanting to be a bother. A brother sure, but not a bother…when he wanted to be. Besides she was probably doing fancy Tokyo things.
Perhaps getting ready to go to lunch?
“Yo,” Reigen typed. “Total shot in the dark. But do you know anyone named Inoue Etsuko?”
The chime of the message being sent was an odd cheery juxtaposition.
Reigen frowned down at the screen.
Then, after a breath’s time, he deleted the message completely from their chat.
It felt silly to ask about Etsuko while still unsure what her new family name would be.
Reigen sighed, staring at the indication that a message was deleted. Which he was sure was going to go over wonderfully once his sister noticed. He went to flip his phone shut…that was when it started to ring.
The sudden buzz and the shot of adrenaline made Reigen jump in surprise. He fumbled with the phone, ash fell off his cigarette and burnt his hand a little. The phone dropped to the ground.
The name Reigen Kaho with a dancing little hand held phone glowed back.
“Shit,” he muttered. Reigen groaned, running a hand through his hair. If he ignored it he was sure to get an even bigger earful later. And ceaseless pestering calls. “Shit, shit, shit.”
With a final look over his shoulder, secure in the distance he had made, Reigen accepted the call.
“Hey!” Reigen smiled, hoping it’d ooze cheerful chipper-ness into his voice. “How are yo-”
“You punk!” Reigen pulled the phone away from his ear. “The hell are ya gettin’ at deletin’ messages before ah get the chance ta read ‘em!”
“Tch. You’re going to sound crazy screaming like that in the middle of Tokyo.”
“Oh, boo-hoo. Like ah give a flyin’ fart in space. Mister walkin’ and talkin’ like the King’s Speech over here.”
Reigen sucked air through his teeth as he shook his head with a smirk, “I don’t knooow. Who was it again who asked for intensive diction pointers when you met your new Tokyoite boyfriend?”
“Shut up.” She paused, “besides it was for a job interview.”
“Which you got the job, and ended up dating the guy who interviewed you.”
“Tch, shut up!”
He clicked his tongue again, which she responded with a click of her own, which turned into a rapid fire series of tongue clicks. Then they laughed.
It made Reigen’s heart feel a bit at ease. It made him realize how he wished he could just, fall asleep listening to his sister ramble. About nothing and everything, just to hear her voice. To hang out as kids again.
Thoughts of family discussions floated into Reigen’s mind. Nothing in particular, just, their voices. The cadences, the shifting dance between spoken dialect and standard. The occasional laughter, the dryness, the scolding.
Conversations told over the whirl of a stuttering summer fan. The sound of the tv in the background while his mother called out to his sister to get off the phone cause she was expecting a phone call.
“You never needed my pointers anyway,” said Reigen in a surprise bout of sentimentality. “You’re better at dancing between standard and the regional accent than I am. You were just nervous.”
There was a pause on the phone line. The sudden sentimentality shocking Kaho as well. Blessedly, it went unremarked upon, as she kept a joking tone, “well duh! It wasn’t some part time restaurant job in Haytown.”
“God, Haytown,” said Reigen laughing at the memory.
Haytown was the closest major city where they lived in youth, and quite the tourist destination. The first real taste of city living without leaving the prefecture for the bigger cities southward.
“I was fresh from Uni and new to Tokyo. …it’s one thing to sound like a breath of fresh air to folks visitin’ the north fer the first time,” and here Kaho’s voice changed in the crisp clipped tones of standard, “and another thing to sound… well, this.”
“…yeah.” Reigen suddenly came head first with the blunt realization, of just how deeply he missed Kaho. He rubbed his eyes before another suspicion of a tear could fall.
“Now, tell me what’s on yer mind before I haul over ta Seasoning. Seein’ as ya never want ta visit me.”
“It was nothing Kaho. Just, a random question, really…”
The line paused for a moment again. Then Kaho said, terribly gentle, horribly knowing, “are you doin’ okay Taka?”
