Chapter 5
Waking up next to Shin was becoming a routine for Kotone, though it was one she didn't mind and thankfully Shin didn't seem to mind either. Though this time was a surprise as he was already up and gazing out into space with the tiny slip of paper in his hands. She frowns and takes her hand and slips it into his. He pauses and turns his head slightly to see her out of the corner of his eyes though it is a brief glance as he returns back to spacing out. She didn't blame him. It was quite a revelation that Ito had brought up and with so much still unknown there is only speculation, and it doesn't lead to the best thoughts or implications. The slip of paper contains names which correspond to people from Naginomori Gakuen that have disappeared, and it was found in Ryo's files. Not only that, but incidents like what happened at the karaoke club are happening often. She knows this can't be easy for Shin to process so all she can do now is give him comfort.
Shin moves off the bed taking his warmth with him, and she remains where she is watching his focus fall now to the door as he walks out without a word. She sighs. She knew yesterday couldn't last, that their still moment would eventually end. Seeing Shin like that hurts her, she hates when he seems so distant so gloomy with a smile as far from his face as possible. Even more so, she hates how the issue of personas is seemingly drawing apart a family. One that is already so broken.
She moves down the hall and finds the door to Ryo's room open. She decides to look in. She finds Shin leaning on the table holding a small flash drive close to him and not taking his gaze from the computer in front of him. He reaches towards the power button but stops immediately when a loud crash in the distance alerts both him and Kotone. Shin rushes past her motioning her to follow, which she does.
The two reach a shed just outside the house and find a bunch of dust kicked up into the air with Jun coughing while several items lay across the floor. Jun starts trying to pick up and re-stand some of the fallen objects but pauses when he notices the two.
"Good morning, Shin, good morning, Kotone" he says with a tone sounding all too casual for the situation at hand.
"Good morning?" Shin and Kotone both say, though it came off as more of a question.
"Well, since you two have been sleeping since noon" Jun says going back to his cleaning.
"What are you doing?" Shin asks while going to a window and opening it with a yawn.
Jun seems to have found something interesting and is quick to draw the two's attention to it. It looks to be a small statue of a person sitting back on the bottom plating. Kotone notices two things right away, one being the detail of the statue as well as the name written on it under the class and second being the look of shock on Shin's face.
"For an elementary student to do something like this..." Jun says while looking all over the statue in wonder.
It doesn't take Shin long to lift the statue up from Jun's hands and raise it high in the air, promptly denying it is his despite Jun pointing out the name written on it. This gets a smile out of Kotone, though she wonders why he would deny something so detailed and well crafted. Under his breath he grumbles a bit at how it was actually there.
Jun recovers by quickly finding and presenting a new item which looks like an old test but on the back is the drawing of a girl, though she looks familiar to Kotone. Jun seems to think so too.
"This sort of looks like Eiko-neechan"
Kotone does see it now and smiles. The thought then crosses her mind briefly on if Shin liked Eiko. Or does. She shakes her head, now isn't the time to think of that.
Jun playfully teases Shin about the importance of checking his answers after finishing his tests, only to result in Shin mercilessly attacking Jun by tickling his sides. Jun's laughter only grows more intense as he cries out, though Shin now has him trapped and continues tickling Jun who is laying on the floor unable to get free. Jun finally admits defeat and relinquishes the test paper. He lays on the floor with smile as Kotone who had watched the whole thing is unable to suppress her giggles. This immediately makes Shin turn away and rub the back of his head while Jun laughs lightly at Shin's embarrassment.
Kotone had the feeling she had intruded on a family moment but neither boy seemed to mind her presence and so she opts to smile again, happy to see Shin acting more carefree. It is very clear how close of a bond the two Kanzato brothers have, and it only makes it harder by seeing such a divide with their eldest. Though that is a matter for another time, right now she will enjoy the moment. Which becomes far easier as Shin now brings up looking through Jun's embarrassing stuff to which Jun seems initially unbothered until Shin mentions knowing it all which now makes Jun pout.
The brothers look through a photo album and reminisce of old times and Kotone finds herself smiling at the banter but feeling guilty, she decides to voice her concerns.
"I should probably go back inside so you two can go through stuff here" she says and is met with an arm reaching out and taking her own, the grip was gentle and turning her head she is met with Shin smiling her way.
"You can stay with us here" he says his grip now slowly leaving her arm.
"I don't want to intrude" she says while lowering her head a bit but keeping eye contact with Shin.
"You're welcome here" Jun says with a bright smile.
Kotone smiles back and joins the brothers on the floor. She sees pictures of Shin and Jun as well as a younger Ryo, a girl who she figures is Yuki due to her resemblance to Jun, their parents both smiling bright around their kids, though a girl on the side who she can tell is Eiko and Kotone notes how she both stands out yet fits into the picture. Jun seems to notice Kotone's lingering look as he comments on it out of the blue.
