Intro
No one knew where it came from. It became an enigma, almost magical honestly. A single, simple tattoo appears on someone’s body once they reach puberty. It varies through ages and gender, but eventually someone gains a mark that symbolizes their soulmate. Many theories have been created and experiments have been tested. It seems that at a ripe age, people starts to develop a symbol that represent their soulmate. Scientist have been led to believe that newborns have only half a soul which meant they have only half of the traits that a normal person would have. Or technically develop to have. Society starts to call it insignia, a symbol of completion or in lament terms, a symbol of love. Once you meet your soulmate apparently it’s an automatic connection, but to others it’s almost indescribable. Like a fire that been lit inside you, a sudden rush of emotions that you haven’t felt before. But, that’s only if you have made contact with your soulmate’s insignia. Means that it still isn’t easy to find out who your soulmate happens to be.
In quiet room, a girl folded laundry obediently as she listens to her previous lecture with her earphones. She hums a soft tune while putting all the folded laundry in the clean basket. “So finding your soulmate is like finding a needle in a haystack? Makes sense.” Her jet black hair was braid prettily with a white flower hair tie at the end. Doe-like amethyst colored eyes looks at her surrounding, seeing if she missed any socks that accidentally fell on the floor. “I wonder if I can meet my soulmate...” The girl sighs.
“Higana! I’m home!” A gentle cool voice broke through the silence.
Higana, who finally finishes the week worth of laundry, excited stood up to greet her cousin. “Yuki-nee! Welcome home!” She rushes to the door and saw pretty white hair the cascade around a petite body. Pearl color eyes looks up into amethyst, while the woman took off her shoes. There was a big grin on the woman face, something that rarely gets shown. “Did something good happen?”
“I found my soulmate!” Yukine exclaims as she rushes towards her younger cousin. Her hands grips Higana’s shoulders and starts to shake the younger girl. “I can’t believe he was within my sight this whole time! I swear Higa, I feel so stupid for not realizing this.”
Higana just stares at her cousin, not exactly knowing what to say. She found her soulmate? And apparently he was right under her nose too? Is it that easy? “Really? How or more like what’s going to happen?”
“Well he wants to start living together, but I told him that I can’t since I still have you...” Yukine laughs awkwardly as she scratches the back of her head. The black haired girl looks down nervously. She didn’t have anywhere to go. Her family didn’t want her, her cousin loves her so much that she took her in, but now that love is stopping her from being with her soulmate.
Higana bit her bottom lip, her eyes following Yukine who starts to walk towards the kitchen. “Nee-chan... I can live by myself! I’ve save enough money to get a apartment by myself!”
The older girl froze in her spot. Her hand hovering over the pot that Higana used to cook their dinner. “Higa no. I can’t let a barely legal girl live by herself! You are in your last year of high school, no way!”
“But! I’m mature enough! I can cook, I can clean! I can fend for myself, Nee-chan!” Higana pleaded. She didn’t feel like being in between two people that obviously needs to be together. After going through her soulmate class, they said that it was almost unbearable to not be around them. It’s like an invisible magnetic pull once you find out and it’s painful to be separated for the first couple days of knowing.
Yukine looks at her younger cousin with an unreadable expression. “I can’t Higana. I have responsibility over you... oh god.” Yukine’s head starts to pound with a sudden headache coming out of nowhere. She grabs at her head in agony. “My head!”
“Nee-chan!” The younger girl panics once she saw her cousin fell to her knees. Was this withdrawals? Was today the first day of knowing who her soulmate was? What was she suppose to do in this situation? “What should I do... should I call your soulmate?” Higana tries to reach for the other’s purse only for it to be pull back.
“N-no! Don’t call him...” Yukine huffs. Her eyes looks icily at her cousin before it softens when she saw Higana’s frighten face. “I’m sorry... Higa. Don’t worry, this will pass...” Her hand found her way to her cousin’s and grips it tightly. Both girls stayed on the floor of the kitchen while Yukine calms down. Her breathing finally leveled out and her headache was tolerable. “Fine...”
“Huh?”
“I’ll let you go out on your own.” Higana smiles brightly at her cousin about to express her gratitude only for Yukine to hold up a finger. “But. Not alone. I have someone that needs to be babysit. They don’t eat anything but fried chicken and spend days awake or asleep. Thankfully they been needing a housekeeper, you can finally quit that terrible convenience store job.” Yukine explains, gripping onto the counter. She gratefully accepts Higana’s hand that provides steady support as they both got up.
“Housekeeper?”