“Pff!” Reigen hoped the chortle that followed didn’t sound manic. “Never better!!”
Reigen Kaho sucked air through her teeth thoughtfully. “You still pickin’ fights? Punched someone ya shouldn’t have?”
“I only punch in self defense,” sniffed Reigen indignantly. “Besides, punching isn’t good for business. My very legit, and real business.”
“Ah-huh,” there was a smile in Kaho’s voice. Then after a pause she said, “Little Brother?”
“Y-yeah?”
“You know you don’t have to speak in standard with me if you don’t want to. I’m not dad you know,” she added with a light laugh.
Nothing quite like the shared camaraderie of siblings.
Reigen scratched the back of his neck. “I know,” he said while trying not to squirm at the sound of his own voice. He wished he knew how to articulate how, after lessons and lessons, and practice and practice, his own voice and tongue felt foreign to him. If he thought too hard it hurt his head… and his heart.
“Thanks Older Sister.”
“Aaaw at least call me Big Sis like ya used too!!”
“Oh god.”
“You were so cute!!”
“Ugh.”
“Yer little round face!”
“ONE: I’m still cute, thank you very much. and TWO: I’m going to hang up,” Reigen warned, “or find a way to pull your hair through the phone.”
Kaho ignored this. “Where are ya right now, anyway? You’re whispering a bit. Are you not at your office?”
“Ah, well, no.” Reigen watched the tops of the distant tree line shift with the breeze. At the way the leaves reached upwards towards the sun trying to absorb every possible ray that came its way. “I’m not at the office,” he closed his eyes, and swallowed prematurely feeling guilty at the lie springing to his lips. He bent his head, bangs shadowing his eyes, as he lied: “but I am in Seasoning.”
“Oh! Okay then,” said Reigen Kaho easily, making Reigen feel twice as guilty.
She always had this way of trusting him on the first lie while somehow being so…knowing. Like she was always giving him the chance to be honest, so when she did catch him in a lie she could tut-tut him disappointed.
Did they teach all older sisters this trick?
Reigen would never know.
He waved a wayward mayfly away.
“Well shoot,” said Kaho, “it won’t be long before I get into my own office you know. Just did a convenience store run.”
“Right… look, it’s actually case related. Kind of a shot in the dark. Actually, an absolute shot in the dark.”
“Pitter-patter.”
Reigen closed his eyes, “you ever come across someone named Inoue Etsuko?”
“What?”
“Inoue Etsuko… this client came in looking for someone with that name. They don’t actually know if Inoue went to Seasoning or Tokyo.”
“Should’t they be taken this to missing persons instead of some two-bit psychic?”
“Ah. Well, that…was asked. In a tactful way. But, it’s been a while…a long while - if you catch my meaning.”
“Like ‘could be declared dead’ long?”
“Yep.”
Kaho clicked her tongue, “Reigen Arataka you’re not jerkin’ their chain, and keeping their hope alive. That’s just cruel.”
“No! Why would- how could you think I’d-?!”A frustrated sound escaped Reigen. “Look. This family just wants closure. I didn’t guarantee anything, but they’d have to be really desperate to come to me of all people.”
“I suppose you’re right…” the sound of a lighter crinkled through the receiver, followed by various traffic sounds. “And I know you’re not that cruel Taka, I didn’t mea-”
“-Could you just keep an ear open for anything about an Inoue Etsuko?”
“…yeah… I’ll holler if I come across anything. Text me the name so I won’t get the kanji wrong.”
“Sure thing. She also married, but I have to confirm what that new family name might be.”
“Text that too… where she from?”
“Uh… North.”
Kaho laughed, “whoa sooo specific. We talkin’ Hokkaidō?”
“I’ll…get back to you on that.”
“Thank goodness ya never really went into Private Detective work. This is absolutely shoddy stuff, bud.”
“Tch.”
“Tch. …You said Inoue, right?”
Reigen cleared his throat, “yep.”
