in which there's the world's fastest family reunion
“So that’s all that happened” Atsushi explained to Jun’ichiro has they made their way towards Atsushi’s next class. Like he sometimes did in between two classes that were too far apart in the day but not enough for him to go back to his flat to take a nap, Jun’ichiro was following Atsushi out of boredom, or curiosity, but especially to see what the hell was up in Anthropology classes because he had been convinced for way too long that “anthro” had been a major for furries.
Grabbing some coffee from the machine, they went towards Atsushi’s faculty in a slow cadence, not really bothering to try and come early since by that time in the semester half of the class had dropped which meant that there were more than enough good seats to slack off in.
“So Dazai just suddenly decided to make efforts? Because you asked him nicely?” Jun'ichiro seemed baffled at that fact; to be fair, Atsushi hadn’t told him everything, so it did make him look like the sole reason as to why Dazai suddenly decided to listen to his friends and try to get better mentally.
“I mean, yeah- there’s other stuff but it’s Dazai, so I don’t know how much I could tell you, really…”
Jun’ichiro paused, then made a disgusted face, “Are you two dating?”
Atsushi made a disgusted face in turn, “Ew, no?” he laughed, “Jesus Christ, absolutely not! Plus I told you, me and Akutagawa-
-Yeah, but knowing how much of a sleazebag Dazai is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to steal you from him or something- like a promise of becoming a better human if you break up with Akutagawa-
-Ok so first : I’m not really dating Akutagawa right now, it’s complicated, Atsushi answered honestly, and second : Dazai’s straight, Atsushi lied.
-Yeah whatever, I can smell fruit on him from a mile away.”
Atsushi laughed, trying to hide his awkwardness at the comment as he pushed the door to his next class where only half of the usual students were, as expected. Even Lucy had ditched. Atsushi laughed to himself.
Both men sat down in a corner, inconspicuous enough to not be noticed, but not far enough to obviously indicate that they were trying to not be noticed. Atsushi laid his head on his desk until Jun’ichiro prompted, “Say what was up with Chuuya leaving the chat and Dazai trying to talk to him? You’re friends with them, any idea?
-Beats me, I hear they fight a lot,” Atsushi lied again, “Dazai told me it was nothing to worry about” he lied again.
Jun’ichiro repressed a smirk as he listened to Atsushi, only answering with a knowing “huh-huh”
Atsushi turned his head to him, “What?
-What “what?”” Jun’ichiro cocked an eyebrow.
He knew. Or at least he was starting to know.
“I forget how smart you are sometimes.
-Ouch? But thank you.
-Just-”
Just as Atsushi tried to warn his friend to not go blabber about what he thought he’d discovered, Jun’ichiro’s phone started buzzing in his pocket, indicating a call.
For some reason, Atsushi braced for the worst, and the worst it was when he saw his friend’s smile drop at the caller ID-
Jun’ichiro hastily picked up, “Hello?”
Atsushi looked at him, puzzled. Seeing his friend become so serious in such a small time frame made his stomach drop with nervousness : he tried to listen to the words of the caller but could only hear his friend’s “okay” and “I’ll be here in an hour, maximum.”
Jun’ichiro hung up, a frown on his face, followed by a deep sigh. He turned to Atsushi, worry in his eyes : “Not that I hate this place, but I really need to go, I’ll text you-”
Atsushi grabbed his friend’s wrist as he tried to leave, “Where are you going?
-Hospital. Naomi, she’s-” his voice faltered.
Atsushi looked around, then at the time on his watch, then at his friend.
“I’ll go with you.”
Jun’ichiro wanted to tell Atsushi to stay there, wait for his text, that he’d done enough these past months, but he was also always, always scared for his sister. He couldn’t really refuse emotional support, not from his best friend.
They made a run from Atsushi’s classroom to Jun’ichiro’s car, which was only a few bus stops away from campus, hastily opening the doors, not bothering to prepare anything for the road.
Atsushi could see the visible stress on Jun’ichiro’s face as he turned on the engine, getting out of the parking lot at a possibly illegal speed.
