Twenty Four
Sakura, Iwaizumi, [Name] and Oikawa stopped by the florist after school to buy some flowers for Ryouichi. Iwaizumi and Oikawa watched as Sakura and [Name] searched every vase, carefully picking out what they wanted to get.
Sakura stopped before a vase of blue and purple Forget Me Nots. She gently traced the small petals of the flower with her finger tips. She became lost in her own thoughts, staring into the soft blue of the flower without realizing.
"Those are nice," Iwaizumi commented, bringing Sakura back from her thoughts. She turned to him, surprised by his sudden presence and turned back to the flower, realizing that she had been touching it for quite a while now that one of the petals broke off, resting on her finger.
She stared at the petal on her finger. "Yeah..."
--
[Name] crouched down, bending her knees forward and placing the bouquet of Forget Me Nots by her side. Oikawa, Iwaizumi and Sakura stood behind her, quietly watching her.
She read the name engraved on the black marble tombstone: [Last Name] Ryouichi. She reached out to the tombstone, dusting off the fallen leaves on it and traced her brother's name gently with her fingertip.
"Oniichan..." She said quietly, staring at his name. Her heart ached at how unfamiliar his name was to her. She placed the flowers she bought right by the side of his tomb, adjusting them a little. She lowered the head, tilting her chin in as she chewed onto her lower lip. Her brows knitted at the twist forming in her chest.
Despite learning as much as she could from both her parents and Sakura, she still couldn't seem to be able to remember a thing about Ryouichi. Yet without those memories, her heart was still unsettled, stirring within her whenever she thought about him. She knew that she would never be able to fill in that hole inside of her.
"... Oniichan..." She repeated, tears lining her eyes. "I'm finally here to see you..." She took a shaky breath, pulling her fingers into her palms. "Your little sister... Is finally here..." Her voice broke and she whimpered, tears pouring out of her eyes, dripping to the ground. "I'm sorry it took me so long..."
Oikawa took a shaky breath, glancing to the side. He couldn't keep his eyes on the [Hair Color] any longer without breaking his own heart. He was frustrated and mad at himself for being so helpless at moments like these but he knew that [Name] should be given time to be with Ryouichi alone after all this while. He took a peek at Sakura and Iwaizumi who were by his side.
Iwaizumi had a grimace on his face with his hands on his pockets, like they usually would be when he was feeling frustrated. Oikawa knew that in his pockets, his nails were probably pressing so deep against his palms that they were going to leave a mark for a long time. After all, Iwaizumi felt the most helpless when he saw a girl cry.
By his side, Sakura was trying to control her expressions only to have it seem harder than usual. Her brows were knitted and hands balled into tight fists. She crushed the dirt under her foot as a way to let out her frustrations. With her pursed lips, she stared at Ryouichi's grave over [Name]'s shoulder.
It had only been a month ago since she last visited her grave. However, no matter how often she visits him, she still couldn't quite get used to it. It was a constant painful reminder that she would no longer be able to see his smile, or hear his laughter, or feel his warmth.
She shifted her gaze to [Name], watching her small frail shoulder tremble lightly as she cried. Hearing her soft sobs and sniffles, she couldn't help but to be reminded of her conversation with Ryouichi.
Sakura handed the metallic bat to [Name], who couldn't keep her sparkly eyes off it. She shaped her mouth in an awed 'O' shape as she entered the batting cage, holding the bat upright in a 90 degree. She turned to the two older children, wordlessly seeking for guidance as to what she was supposed to do.
Ryouichi laughed at her adorable reaction. "Swing it at the ball when it comes to you," Ryouichi explained, moving his arms like so as a demonstration. [Name] nodded quickly and turned to face the machine, adjusting the slightly oversize helmet on her head. The machine shot out the first ball and the young girl squeezed her eyes shut, aimlessly swinging her bat. "That's it! You almost got it!" He encouraged while Sakura took a seat next to him on the bench, pulling the helmet off her head.
The next ball shot out of the machine and [Name] repeated what she did, hoping that she would make contact any time soon. Ryoucihi constantly gave her compliments, although she was far off from hitting any of the balls. He enjoyed watching her adorable reactions to each ball, laughing out loud.
Sakura however did not seem to enjoy it at all. Instead, she was frowning. Not that she thought [Name] was terrible at it (which she was) but because she couldn't understand how Ryouichi was still so cheerful and happy, like the everything was better than before, when it was clearly not.
He was diagnosed with tumors that were about to take his life away. Just how can he find the strength to smile and laugh brighter than he usually would?