“Inoue… Inoue…” Here Reigen held his breath. “oh well, continued Kaho, doing the vocal equivalent of a shrug, “be sure to text me the name.”
“That’s a Hokkaidō sized ten-four,” went Reigen, saluting to the air. “And…thanks sis.”
“You know I’ve got yer back right? All ya have to do is ask.” Then she sighed, saying again gentler, “all you have to do is ask, Taka.”
Reigen closed his eyes, allowing himself to imagine standing next to his big sister.
There’s a certain kind of solitude, born from siblings who, despite growing up together, were unwilling to completely share their hardships. An almost unmentioned distance, when one offers time and again an open hand, and the other refuses.
On the other side of the country Reigen Kaho nodded, acceptingly. Sighing inwardly to herself. She always wished she knew how to help, to reach that hand her little brother would finally take.
“So,” said Reigen after a while, conversational and light, “this new boyfriend is treating you well, right?"
“Pff.”
Reigen could practically hear her eye roll through the phone. “Hey,” said Reigen, “I'm serious, you know.”
She sighed, “yeah, I know. He ain't nothin' like that other jerk. I wouldn't be gettin' an apartment with him if he was.” Silence. “I'm serious you know!”
Reigen laughed, a breathy chortle. “I know. I just worry. I'm allowed to worry okay?”
“Fine!”
“Good!"
“Tch.”
“Tch!” Reigen poked at the earth a bit, then grinned maliciously, “besides your taste in men stinks.”
“Ex-CUSE me?!”
“You heard me!” Reigen started counting off with his fingers, he raised a pinky, “that weird foreign guy who just wanted a one night stand.”
“He wasn’t weird per-say. Besides that was mutual.”
“Ah-huh. The Haytown dude who thought giving you turnips was part of courting you.”
“They made good side dishes. And city livin’ ain’t cheep. Not even in Haytown.”
“And what about that brat who kept pulling your hair?”
She snorted, “we were in middle school, how does that even count?”
“Of course it counts!” Reigen said with more feeling than he anticipated.
Kaho was silent for a while, then said delicately, “you’re right Taka. Some middle school relationships are a little more… meaningful.”
“Ugh, never mind,” Reigen’s brow crinkled. His hands shaking.
“Taka…”went Kaho, as though willing her voice to hug her little brother through sound waves and distance.
“ANYWAYS! So they weren’t all shoddy, fine. I’ll allow myself to relent to that Kaho,” smirked Reigen. Then said, a little more serious, precautious: “just as long as he isn’t like that last piece of work of yours.”
Kaho was silent again, but for a very different reason now.
The ex in question was a horrible figure who tried to manipulate his sister into using less and less dialect, to the point of belittling her. And after learning their family funerary background and business, managed to get her to do an intense, constant hygiene routine. To be sure nothing would be dirtied.
It didn’t all happen at once, of course, but with little remarks and cruel doings. Like a frog in a slow boiling pot. The sort of man that sucked her dry, and left Kaho hardly a shell of herself. With little to no confidence.
Brave Big Sister Reigen Kaho, transformed into a shadow. It broke the family’s heart, it broke everyone who knew Reigen Kaho’s heart.
Piece of work was an understatement.
When Reigen Arataka had finally learned what was happening, he took several sick days from work at the water cooler sales company, and bought the first train ticket to Tokyo.
What happened afterward… well, the ex in question would never look at soap the same way again. Reigen Arataka made sure of that.
Finally Reigen Kaho said: “I wouldn’t keep that from you. Besides, I’d like to think I’m more aware now. He… he’s a good man.”
Reigen nodded, then remembered he wouldn’t be seen, so he said, “okay.”
“I promise I’ll tell you if something’s up.”
“Really promise?”
“Yes,” and here humor slowly oozed back into her voice: “…but try to avoid getting arrested next time.”
“We’ll see… besides I got out alright.” Then added, with a malicious smile, “it was self defense after all.”