“Yes. You’ll be able to live there comfortably. They’ll pay you. You just have to make sure to clean and cook for them.” Yuki mumbles. She grabs her purse for her phone and starts to look at her contacts. “It’s good cause they’re smart so I actually asked if they can tutor you in some of the subjects your struggling on.” Higana couldn’t help but feel a little dumbfounded as she continues to listen to her cousin’s words. Thoughts couldn’t even form in her brain to reply. “Give me a second.”
Amethyst eyes follows her cousin as she slowly walks away to the entrance hallway. “Ok...”
“Hey!... I have someone to take care of the cleaning and cooking.... Yes you do.... You can not leave healthily with just fried food... It’s my cousin.... Yes it’s the one I’m taking care of.... Yes the one I asked for you to tutor, we will be by tomorrow.... No arguements, see you tomorrow.” With that, Yukine hangs up the phone before the other person the phone could say anything. “I’m sorry Higa... I didn’t think that separation would be this bad.”
Higana shook her head and gave her cousin a soft smile, “Don’t worry! I’m just happy that you found your soulmate! That so exciting!”
Yukine laughs bashfully. Her pale cheeks starts to redden beautifully. “It is very exciting!”
“What’s he like? Is he handsome? Well obviously he would be handsome to you.” Higana giggles. She led her older cousin to the dining table and began serving dinner for the both of them. “Is he good to you?”
“Hmm... he’s hot tempered, blunt, he’s a little cynical, but he’s soft. I think he’s very handsome. And yes...” Yukine’s usual icy expression soften as she clearly was thinking of him. “He’s good to me. I’ve actually know him for a very long time. We’ve been best friends for awhile.”
“Seriously?” Higana’s eyes widens considerably from the unexpected fact.
“Yes! We have been friends since middle school. It’s funny that we have got this far without knowing.” Yukine statement rang in Higana’s head. So it really is still difficult to find your other half. She stares at her older cousin who starts to absentmindedly starts to talk about this mysterious person with a loving expression. An expression that was so foreign for the both of them.
Amethyst eyes watches intently at how her older cousin giggles like a innocent school girl the more she talks. Higana looks down to her food, trying to force down the dreadful feeling in her throat. What was this feeling? Ah... it’s jealously. Her cousin was the third person she knew that already knew her soulmate. The way that they all feel complete after meeting them, made Higana envious. How would it feel to actually feel like a complete person?
Higana grips her right shoulder tightly, her insignia didn’t really give her much of a hint. On her back near her right shoulder, there was a single red feather about 5 inches long. When she saw it, at first she couldn’t believe how big it was, but now she found the plumage beautiful. How it is such an elegant red color, it look so real that it was almost like you can feel the soft fuzz. Whenever her fingers graze against it, she felt a longing sensation that she couldn’t describe.
“Higana!” Yukine suddenly yells, finally catching amethyst eyes into hers.
“Ah I’m sorry!” Higana’s grip on her shoulder loosens before completely letting go. She tries to play it off, taking a piece of pickled radish off her side dish. “I got distracted...”
Pearl colored eyes watches her younger cousin nervously trying to look normal. If there is one thing, the younger girl can never hide what she feels. No mater how much she tries to keep her poker face. “Higa, tell me. You know you can’t hide anything from me.” Yukine reaches out her hand to grip onto Higana’s.
The younger girl hesitates, not really feeling comfortable to revealing her inner thoughts to someone who just found her soulmate. She tries to avoid the eyes that stares intensely at her face. But she couldn’t. Not when Yukine grabs her face, squishing her cheeks in between her finger and force their eyes to meet. “Mm shcard.”
“What?” Yukine smiles before letting her younger cousin go.
Higana rubs her cheek, a pout forming on her lips, “I’m scared.”
“Scared of what?” Higana continues to look down at her food. No matter how easy it was to read Higana’s expressions, it was difficult to her to talk. “Scared of what Higana? Do you think I would stop seeing you?” She watches Higana shook her head. “Do you feel like I have abandon you?” Shook her head again. “Do you not like that I found my soulmate?” Another shake of her head. “Then what Higana?”
Higana looks toward her before looking away, “I feel like I’ll never find my soulmate.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I don’t think they’ll like me.” The young girl mumbles under her breath as she plays with her rice.
Yukine almost slams her hand on the table from that ridiculous statement. “Higa I know for a fact that your soulmate will love you unconditionally. Don’t worry about that. You are such a lovely person. I can’t see someone not liking you.”
“But...” Higana bit her lips harshly. It was a bad habit, but thanks to Yukine it has gotten better. Though at times it comes back after her anxiety hits. “I’m a unwanted broken doll.”
“Stop.” Yukine frustration finally got her slamming her hands on the table. “You are not a broken doll. You are not unwanted! Just stop.” Pearl colored eyes looks at the younger who still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I hate how you make yourself feel like this...”
“I’m sorry...”