"I don't think [Name]-chan would be trying out for the baseball team when she's in middle school," He laughed, watching his sister from outside the cage. "Nee, Sakura-chan. You should consider joining the baseball team, don't you think?"
"Not really..." Sakura muttered.
"Why not? Your batting form was really good. You should be able to make it into the team easily."
"I never really thought about it..."
Ryouichi noticed Sakura's sour expression in the corner of his eye and chuckled. He nudged her shoulder gently only to deepen the pout on her face. "What's with that face, Sakura-chan?" He asked. Sakura refused to answer, keeping her eyes on [Name] who missed another ball wide. He chuckled at her response, tilting his head in a dangerously attractive angle. "I heard from Kaasan that you got into a fight. What happened?" His eyes linger at the small bruises on her arms and legs.
"It's nothing..." Sakura lied, not looking at him in the eyes.
"You don't trust me, Sakura-chan?"
"N-No way! I trust you!" The girl defended immediately and blushed as he chuckled once more.
"So, what happened?"
Sakura let out a deep exhale, still hesitant to answer. Her shoulder slumped and she frowned. "They were picking on [Name]-chan." Ryouichi blinked at her, wordlessly telling her to elaborate on that. "They were calling her a liar, saying that she lied about Adrian-san being her dad."
"That's why you fought them?"
"Of course, Adrian-san isn't her real dad but... They made her cry," Sakura said defensively, raising her voice. "I had to protect her..."
"I see..." Ryouichi nodded. "Thank you. But Sakura-chan, if it happens again next time, I don't want you to do anything like this, alright?" Sakura nodded guiltily. She started to wonder if he found her unattractive for being so rough and aggressive.
"Ryou-niichan..." Sakura said, her tone suddenly softer and quieter. She stared down at her feet and couldn't help but to feel sad. "Is it okay?... To allow [Name]-chan to keep forgetting things?..."
Instead of answering, Ryouichi continued to smile, keeping his eyes on his sister. His smile was a distanced one, as if he wasn't smiling at the present but something further. That only made Sakura frown deeper. She hated this part of his personality, but loved it at the same time. "Nee, Sakura-chan." He finally spoke. "One day, [Name]-chan might forget about me."
"I don't want that to happen," She protested.
"Me too," He chuckled. "But, just one day, when I'm gone, she might forget about me." Tears started to gather in the young girl's eyes. "When that happens," He turned to her, giving her another smile that forced the tears out of her eyes. "I'm counting on you to be her oneechan, alright, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath to calm the swarming emotions within her. She walked up towards [Name], crouching down next to her as the younger girl cried. She pressed her palm onto the marble, feeling the coolness of it. Her heart fluttered as warmth surged through her body from his name on the tombstone.
"Ryou-niichan." She whispered. She traced his name lovingly. Am I... Doing a good job as an oneechan? I don't know... But I do know I can never be the older sibling you were. That's why... "I miss you... So much..."
--
As they walked down the tarred road, Iwaizumi could hear the crows in a distance. He turned his head to the side, keeping an eye on his brunette best friend. The captain had been awfully quiet the entire day. Even his smiles had less effort in them.
Iwaizumi could easily tell that he was heavily distracted by his own thoughts. It was written all over his face. The way his brows were slightly gathered, the tension of his pursed lips, the stiffness of his shoulders, the heaviness in his footsteps. However, the vice-captain remained quiet about it, knowing that the captain should be given some space of his own.
"Hey, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa finally spoke, his hands in his pockets as he tilted his head to look up to the sky. He stopped and so did Iwaizumi, standing next to each other. "I think you were right. Both you and Sakura."
Iwaizumi raised his brow at the sudden statement, confused by what he meant. "What is it?" He asked, not quite liking the tone in Oikawa's voice. Instead of answering, Oikawa continued to looked up to the sky, as if searching for something. His brown eyes seemed lost as he inhaled deeply before sighing.
"I wonder," He said, the motivation in his voice non-existent. "Did I do the right thing? Am I really doing the right thing?" His last question was barely a whisper as he lowered his head, his hair casting a shadow over his eyes. "I... Don't know anymore..."
--
Adrian and Hana exchanged glances as they took a seat across their daughter in the living room. It was after dinner when [Name] had asked to have a serious talk with her parents. The tone of her voice worried them and waited anxiously in silence.
"[Name]-chan, is something wrong?" Adrian asked in a nervous chuckle, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. However, it didn't quite have the effect as he had hoped it would.
[Name] took a deep breath before speaking up, knowing that what she was going to say wasn't going to have a good reaction. "Kaasan, Tousan." She began, looking directly into their eyes. Her intense gaze caused them to stiffen up. "I have a request."