“Ah-huh.”
“Yer the only sister I have!” Reigen slapped a hand over his mouth. Then nonchalantly turned this way and that to be sure he hadn't been overheard.
“Same ol’ Taka,” snickered Reigen Kaho. “But hey, make sure you know that promise goes two ways. You gotta let me help you too you know.”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“Aaaah who knew the only way to get you to visit me in Tokyo was a rotten ex.”
“Hey now.”
“Oh, and a Green Day concert.”
“Hey now!”
Reigen Kaho laughed so hard she snorted, “all right, all right. I’ll lay off.”
“Good,” huffed Reigen, cheeks red.
“I’m glad you called Taka, it’s good to hear from you.”
Reigen rubbed the back of his head, guilty, though he made sure not to let it tinge his voice too much, “y-yeah. It’s good to hear from you too.”
“Call more, you know you’re welcome to.”
“Mhm.”
“…Call dad once in a while too. I’m not the only one who misses hearing from you.”
“We’re not exactly talking,” said Reigen carefully, while picking at the grass. “As you well know, sis.”
“…I’m sure he’d forgive you,” she said reproachful.
“He can tell me that himself!” He hated that he snapped the second it left his mouth. He clapped his mouth shut, and fumed. Anger rising all over again.
“Ough! You! Are both! So! Ridiculously stubborn!! I can’t always be the family therapist Taka! Between the pair of ya, an mom’s inability to understand HOW something is said is just as meaningful as what is being said,” she cut herself off with a frustrated sound. “How long is this going to take? Are you going to wait until he’s on the marble slab? Until it’s time to send him off yourself. You goin’ ta pick his bones from the ashes, and reconcile with that!? Like dad did with gramps?!”
Reigen exhaled slowly. Very slowly. Then he said, steadily as he could manage: “…..that wasn’t fair, sis.”
“….I know,” her voice was saddened with a heavy weight, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-” The muffled sound of fabric, most likely from Kaho running a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry.”
Reigen watched as a pair of butterflies twirled about a patch of wild flowers. “I’ve got to get going. Take care Big Sis.”
“Y-yeah. You too-”
Reigen hung up and let out a long, long, long breath of air.
“I’m going to run out of lollipops at this rate,” he muttered to himself.
“Reigen-sensei! Reigen-sensei!!”
Reigen hustled over to the call, it was Suzaku Meri again. She looked pale. “Yes? What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s your co-worker. You’d better come quick!”
Whatever look Reigen gave her then, it made Suzaku take a step back. She shivered. Then had to double her pace to keep up with Reigen as he speed walked toward the home.
“Takeda-san is beside himself,” declared Suzaku. “It’s…like a seizure? Does your friend get seizures?”
“Not that I’m aware of. Anything else?”
“I…I don’t know.”
Suzaku hustled to lead the way, her legs burned with trying to walk faster than Reigen. She even slipped on the muddy path, but was immediately caught and righted by Reigen.
By the time they reached Takeda, he was white as a sheet.
“He’s stopped moving,” explained Takeda. “But sometimes mutters about… a crying baby?”
Reigen observed Serizawa, laying on his back.
He looked like he was sleeping, though with his hands resting on his stomach he looked more… Reigen frowned, scolding himself. He didn’t want to think about encoffining. Not now, and certainly not about Serizawa.
“Did you move him at all, Takeda-san?”
“Only a little, to try and get him a bit comfortable,” said Takeda gesturing to the pillow beneath Serizawa’s head.
Reigen nodded his thanks. “I’ll stay with him. It could be a…dizzy spell. He’s been dealing with a bad headache all day.”
“I see.”
“Could I request a damp cloth?”
“Of course,” went Takeda Kōji, leaving the room immediately for it.
Reigen moved to Serizawa’s side. The first thing he did was gently unclasp Serizawa’s hands, and rested them at his side. Then, in a small bout of paranoia, he checked if Serizawa was breathing. And sighed in relief.
