Chapter Text
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In such a run-down house, everything in this place is quiet except for the sound of water dripping from the roof and into the half-full pail. Osamu glances behind him, thinking about the many times he has 'fixed' the roof, and yet, it manages to still leak into his house.
Stupid storm.
Turning back to the scattered letters on the wooden table, Osamu releases a heavy sigh as he leans back. Right next to the quill lies a photo frame of him and his mother. She was a really beautiful woman, Osamu admits that. Very short in height but her voice... God, anyone from another neighbourhood away can hear her loud obnoxious laughter.
It's been 2 months since she breathed her last breath. Osamu would say that his mother died young. She wasn't even 50 of age yet. It was unfortunate because his mother didn’t get to see anything new. If she had lived longer, Osamu would have grown a lot more and take her anywhere she wishes rather than this quiet woodland.
It really is a pity. And now… Her death doesn’t feel real. Osamu still finds it hard to adjust the life without her.
Sitting up again, he shakes the sleepiness away from his eyes and focuses back on the letters. Even when his eyes go over the written words on the papers, his concentration spirals elsewhere inside his brain.
There isn't much going on in Osamu's life. Even before his mother had died, he has always been just Osamu. Raised by a strong single mother who worked for ungodly hours to give them a comfortable life. About his father... He knows much that he was born out of wedlock and that his father disappeared on them. According to her, his father wasn't worth the time to even talk about. However, there was one thing peculiar that he quite noticed from his mother.
His mother hated the King.
It wasn't a mild hatred. She despised the royal man with her whole chest. Whenever anyone so praises the King, his mother would curse the King under her breath without fail. Osamu isn't someone whose head is far up in his ass, he truly believed that he was just an ordinary child. The only difference between him and the other kids at school was that he's a bastard child.
That is until… he grows up where his initial perception starts wavering.
The changes started around when he was 10 when a few cloaked men came knocking on his door. Under those cloak, Osamu can spot a red garment with silver armour. From head to toe, it definitely differs from the shabby clothes that Osamu possesses. Osamu was truly terrified at such an intimidating aura until his mother instantly grabbed his shoulders and demands him to hide in his room.
The only thing Osamu can remember that evening was his mother's incoherent shouting.
Osamu was 12 when he realized those people were actually the palace guards.
Until this day he didn't know what happened or what earned them the visit. His mother refused to speak on it and Osamu doesn't pester. The dismayed on her face was enough to make him drop the topic altogether.
It was frustrating to him. Perhaps a little fearful too but Osamu bottles his curiosity away like he usually does.
Until…
"Samu... Osamu, why are you so far away?"
19-year-old Osamu is staring blankly at his mother patting the bed right next to her. Just looking at her pale skin, Osamu's stomach churns. "Do you need me to get you anything?"
His mother shakes her head. Her eyes are weak as she is barely able to keep them open from the fatigue eating her. "No. Just come here—" Before she could even finish her sentence, she lets out a fit of cough. It sounded too painful in Osamu's ears. Biting his bottom lip, he tries to surpass his own frown from being too evident as he rubs his mother's back. "I'm fine. It's okay." She removes Osamu's hand and leans against the bedframe. For the nth time, she takes a heavy intake of air before mustering up a smile. "How's your practice going?"
"Well, I guess. I think I need a new set of knives." Osamu sighs. Taking his mother's arm into his hand, Osamu begins massaging her arms.
"Do you have enough money?" His mother asks worriedly.
To this, Osamu immediately nods. "Don't worry about money. I'm doing okay." Osamu assures her.
His mother has been sick for almost a year now. From the time when the doctor said that his mother should stop all the heavy work, Osamu stops his education to focus on working in her stead. All this time, his mother has been doing all kinds of work, day and night, just to support this small family. Ever since he was a child, Osamu knows her struggles. He was always there to follow his mother whether it's to sell rattan baskets or for her housecleaning duties.
Now... it's time for him to take the wheel.
"I am still waiting for the things that I learned to be useful.” Osamu grunts, reaching out for the ointment on the table. He pours the oil onto his palm then spreads it across her bony arms. The frown he tries to surpass ended up appearing on his face anyways. Due to her stomach issues, her appetite seems to get worse day by day.
Despite that, his mother's weak smile remains bright. "Maybe not when you’re a woodworker but I know it will come in handy one day."
This is one of the many things Osamu doesn't understand.