"What is it, [Name]-chan?" Hana asked in her caring motherly voice despite having a bad feeling about her request.
"I would like to meet my biological father."
Hana and Adrian widened their eyes. [Name]'s words had caught their air by their throats, causing their breaths to hitch. They couldn't keep their mouths closed when they saw the determination in her eyes.
Hana was the first to get back to her senses, her face contorted in an obvious displease. "[Name]-chan, do you know what you're saying?" She exclaimed. "There is no possible way your father and I would allow you to do so!"
[Name] winced, already expecting the reaction. Yet, she still tried her best to convince them. "Kaasan, I know what I'm doing." She said, not liking the fact that she made them upset.
"You obviously don't!" Hana countered. She slammed her hand on the coffee table between them, leaning forward with a fierce look. [Name] didn't recall seeing this side of her mother. "Don't you already know what he did to us?! To you?! To Ryouichi?!"
"I know -"
"If you do, then why do you still want to see him?!" Hana was on the verge of screaming. [Name] could hear the fear in her voice and her heart pounded at the same fear. "I will not let you meet that monster."
"But he is my father, -"
"That monster is not your father!" She slammed her hands onto the table once more, causing [Name] to jump. "Your father is here!" She gestured towards Adrian.
Finally, Adrian reached out to Hana, putting his hand over hers. He gave it a light squeeze, telling her to sit back down, and that she should calm down. Hana hesitated but slowly succumbed to his plead when he mouthed the word 'please'. She sat herself down quietly, no longer able to meet her daughter's eyes.
Once Hana had calmed down a little, Adrian turned his attention to [Name], smiling at her like he usually would. "What's your reason for wanting to meet him, [Name]-chan?" He asked in his calmest, gentlest voice. [Name] sensed no fear or anger from him, which twisted her chest in guilt.
"I want closure." [Name] said, squeezing her hands together on her thighs. She cautiously glanced at Adrian, who smiled at her to continue. "I want to be able to face who I was before this, the people who made me who I am. I want to be able to be free of my past. I want to move forward," She gathered her brows to the center of her forehead. "After all, everyone has been working so hard for me to move forward."
"I see," Adrian nodded. "Alright, I'll arrange a meeting between for the both of you."
"Anata!" Hana gasped. "You can't possibly allow that!"
"Hana, [Name]-chan is right." Adrian said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She has to do this to be able to move forward with who she is now."
"But he is -"
"I know," Adrian assured her. "I want protect her too. After all, I am her father." He smiled at [Name], resulting in tears in the teenager's eyes. "I'll do anything for my lovely daughter to be safe and happy."
"Tousan..." [Name]'s voice broke, tears escaping her eyes.
"I may not be your biological father, [Name]-chan," He said, reaching out to her hand which she gladly held. "But you are still my daughter, regardless of blood relations. And all this while, you've made me the proudest father ever. So I'll do what I can for you. I love you, my daughter."
Hana started to cry to, burying her face in Adrian's shoulder as he rubbed her back to comfort her. [Name] lowered her head, shoulders shaking as she sobbed.
"Thank you, Daddy..."
--
Oikawa glanced at his wrist watch. He was early and he knew that. Instead of waiting for [Name] inside the café while enjoying a nice cup of coffee, he decided to wait outside instead. After all, he was too nervous to down a cup of coffee. He stared down at his shoes, recalling the phone call he received from the said girl just a couple of days ago.
"Oikawa-san," [Name]'s voice sounded from the other side of the call.
"[Name]-chan, what's going on?" He asked politely, a little surprised by her sudden call. He pulled down his glasses, leaning his back against the back of his seat. He was just reviewing his choices of universities in Tokyo when she called. And frankly, he was quite glad that she had called, allowing him to push away the thought of his future for a little longer.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a favor to ask of you."
"Sure, I'll do what I can," He agreed, raising a brow at the tenseness in her voice. "What is it?"
"Would you accompany me to meet my biological father?"
Oikawa rested his hand on the back of his neck, massaging it gently. When he first heard it from her, his mind spun. After discovering that he abused Hana and both [Name] and her older brother, he knew he couldn't allow [Name] to go alone. Hence, he agreed without any hesitation. Despite having a part of which was glad that she thought about relying on him, wanting him to be her side at such an important event, the other part of him was worried.
He wondered if it was really a good idea to meet with her biological father. Surely, she must have had a tough time talking it out with Adrian and Hana. However, hearing the determination in her voice, he could tell that she had been thinking over this seriously and finally came to a conclusion that it was the only way she was able to escape from her past.