Licking his lips, Reigen attempted to smile, and said, conversationally “hey there, deputy. This certainly is a pickle… Hey, remember when I first shaved your face? You were so perplexed why I asked you to lay on your back…” Reigen looked down at his hands. “I never said this, but… I had never shaved someone else before… well, no one alive at least. Did you know that’s one of the steps in making the deceased presentable?” He frowned, “what would you think… if you knew my family’s funerary practice, I wonder? …I was so worried I’d cut you.”
Reigen dipped his head into his palm, and noticed his cheeks were wet again. “This isn’t the time to talk about all that…” Then he gently brushed one of Serizawa’s curls, tenderly. “Come back to me Serizawa Katsuya …please, please” whispered Reigen. Feeling his throat tighten.
Hurtling through the sky in wisps and gusts of wind, flown farther and farther from the mansion and away. Feeling perhaps a little too much like Dorothy in that western movie. Debris of roof and woodwork included.
That is until Serizawa came crashing down back to earth.
Tumbling on impact.
The earth sagged, gummy like, in responses, slowing Serizawa’s tumbles. And then, he stopped. He felt sick, he felt he had more questions than answers.
Righting himself, Serizawa looked down the illuminated path: teal foreboding and sad. With undulating... things (for they weren't quite worms, but weren't quite plants either). It decorated the side of the path as wild grass did a forgotten road. Encroaching. Reclaiming.
Watching the path no longer covered with the haze of harsh rain, Serizawa could see it was more than just roots.
Or maybe it was another path altogether.
New and foreboding all in its own right.
A path a human can only travel down once. But he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing! This was as close as he had ever gotten to some, well perhaps not answers - but certainly responses!
He needed to meet the being in the manor again. He needed to return.
Serizawa gulped. He tried to focus on the destination, to imprint it in into his memory, so that when he did wake from whatever this was...he would remember it.
It was important.
With the whistle of wind through the trees, the sizzling cries of bugs, the blips of teal fireflies, and the endless waves of ravens and crows talking amongst themselves high above, Serizawa took a step forward.
Then stoped.
Something had grabbed his sleeve. Halting him. He turned, thinking the straw cloak was caught on a branch, or a large blackberry shrub.
After seeing neither, he looked down.
“Oh,” said Serizawa.
It was a someone holding him. A small teenage shape of a someone. Perhaps a hair shorter than Shou. Had the branch or blackberry shrub turned into a…someone? Or was this someone something…else?
“Yo,” said the teenage shape. “Yer Serizawa, right?”
“Yeees?”
Serizawa had trouble focusing on the teenage shape. Especially the face. All he could decipher was that the shape was barefooted, and had a lopsided smile. Bouncing from foot to foot like a bird who was more used to being on a branch high up with the moving wind.
Did the raven from before take on a human shape?
The teenage shape nodded somberly. “Go back.”
“What? Well, yes, I am trying to go back,” Serizawa thumbed towards the ominous mansion beyond.
“Not there, ya fool. I mean back back. Ya gotta go back. Ta wake up.”
Serizawa tried for a confident smile. One should always seem confident to teenagers and children. There was nothing scarier to them than a scared adult, or so Reigen had explained.
“Look, something is happening here. As an adult I should take care of it.”
The teenage shape rolled their eyes in a way known to teenagers on an almost universal level. The mythic 'why are all the adults around me so stupid' technique.
It would have probably worked better if Serizawa could distinctly see the teenage shape's face. But the style was there.
“Ya need ta go back.”
“But-“
“Yer doin' poorly Serizawa. Can’t ya tell how poorly yer doin’? The fatigue? Yer even breathin’ harder than ya were before ya came. Didn’t ya notice? If ya try ta go back over there…it won’t end well. Ya won’t…come back. An ya don't understand nothin’. No offense meant.”
The figure walked around, and started pushing Serizawa's middle earnestly. It was like watching someone try to push a boulder with a flower.