"Eiko-neechan, she's been around for pretty much our whole lives" he trails off as if looking for the right words then says "She's like a big sister"
Shin nods with a small smile though it seems to fade fast into a more contemplative look. Kotone places her hand onto his for a moment. He turns to face her and takes her hand in his. They make eye contact and soon both are smiling. Having forgotten Jun was there, he decides to make himself known by snickering softly behind a hand. This gets the two to face him and Shin to disconnect their hands much to her dismay.
"Oh, so that's how it is with you two" Jun says smiling while still stifling his snickers with a hand.
"N-no Jun that isn't it" Shin says fast his eyes widened.
Jun turns back to the shelf and grabs a book and begins to pull it down, "This is the book they wrote together right?"
Shin and Kotone walk over to see the book, Kotone pauses seeing the cover. It was the same book she saw Theo holding in the velvet room.
"A whale's feather, huh?" Shin says with a smile.
"It was the last book mom and dad wrote"
Why did Theo have a book that their parents wrote? Another thing she mentally stores away for later. She inwardly sighs at how long her mental list is getting.
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway gets the attention of the three as they move to see Ryo.
Jun does his best to invite Ryo to eat with them only for him to bluntly turn down said offer as he was only there to change. Though Jun mentioning none of them had eaten together yet seemed to get Ryo's attention.
Shin and Kotone sit by each other on one couch while Ryo sits on the next one over with Jun in the kitchen cooking.
"I started making it this morning, I wanted to surprise you all" Jun says from the kitchen, stirring a big pot of soup.
The three sit in silence as the tv is on, Kotone scoots closer to Shin and notices Ryo seem to turn to her a moment before promptly facing the tv again. This silence continues until Shin turns off the tv and turns to Ryo.
"There is something I have to ask, it's serious" Shin says
This gets Ryo's full attention as he looks to Shin expectantly. Shin seems to struggle with forming his sentence as he keeps cutting himself off with his head down. He raises his head and faces Ryo looking him in the eyes.
"Is it a bother that we came back?"
"Yeah" came Ryo's blunt reply that didn't miss a beat.
A silence passes between the two brothers. Ryo places a piece of paper folded up onto the table in front of Shin.
"I looked this up" Ryo says.
Shin takes the paper and unfolds it revealing different housing plans, all for 3 occupants.
"You, Jun and Kotone can decide which, I'll pay for it"
"Are you seriously..."
"I have my own lifestyle and don't need you forced on me due to means beyond my control. I was being nice to include her in the plans"
"This is everyone's home"
"You're in the way"
"Can't you give me a clear explanation?!"
"I already did"
Shin falls silent and lowers his head.
Ryo faces away and says, "I'm doing my job as the eldest in the family. Isn't that alright?"
"Ryo..." Shin says quietly.
Kotone places her hand on Shin's shoulder, and he turns for a moment to face her, and she shakes her head.
"Don't"
"You should listen to her and stay away from me" Ryo says.
Shin, unable to contain his anger jumps to his feet but before he can continue the argument, he turns to see he has knocked over the soups Jun was bringing, leaving him on the floor looking down at the mess in silence. Shin tries to apologize when Ryo's phone goes off and he leaves he take it.
Shin goes to give chase but is stopped by Jun.
"Please don't fight..."
Shin stays where he is looking off in the direction Ryo went, Kotone takes her hand off his shoulder and moves over to help Jun clean up.
Shin and Kotone sit beside each other on the bed, both silent and unsure what to say or if anything is to be said at the moment. Shin decides to speak first.
"I'm really sorry, Kotone" he says while lowering his head.
"For what?"
"That you have to be involved with any of this..." he keeps his gaze averted from her own.
"I was given the choice to walk away"
A pause.
"Maybe you should have taken it" he says his expression now looking sad.
"I'm where I want to be" she says and offers a small smile.
He gives a weak smile in return and leans back prompting her to do so as well.
Shin gets up and takes his flash drive and walks back towards Ryo's room, Kotone doesn't follow.
Shin reemerges into the room and plants himself next to Kotone then fishes out his phone and starts dialing a number he got from Ito while gripping onto the flash drive. Shin puts in every digit but hesitates at hitting call. Finally, he lowers his phone to his side.
"Are you going to do it?" Kotone asks.
"I don't know..." Shin says with a sigh.
The momentary silence is broken by Shin's stomach growling getting a small giggle out of Kotone as the two head downstairs. Finding the soup, they each sit down with a bowl. The soup was delicious, though for Shin it seemed to bring back a sense of nostalgia.
The two move upstairs to look for Jun, Shin hoping to apologize and praise Jun's cooking noting it tastes like how it did when their mom made it. Only to find Jun isn't there. Or anywhere in the house.