He stopped himself from indulging further into his thoughts when he saw [Name] walking towards him in a distance. He pulled his lips into a smile as she approached him. "Ohaiyo, [Name]-chan." He greeted, looking down into her [Eye Color] eyes.
"Ohaiyo, Oikawa-san." She returned the greeting with a similar smile, a light pink dusting her cheeks. Oikawa wished that the moment would last forever. Putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, they both entered the café.
It was a rather quiet café that [Name] had picked out. According to her, she heard about the new café from someone in school and had visited it before with Umi. Oikawa allowed the fact that Umi went on a coffee date with [Name] behind his back slide.
"Welcome," The waitress greeted and guided them to a reserved table. In the corner of his eye, Oikawa thought he saw a familiar head of jet black hair but shook it off. They both order some drinks and waited quietly side by side, shoulders touching. The quietness of the café was comforting, but it wasn't enough to calm the anxieties building up within the two teenagers.
To calm his nerves, he kept his eyes on [Name]. She stared at the coffee before her. Both of their coffees were left untouched. The rich aroma of the coffee just wasn't appetizing at the moment. He watched as she traced her finger at the curve of her cup. "Be careful," He warned in a soft voice. "It's hot."
She quickly removed her finger from the cup, suddenly embarrassed, earning a chuckle from Oikawa which managed to loosen up her shoulders a little. "Oikawa-san," She said, shifting her gaze to him. Oikawa's heart skipped a beat at her angled smile, his throat tightened at the heat rising up his cheeks. "I trust you."
Oikawa managed to pull his gaze away, trying to keep his mind in one piece. His heart wasn't settling in his chest. He managed a barely audible hum, making the girl giggle.
Just when their light atmosphere was sprouting, the door to the café swung open, ringing the small bell by the door. They tensed up, glancing at the door. They haven't got any idea how [Name]'s biological father looked like, but as soon as they saw him, it was obvious that it was him. He asked the waitress a quick question and she guided him to the reserved table.
Approaching their table. Oikawa could see the glare he was giving the both of them. [Name] shifted uncomfortably next to him and the brunette scooted closer to her, providing any sense of security he could give. He reached out to her hand, interlocking their fingers as her biological father sat across them.
Instead of introducing himself, [Name]'s biological father stared at the both of them, eyeing them top to bottom. He had a fierce look on his face that felt like an invisible hand around their necks. "So? Are you my daughter?" He asked, tilting his chin towards [Name].
[Name] squeezed Oikawa's hand in which he returned the gesture, biting onto his lower lips. "N-Nice to meet you," She nodded her head in a light bow. "I'm [Last Name] [First Name]."
"[Last Name] huh?" Her biological father echoed, pointing his nose up high arrogantly. "So that bitch changed your name too, huh?" [Name] could feel Oikawa wanting to defend Hana but she nudged him, telling him to stop. "And who's this?" He motioned his head at Oikawa. "Ryouichi? No... You're not that dumbass. Boyfriend? What you wanted to see me just so that you can ask for my approval for your puppy love?" He laughed, causing Oikawa to grit his teeth.
"No," [Name] shook her head, trying to hide her fears.
"Where is Ryouichi anyway?" He asked, tilting his head. "How fucking rude, not even a New Year's card from that son of a bitch. You too," He stared into [Name]'s eyes, causing her to tremble. Feeling her fingers tremble, Oikawa's blood started to boil, the tips of his ears turning into a light shade of red.
"You never even called me daddy. Where the fuck is your manners? Is that how that bitch decided to raise you since I was gone? I told you she couldn't be able to raise you both well." [Name]'s hand was starting to hurt from how hard Oikawa was squeezing it.
"Pah!" He scoffed, throwing his hands into the air. "Domestic violence, they said! It was just a light spank and they went all dramatic about it. Can you believe that crazy woman? I -"
"We're leaving." Oikawa stated as he shot out of his seat, bumping onto the table in the process. The coffee on the table toppled over, spilling and dripped onto [Name]'s biological father's laps. Oikawa tugged onto [Name]'s hand, pulling her up next to him.
"O-Oikawa-san," [Name] tried to control the shaking in her voice. However, Oikawa didn't spare her a glance, not even his usual, comforting smiles. He eyes were locked on her biological father, dark and angry. She felt afraid of the look in his eyes, even though she knew it wasn't meant for her.
"You're not her father." Oikawa said, keeping his gaze strong at her biological father. "You'll never be." He pulled [Name] along with him, making their way out of the café. She followed wordlessly, keeping her eyes on the brunette.
Just as they made it out of the door of the café, [Name] felt someone's hand wrap around her free wrist tightly, causing her to gasp. She turned back to find the same [Eye Color] eyes staring back at her.
"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"