“It ain't yer fault. Just go on back!! Ya can’t stay lingerin’ here no mores. It ain’t yer time.”
Serizawa tried once more to get a proper vision of this teenaged figure. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope.
Which wasn't too unheard of when dealing with spirits and the unknown. Spirits, yōkai, even deities all have different representative forms while still being a singular...well, entity. Self.
If a person, in life, was multifaceted, why would that not be the case in that person’s death - or the creatures beyond? Beings bound by representation and anthro-personification?
To Serizawa the teenage shape before him was.... a hot summer's day, a childhood summer that would never return. The color of safflowers, and the jovial musical start of a sparrow folk dance. There was also the smell of burned rubber, smoke from firecrackers …or was it a bonfire? A pyre?
And a particular burned smell.
People sow safflower seeds from Mt. Chitose
In fact, sometimes the figure looked in the process of being burned, black smoke and fire engulfing from the middle up to the crown of feathery hair. With two sockets glowing the color of teal as eyes.
“…I could exorcise you, you know. Help you move on.” Serizawa frowned, “you’re in pain.”
“Like hell!!” Bristled the teenage shape. “I ain't leavin’!! Not yet!!” The teenage shape pushed against Serizawa with every punctuation. “I’ve had a good send off, maybe even the best! But didn’t want ta leave.”
The image of hands entering a chest cavity swam up in Serizawa’s mind. As if Serizawa were viewing the scene from a floating fish bowl.
Two people standing before a slab dressed in black. They looked similar, though vastly different in age. They had medical aprons over their black suits, with gloves that reached their elbows. Stained.
The body on the slab was small, teenage shaped. The deceased was meticulously being put back together again, for the wake. The final showing before cremation. It had to be from a very bad accident.
thus Yamagata is full of flowers, let’s pick up, pick up.
The two dressed in black, with heads bent before the deceased, were setting bones and stitching flesh. Meticulous. Methodical. They had their work cut out for them.
Despite the freezing room, the decomposition was an inevitable march.
It was a somber sight.
At some point, the smaller of the two figures in black would halt, only the sob.
Viewing the smaller one closer Serizawa noticed the figure was the same size and age as the body on the slab. They were probably friends. No, something more. In the complicated way similar people draw to one another without entirely understanding. Needless to say, there was love in the cold room. Love for the deceased teen figure.
The larger, hands gloved and dirty, could do no gesture to console the smaller. But waited it out beside the smaller, patiently.
The smell of smoke filled Serizawa’s nostrils, a gong sounded in his ears.
A procession full of tears.
Serizawa looked down at the curious feathered haired teenage figure. Still pushing Serizawa with all the strength and effort its youthful young body had. It was a little sad to watch.
“Who are you?”
Even before the dawn, along with a song of picking safflowers up.
“If I didn’t leave then,” continued the shape ignoring Serizawa, “I sure as hell won’t leave now. But you are! Sure as shit! Now GO Serizawa Katsuya," the teenage shape was gaining in strength the more urgent it became, and now managed to push Serizawa along. “GO!!”
The voice was changing too, no longer on the brink of laughing at the world, but something full. Like the sensation of realizing how loud the flapping of bird wings can be.
Serizawa looked down, the teenage shape now had a karasu tengu mask…or was it the face of a karasu tengu? Had it always been like that, all along?
YA CAN’T BE SO ARROGANT AS TA THINK YOU CAN SOLVE ALL THIS IN ONE GO. NOW, GO BACK.
The words entered directly into Serizawa’s mind. With every pushed back step, smoke rose higher and higher. The area grew cloudy, dusty. Ash started to fall like black snowflakes. Bundles of black feather tufts whirled.
THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MYSTERY ON THIS HERE MOUNTAIN SERIZAWA KATSUYA. AN YA CAN’T TACKLE EM’ HEAD ON. DON’T BE SO FOOLISH TA THINK YA CAN.