Jun’ichiro Tanizaki and Atsushi Nakajima had met only a few years ago in middle school, in the same small city, less than an hour away from Yokohama when traffic wasn’t too hellish.
They’d quickly grown attached to each other, mostly because they would also see each other in church on Sundays, as the Tanizaki’s parents were also christians, albeit not as extreme as Atsushi’s father. At the time, they’d grown fond of each other the same way two little kids were when they were in regular close proximity, and as middle school often required it, they’d tried dating for a few weeks, both trying to make their parents proud since at the time they looked like a perfect little heterosexual christian couple; only to quickly realize that it really wasn’t their thing and that Naomi was a bit too possessive of her older sibling (and also needed a lot of their attention due to an entire panel of illnesses) to let them date anybody.
They had stayed great friends, though, and became especially closer when they started keeping secrecy of each other’s sins like liking men, or wanting to be one. They’d been here for each other, but also for each other’s respective younger sisters : they both understood the protective need of keeping them in safety at all times, whether it was from abuse or illness. As such, Atsushi had sometimes babysat Naomi (though they were only two years apart in age), after she had realized he wasn’t a threat to her closeness with her older brother, and they actually got along quite well. So naturally, Atsushi worried for her.
“So what’d they say?” Atsushi inquired, still in the dark about Naomi’s condition,
“Dad took her to the hospital after she passed out, I guess this was one time too many” he sighed “I just don’t get what I can do to help her…?”
Atsushi looked at him, he was focused on the road.
He’d learnt that in their childhood, Naomi and Jun’ichiro had lost most of their home life and had spent quite a long time together under rubbles after a particularly violent earthquake. The whole family had managed to get back up from the ordeal, except for their mom who hadn’t made it in the end. Their father had remarried, moved out closer to the city, but none of them had really moved on, especially Naomi, who since then had been diagnosed with many illnesses comorbid to post traumatic stress and an acute fear of being abandoned by her brother. In her early teenage years, this had also turned into dysmorphia and multiple, cumulated eating disorders for which Jun’ichiro always worried.
“I know I need to be there for her, and I always will be, obviously, but-” he sighed again, longer, desperate, “It’s also when I'm here that it gets worse, I always feel like she’s scared not being good enough for me to stay and it’s worrying man, it’s-it’s dangerous !”
Atsushi reached for his friend’s shoulder, gently squeezing it in reassurance.
“I get what you mean, Jun, but it’s not your fault. You’re always here for her, and that's more than enough.
-I know but…” he looked away “I just wanna see her happy, man.”
The rest of the drive was silent, only sometimes filled with Jun’ichiro’s small sniffles, which Atsushi not once commented on, only opting to pass some tissues if necessary.
They arrived at their hometown’s hospital with Atsushi only briefly worrying about crossing paths with his father before realizing he might be at work at this hour.
The two boys rushed to the front desk, asking for Naomi and her state, proving that yes, Jun’ichiro is her older sibling, we know they don’t look alike at all, they used to but testosterone and ginger hair dye kind of changes someone’s face in the long run- thank you very much.
The elevator ride was the longest of Jun’ichiro’s life, as well as the walk to his sister’s room, whom he found in the same state she usually was on her hospital trips. Before he could enter, Atsushi patted his back, asking if he needed anything- he didn’t.
“Thank you, Atsushi, I-
-It’s fine, Jun, just tell Naomi I said hi” Atsushi smiled.
As Jun’ichiro entered the room, Atsushi caught a glimpse of his friend’s dad, sat near the bed where Naomi was sitting- seeing her brother, the girl grew a wide smile under tired eyes who betrayed her emotional and physical state. Always the observer, Naomi caught a glimpse of Atsushi, to whom she did a shy wave which Atsushi knew was a polite invitation to leave the place so the Tanizakis could discuss privately.
Not exactly knowing what to make of himself while waiting, Atsushi arpented the halls of the hospital, trying to find some semblance of a vending machine so he could go sit down somewhere and do work for Ango’s class, or maybe read one of the recommended papers, or fanfiction.