“Don’t apologize.” Once again, Yukine grabs Higana’s hand. She gave the nervous young girl a comforting smile. Her other hand tucking Higana’s loose black hair behind her ear. “You are not a broken doll. You are not unwanted. Don’t worry ok? I know you soulmate would love you so much that their love would compete against mine!”
When Higana’s eyes flickers her eyes over to Yukine, she saw the expression that her mother used to give her. Her hand instinctively snuggles against the cold but comforting hand that held her face. “Thank you Nee-chan...”
“Of course,” Yukine smiles at how Higana’s inner child came out. The way the younger girl has such a honest personality, she just couldn’t see how anyone would not love her. “I’ll always be near ok? Now come on! Let’s finish up eating ok? I’ll help you pack!”
Higana grins tearfully at her before nodding cutely, “Yeah!”
——————————————————————
“Over here Higa!” Yukine calls over to her younger cousin. She watches as her younger cousin robotically walks towards her. Each steps seems forced as if there was a little person controlling her legs individually. They decided to meet at the apartment of her friend once Higana gets out of school. “You ok? You look constipated.”
“I’m fine... just peachy.” Amethyst eyes waters as she looks around her new neighborhood. As she walks here, she notice that this happens to be a very expensive area. What kind of rich person that her older cousin just happen to know? “Who is this person?”
“Ah! I forgot to tell you about him huh?” Yukine lead the way inside the super expensive looking apartment.
“Him?”
“Yes him, well he’s been a friend of mine since middle school. He’s one of my best friends!” They both got in the elevator and Yukine presses the highest number level that was provided on the listed buttons.
“He?”
“Yes he, he was always called a genius back in the day. He’s actually a pretty famous writer. You said that you had a hard time with some classes right? He was always number one in our school.” Once the elevator door finally open, Yukine starts leading the way again with Higana unwillingly following her.
“Genius? Writer?”
This already feels like a bad decision, maybe she shouldn’t have suggested to leave Yukine. Why couldn’t she be more selfish about things? Higana groans internally, accidentally bumping into Yukine when she finally stopped in front of the door. She watches as her older cousin rang the doorbell twice, but it seems as if no one was home after several minutes of silence. Irritation built on her normal icy face and she slams her small fist on the door, “Keigo! I know you’re in there! Open the damn door!”
Higana eyes held panic as she frantically tried to stop her cousin from making a racket. Even with a limited amount of people on this floor, there were still neighbors! “Nee-chan please! Maybe he just isn’t home!” The younger girl whispers, eyes blown widen from the internal anxiety she felt.
“Oi! Bird brain! I know you’re in there-“
“Fuck! I have neighbors damnit!” The door literally flew open and there stood a shirtless man with grey sweatpants hanging around his hips. He had a white towel around his neck and his blond messy hair wet with the little droplets hitting the floor. “Yuki that impatience is not an attractive look on you.” The man smirks, using the towel around his neck to rub against his hair.
“Whatever. Dabi is the patient one between us.” Dabi? Is that her soulmate? Higana curiously looks towards the two who stayed arguing at the door entrance. She tries her best to avoid the man at the door, it was already nerve wrecking to live with a man. It was even worse that she had to meet him shirtless. “Why are you shirtless? You’re freaking my cousin out.”
“I just got out of the shower thank you. I don’t want to make a bad impression you know?” The blonde man chuckles a little and makes some room to let the girls in. Yukine rolls her eyes before entering the apartment ushering Higana to follow her. Higana bows slightly, trying to pass him without making too much contact. “Hmm? I didn’t expect such a timid little kid?” His voice felt so close as if it was right by her ear, even if he was two feet away from. “You two don’t look anything like each other.”
“Well Higana is from a sister family.” Yukine simply said. “Anyways Higana, this is my friend Takami-“
“You can call me Hawks.” Hawks cuts off the greeting. “Hawks is just fine.” Higana looks up at him, his face held a pleasant smile but his demeanor shows something off. Higana couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt like she wasn’t really welcomed. His eyes widens a little, “Oh so you are able to make eye contact? Funny I thought I was about to just stare at the top of your head most of the time.”
“If I first come here and I see a shirtless man, I probably wouldn’t look at you either bird brain. Now put on a shirt.” Yukine scolds the taller man who held up his hands in defense. Amethyst eyes looks intently at how Hawks demeanor seems to change once he got Yukine’s attention.
“Yes ma’am!” Hawks chuckles happily, giving Yukine a two finger salute.
“Sorry Higa. He can be a handful but he’s a good guy trust me.” Yukine reassures.
“Ah it’s ok...” Higana smiles at her before looking at Hawks’ back as he walks toward his room. Even with how much he smiles, why does his back look so lonely?