“What do you mean more than one mystery? How can I solve anything if no-one tells me anything?!”
ITS A BIG OL’ MOUNTAIN SERIZAWA KATSUYA. BIG ENOUGH TA FIT ALL SORTS OF THINGS. BUT ITS CONNECTED. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. YOU’LL SEE THAT IN TIME. YER AN OUTSIDER HERE, AN THAT AIN’T HALF BAD. YOU’VE GOT FRESH EYES, BUT NOT FRESH ENOUGH. GO. BACK.
The figure pushed Serizawa with a force far greater than any teenager could have. The sound of shrieking tires filled Serizawa’s ears, quickly followed by wailing and crying.
He almost didn’t hear it when the figure said, in a sad little pleading voice: “please, don’t make him cry… go back ta Taka.”
Ice filled Serizawa’s spine, his eyes widened. “What did you just say?”
The figure adjusted the karasu tengu mask…or scratched its ear. The words echoing on, as ash fell, and corvids cried. Then calling upon a force of magic all his own, managed one final push against Serizawa.
Serizawa fell backwards down a hole. His own nightmarish version of Alice in Wonderland, falling down the rabbit hole. Except Serizawa was returning to reality, to himself.
Never ending in its dream logic. The realm above tunneled further away, filled with teals, and fire, and ash, and black feathers.
“…go back ta Taka…” said the voice above with a sad lopsided smile.
ta Taka
Taka
aka
ka
a
-atsuya”
Katsuya.”
skylarks trill, let’s pick up, pick up.
Serizawa’s eyebrow twitched. Something cool and soothing was caressing his forehead. His ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. His eyes fluttered before closing again.
“There you are, Serizawa Katsuya.”
From voice alone Serizawa could tell it was Reigen.
Reigen then sighed with full bodied audible relief.
Serizawa forced himself to crack his eyes open. He was back inside the Takeda sitting room, full of antiques. He was very grateful that he hadn’t caused some sort of psychic outburst to make anything expensive break.
“Welcome back,” said Reigen, leaning forward. He folded the dampened cloth and rested it on Serizawa’s forehead.
Serizawa couldn’t decide if Reigen’s little smile looked lopsided or not. “Good to be back,” he croaked.
“Hey now,” said Reigen, noticing Serizawa's attempt to move, “you shouldn’t force yourself to move too fast.”
Despite the exhausted weight in his arms, Serizawa ignored Reigen, and reached his arms up, wrapped them around Reigen’s neck, and pulled him down into a hug.
“Um,” said Reigen awkwardly into Serizawa’s shoulder. Unsure what to do with his own arms outside of holding himself up, to not fall completely into Serizawa’s inviting embrace.
Serizawa could feel the little smile on Reigen’s face, perhaps it was a little lopsided. He hugged Reigen a little tighter.
“You’ve been crying, haven’t you Reigen-san.” It wasn’t a question.
In fact Serizawa could see the effects beyond the red rimmed eyes and puffy face. Exhausted as he was, he extended his psychic abilities to envelop him and Reigen in a strong barrier.
Little by little the undulating worms and plant growths that had been growing unbeknownst to Reigen, paled and crumbled away.
Reigen sagged into Serizawa, if only a little. “Nothing gets past you, huh deputy?”
Serizawa tightened his hug, and shook his head. “It feels like a lot has been getting past me… too much. …far too much.”
Reigen redistributed the weight of holding himself up by his arms. Despite this, he tried to give his dear friend consoling pats. “It’s going to be okay.”
“…aren’t you tired, Reigen?” Serizawa asked in the quiet of the sitting room. Breath barely passing Reigen’s ear.
Reigen’s eyes widened. He was grateful Serizawa couldn’t see his expression, fearful of what he would see if he could. The question, albeit innocuous, felt bigger than it seemed. Like a pit trap, hiding a deeper question within its bowels.
Which was a very interesting thought to have about your deep burning crush.