He sent a quick text to Ryuunosuke to let him know he wouldn’t walk home with him in the afternoon
Ryuu :3 :
15:22
Hospital?
Are you okay?
Sushi >:D :
15:24
yes it’s for Jun’s sister, don’t worry!!!!!!!!
got scared a bit but she seems to be alright so its all good
Oh and have a nice dayyyyyy ;3
Ryuu :3 :
15:25
Good to hear.
You too, have a nice day and don’t hesitate to call if you need something
Ryuu :3 :
15:28
Text me when you get home though?
Just as Atsushi answered and put his phone back into his jacket passed before him a familiar blond kid, whom he recognized as one of Kyouka’s friends,
“Kenji?”
The kid turned to Atsushi, smiling as he realized who the man calling him was,
“Atsushi?
-Hi, Kenji, it’s been a while! What are you doing here?”
The kid smiled at Atsushi more, though seeming a bit embarrassed, “Well we were playing, and there was a cat stuck in the tree, so I went to get it but I fell down and my ankle ended up in a weird position!”
Atsushi’s eyes widened, chuckling in nervousness “should you even be walking right now?
-No, but I was hungry! And I’m fine now, too” Kenji pouted as he showed Atsushi his normal looking ankle.
“Still, it’s dangerous! Isn’t there anyone to grab snacks for you? You said you were with someone else?
-Oh yeah, I was with Kyouka and my cousin drove us here!”
Atsushi blinked.
Kyouka was here?
Without their father?
Atsushi quickly rummaged through his bags, finding a snack for Kenji so the latter could lead him to his room where Kyouka was probably diligently waiting, as she always did.
Atsushi uselessly knocked on Kenji’s hospital room, where an older looking woman and his sister were calmly talking.
The woman went on to blame Kenji for leaving without supervision, while Kyouka’s vision was stuck on her brother; she smiled and went towards him, hugging him tight, “What are you doing here?
-Oh, I-” Atsushi was taken aback by the sudden meeting- “I was with Jun because Naomi had a problem- are you okay?”
Kyouka’s face was nuzzled in her older brother’s sweater, still holding on to him.
“Let’s go out, okay?” He asked.
The siblings walked the halls together in a comfortable silence until they sat down on an empty bench near the entrance-
“It’s funny to see you there, though don’t tell Kenji, but I’m glad it’s not you who’s injured”
Kyouka giggled, Atsushi giggled too. He missed her.
“How are you? Sorry I couldn’t really call-” Kyouka asked,
“Kyouka, it’s not your fault if we can’t really talk, you know?
-Yeah, but I miss you.” She pouted.
Atsushi sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as a response, “I miss you too, a lot. I’m trying to find a way but-
-But it’s hard, I know. It’s not like you asked to leave.”
Atsushi swallowed. He’d forgotten how mature she could be for her age.
He held her a bit tighter, “And how are you? Hanging more with Kenji, huh?” Atsushi joked, eager to move on to another, lighter subject,
“Not like that!” Kyouka made a disgusted face, though slightly blushing, “His family invites me over for dinner sometimes, they really don’t like dad…
-That’s good, Atsushi chuckled.
-They ask about you sometimes, I usually answer by saying you’ve debuted an acting career in A/V”
Atsushi gasped, “Kyouka! You can’t say that!”, he said fake indignantly, laughing at his sister’s words, “Bad Kyouka!
-It’s not like I really know, though?” She sighed. Atsushi sighed in turn, “I guess you’re right…”
Silence set in for a few seconds until Kyouka started again, “So what are you doing?”
Atsushi blushed, embarrassed in knowing that he couldn’t handle a normal conversation with his sister.
“Oh, I’m studying anthropology, didn’t I tell you? My bad, sorry!” Atsushi joined his hands in a prayer, as Kyouka smiled, “Sounds cool…I’ve decided I want to become a veterinarian…” she said timidly.
Atsushi smiled in turn, “Kyouka that’s so cool! Do you know where you wanna go?
-With you preferably.” Atsushi brough their faces closer, cheek to cheek, “That’s really cool! I know you can do it! And I promise, whenever I can, I’m getting you out of there. Is it alright at home?”