Shin and Kotone change into their winter clothes and rush out running to various places and ending up in front of the restaurant where Shin calls Ryo to let him know what happened.
Now having reached a crossroads Shin and Kotone wait for Ryo to arrive. One of those white feathers falls in front of them and Kotone bends over and picks it up. As she looks at it a figure appears on the road ahead. A girl with long red hair in a red and black dress. Shin starts to move towards her, and Kotone sees him appear spaced out as he does so. It definitely is made clear when Shin moves onto the road even as the light changes. Kotone spots a set of headlights moving onto the road directly ahead and closing in fast.
"Shin!"
He snaps out of his trance but all too late as the car speeds closer to him. The headlights get bright, and Kotone's vision goes blurry.
When the light dies down Kotone sees that the car stopped just in front of Shin who is now on the street having apparently fallen back from fear. Ryo steps out and calls to the two of them. They get in the car with Kotone in the back and Shin taking the passenger seat next to Ryo.
"There was a girl, she had a feather. It looked like the one Yuki had that Jun wears now. The whale's feather" Shin says as the three sit in the car parked off to the side of the road.
Ryo remains silent.
"That secret number, um I mean the panel door...If we are in the way, why do you use the birthdates of me, Jun, and Yuki?"
Kotone smiled. She had heard about the passcode from Shin earlier as she had wanted to go out, so he gave it to her. She finds it sweet that Ryo made that the code, it fills her with hope. He does care. She just wishes he could be better at showing it.
"It's custom, there's no meaning to it"
"Why come here?"
"I'm doing my job as the eldest of the family"
"It isn't just oba-san's problems..." Shin goes on to explain what he told Kotone about Jun being bullied before, but in more detail about how he wasn't thinking or acting right. He mentions Jun's cooking and how he looked through the storage and looked at the "A whale's feather" book for a really long time. But ultimately "Jun really wants to get along with you, Ryo"
Shin and Ryo having reached a common thought both turn to the other and Ryo starts the car and heads out. They arrive by the water and a stretch of snow stretches out into a path. Jun is standing at the edge of the path.
Jun lifts his necklace and releases it into the water as the three rush over to him. Though when he turns around, instead stands a girl with long blonde hair. Yuki. Her reflection on the water takes up the form of a persona that is soon flying over her and creating a bright colored aura as well as a wind blowing around. Yuki seems lost and speaks finally.
"I cannot hear Ryo's voice...but" her aura calms down and the persona disappears as she collapses onto the ground revealing Jun.
The next morning Shin and Kotone are dropped off at the house by Ryo with Shin carrying an unconscious Jun.
Kotone walks with Shin upstairs and helps get Jun in bed and covered. There they stand in the hall in silence that seems neutral. Shin calls the police and talks to them. He decides to lie and tell them what they were looking for wasn't there.
Kotone smiles at Shin. This is progress. She excuses herself and rushes over to the corner of the street and pulls out her key being engulfed in blue.
She awakens being seated in front of the usual desk as the now identified whale's feathers float freely about. Igor wasn't there again. Though Theodore arrives soon after she does.
"My, up bright and early I see. Isn't there something in particular I can assist you with?"
She thinks for a moment, then says "Tell me more about the whale"
"Oh, getting straight to the point, I see. Well, to put it simply. The whale is an assembly of human unconsciousness. And this unconsciousness continues to pile up. Like filling a glass of water, it will soon overflow and right now that moment draws very near"
She lowers her head, pondering this information.
"If it helps, I can give an example you will be very familiar with. Though it's hardly the best, it will get the job done"
"What is it?"
"The whale is similar to the situation with Nyx and Erebus. The whale itself doesn't wish to cause any problems it is simply acting in accordance with humanity's will. The people continue to fill it and so it continues to be filled and once it reaches its peak all that humanity put in will come back out in a massive flood. Human desire can achieve many things, as you already know. This entity in particular though is something I have yet to see, so whatever may come from it is new to me as well"
She nods.
"Thanks Theo"
"Do you require anything further"
"Next time"
"Very well then, until you return, I will be waiting"
"Thanks Theo" she calls out and re-enters the door.
She heads back to the Kanzato house with this new information floating about in her head. She has more answers now, that's good. Though she still has many things left on her to do list. She heads upstairs and lays on the bed in Shin's room and lets her gaze linger on the ceiling. She considers falling asleep but decides against it. She instead picks herself back up and goes down to meet with Shin. Hopefully more answers will start turning up soon. Though what she knows for sure is this time she will help. If something happens, she won't let Shin face it alone. She places her hand to her barrettes in the pattern of 22 in roman numerals. The wild card has been called upon once again, and she will not fail her mission.