He was tempted, so very tempted, to answer in earnest. To say: Yes, and by the way there’s some other things I need to admit. Also could you hold me until the stars explode? Can I tell you how I don’t feel as numb with you around? Could I burden you with the weight of me?
“S-sure,” said Reigen conversationally…cowardly. “Good thing we’ve got that nap to look forward to, huh?”
“…I’m tired.” Serizawa tucked his head into Reigen a little. “Very tired.”
“It was a doozy this time around, huh? Put you right through the wringer.”
Serizawa, indeed feeling wrung, nodded. “I’m left with more questions than answers. And… it’s like no one wants to just… Just say it. …I’m full of questions…” The image of the teenage figure with the tengu mask and lopsided smile was still fresh in his mind. “Some questions I don’t even know how to ask. Not yet at least. But I will, oh yes. In time, I will…”
Reigen was very still. Then, after a moment of silence said, “how’s your headache? How are you now? In this moment?”
“Poorly, apparently.”
The phrase caught Reigen by so much surprise it earned a breathy huff of a snort. “Poorly? Never thought I’d hear you say a phrase like that.”
“It was told to me…when I was inside the shoji screen divider. At least I think I was inside the shoji. I went somewhere. That much I’m sure.”
“Sounds like we have a lot to touch base on. From what I understand, you didn’t even get to enjoy the tea Takeda brewed for you.”
Reigen went to sit up, Serizawa didn’t let him. He held Reigen there. Not ready to let the moment move on, to let Reigen jump back on his feet. To slip back into half truths, and slanted smiles. Slanting like sun between branches and leaves.
“Um… Serizawa?”
“…sorry, just… a little longer… a little longer, please…”
“…okay…”
Skylarks trilled. Crows cried.
An unkindness gathered.
And Serizawa and Reigen held each other for just a little longer.
Notes:
Again I'm so excited to finally conclude all of the "I Don't Know" chapter parts. It's been a long time coming, and I only hope from here on out the story starts to feel different too. I hope I'll stick the landing!
Benibana-tsumi-uta is a real folk song from Yamagata. I used the translation provided by by Dr. Naoko Terauchi, Kobe University in the uploaded work 'Japanese Traditional Music: Songs of People at Work and Play Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai, completed in 1941'
It's a beautiful reference for many folksongs spanning all prefectures! Including descriptions, and why some work/folk songs would be sung.
I could spend hours scrolling and looking up music, in fact I have hahaThere's also reference to the wonderful world of Noh (or Nō) with its specific rules, and mask work. Those with a watchful eye might have noticed the use of a Hannya mask (aka a mask that represents a female onryō... what was it that lady was saying about being in onryō country? hehe I shan't say more)
(¬‿¬ )
The play depicted in this chapter isn't from a real Noh play, but of my own invention for the story... a few creative liberties were taken (such as a costume change that is perhaps better fitted for a Kabuki play). Some of the lines the characters say are from/inspired by Dave Malloy's Musical: "Ghost Quartet" Usher, Pt.1 2 &3Those who wish to learn more about Noh theater might find this video interesting!
And those who wish to see what its like to watch a full Noh performance might be curious to watch "TOMOE" by Mikata Shizuka with English SubtitlesThere's also quite a few nods toTengu
and Tengu folktales (such as the straw cloak, and the fan causing a wind).Another side fact, for a brief moment I considered cutting the detail of Serizawa being given rosaries. Initially it was just a vague Dracula reference where I wanted Serizawa to feel like Jonathan Harker before he arrived at Dracula's castle. But then I thought about it, and considered, well it could very well be possible that some of Serizawa's ancestors were Catholics and or Buddhists alike, so why wouldn't they give their all to protect Serizawa as best they can? And thus, I managed to convince myself to keep the Dracula nod.
Thank you all so much for your support!! Your kind words never fail to warm my heart!! I hope this chapter was as impactful and mysterious as planned, and the next chapters to come are just as wondrous!!
Best wishes♡
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