Kyouka leaned into her older brother’s hug, “Yeah, Dad only expects me to fit in misogynistic standards which kind of pisses me off because apart from doing kendo, I do fit his criterias since what he expects of girls and women is quiet, and I don’t really want to talk to him anyway.
-Sheesh…talk about self-awareness…
-I wish I could rebel or something, ugh…” Kyouka sighed, “You think if I kissed a girl in front of him he’d let me come with you?”
Atsushi gulped : though he loved that his sister was this unforgiving of their dad and was still as strong-willed, even under their dad’s strict behavior, he couldn’t help but worry about what he might do if she ever made one misstep.
“Do you want to kiss a girl?
-Not particularly, no.”
Atsushi sighed in relief : Kyouka was at least safe from their dad’s homophobic wrath. He looked at his sister and thought of Jun’ichiro’s previous words on Naomi, I just wanna see her happy.
This is all Atsushi wanted for his sister.
“I’m gonna get you out, Kyouka, I swear; but for now, don’t do anything to put you at risk, I know it’s humiliating, but-
-I know.” Kyouka said, a strange, cold, determined gaze fixed on something other in front of her, “I won’t try to rebel or something, I’ll bear what I need to bear until I can leave.” She looked at her brother with eyes he expected to be filled with tears, but there were none : She was too strong, “Just promise me you’ll be there when I do.”
Atsushi wasn’t as strong as his little sister; he started to tear up, looking down at the strongest person he’d ever met. And he would never leave her.
“Of course.” Atsushi promised, once again wrapping his sister in a crushing hug.
The drive back to Yokohama was quiet, bittersweet.
Neither Atsushi or Jun’ichiro could stay overnight for various reasons, but had tried to stay as long as they could with their sisters. Their afternoon and evening had been spent productively making their sisters happy, Atsushi eventually bringing Kyouka to see Naomi a few hours after the boys had arrived. The four of them had- albeit in undesirable circumstances- been able to just hang out together, like they usually did, like neighboring kids. Naomi’s state had seemed far better than a few hours prior, which Atsushi assumed was thanks to her brother who confessed in the car that his jaw hurt from laughing with his sister so much. All and all, things were fine for everyone; it was the separation that hurt- knowing that they had to leave Naomi and Kyouka in such dreadful places as a hospital or Atsushi’s dad’s house did a number on the boys’ anxiety while they crossed the few street lamps of the countryside detours to Yokohama.
Jun’ichiro finally broke the silence after half an hour, “How was she?
-Fine, I think?” Atsushi looked at the moon far away from the window, “She’s as headstrong as ever ; wants to be a veterinarian.” He smiled to himself, “That’s great!”.
Jun’ichiro seemed much more upbeat than he was when they came in. Apart from everything that had happened, Atsushi also suspected that his friend liked the city much more than the countryside.
He was almost giddy; even if she was in a kind of sad place, he at least knew his sister was safe. Atsushi couldn’t really say the same. He leaned his head on the window, listening to the radio’s low volume tunes.
“Unrelated-” Jun’ichiro started again, “I got a text from Tachihara!”
Atsushi looked at his friend, perplexed, “Okay…?”
Jun’ichiro rolled his eyes, “Dude! Hello? He’s in a band!
-Oh, that’s…cool I suppose? But what’d he want?
-Asked me if I wanted to run lights for their upcoming show- said it would be a good opportunity for me and all that.”
Atsushi raised his eyebrows, this was an opportunity for Jun’ichiro to put himself into a good project to put on his resumé for his career as a lighting technician. And god knows he needed to attend a good party, too.
“That’s great! You said yes, right?
-Of course! And he told me I could bring a friend if I wanted to- though I would only be available for the afterparty…
-That’s amazing, Jun!
-So you’ll come?
-Of course!”
Almost arriving in the city, Atsushi sent a text to Akutagawa to let him know he was back, though he wondered (hoped) if the man would even be awake at this hour.
Ryuu :3:
01:02
Okay, glad you made it safely
Good night :)