At the age of 13, his mother introduced him to a wood crafting hobby. He didn’t just learn to pick up a knife and start carving woods into shapes. His mother was rather meticulous of the art he formed with his two hands. In more detail, she was a perfectionist who would point out the flaws in his carvings. It was constructive criticism, of course. Despite Osamu throwing a little tantrum that his mother is being picky about his art, it after all helped Osamu improved tremendously.
But the question pertains.
How will it come in handy in the future?
He isn't a prodigy at birth. So why had his mother insisted Osamu to take this hobby?
"Do you want me to become a craftsman?" Osamu asks. His mother had never once forced him of any specific work. Surprisingly, she didn’t even care if Osamu chooses to make a living with the said skill or not. According to her, Osamu can do whatever he wants as long as he doesn’t stop learning wood art.
"Not necessarily. It's just that it'll—"
"—Help me in the future. I know." Osamu finishes her sentence as if he hasn't had that line memorized.
Certainly, humans harbour such an outrageous amount of love towards their birth giver. At least Osamu does. But there are also times that Osamu was in despair with his mother. And that is when his mother has too many secrets behind the scene. The fact that she pretends to be oblivious irritated him greatly when he was growing up.
But Osamu got used to it.
Until one day… he just stops asking.
"I'm starting to think that I'll never get any answer from you." Osamu mutters while wiping his hand with a cloth. Although he had halted his questions, his curiosity continues. For once, he wants to know every reason for his mother’s actions because, from her movements, it seems like nothing was given to him without having a secret behind it. "You're not going to dump all of the secrets to me at once, are you?"
The smile on his mother's face falters. "I know I don't tell you a lot of things—"
"—Oh, you tell me nothing." Osamu says it casually but in reality, his jaw is clenched. "Not about your past. Not about my father. Not about what's bothering you daily." It's only just the two of them living in this small house and yet, why does Osamu feel like he truly doesn't know his mother?
The only thing Osamu is sure of was her name and that she’s an orphan.
That's about it.
And the rest...
It is untold.
"Samu..." his mother calls him tenderly. There was a slight pause before her next sentence is uttered. Osamu notes how her perplexed expression soon softens. "Do you really want to know about the past?"
It is not that Osamu is dying to know everything. But after 19 years of living, it would be nice to at least know something that he has been curious about since childhood. For example, what was the reason for him exerting so much effort on wood art? Why were her answers to Osamu’s question were always “Don’t worry about it.”.
In the end, Osamu still feels like it is useless. All these riddles, his mother would probably take it to her grave and left none answered for Osamu. "Get some rest, Mother. I'll cook dinner." He gives the woman a bitter smile before standing up. Osamu doesn't know how many years or even months he has left with his mother. The doctor insists so. Thus, his only focus now is to make the most out of his time with his mother.
"Osamu." His mother calls him again before he could exit the room. With a glance, Osamu knew from the worry lines between her eyebrows that she's beckoning him to come close again. With no objection, Osamu brings his limbs back to the bed. Once again, the woman's smile is back on her face although it differs from before. "I just want you to know that... there's a reason why some truths are untold."
It's not like Osamu doesn't know that. He has always believed that there's a silver lining behind every cloud. "Is it dangerous for me to know?" He asks with his thumbs twiddling together. "Are people tailing after us?”
His mother snorted at his words. Osamu was only half-joking but it's great to see his mother easing up into a sincere smile again. "I'm not a criminal. Do I look like I can fight a hundred men?"
"Hey, for all we know, you could." Her son shrugs playfully. Forgive him for thinking so. Osamu has been exposed to too many questions that provide no answer that assumptions was rather a friend. If only his mother gained a little more trust in him. He is not a child anymore.
"It's not entirely wrong." His mother says suddenly.
That manages to make Osamu stop smiling altogether. "What?" He gawks at his mother's serious expression. Which part isn’t entirely wrong? Is it the dangerous part or the fact that there are people tailing after them? “What do you mean?”
His mother bites her lip in worry before she sits up a little properly than before. "Remember my necklace? With the hexagon-shaped locket?”
Osamu pauses at the sudden mention of an old item. He hasn't seen that locket in person however, his mother had lots of pictures with that necklace when she was younger. "Yeah. You said it was lost when I was still a toddler." He answers.
The woman smiles guiltily. "It isn't lost. But it's hidden."
...
Osamu stares at his mother for a few seconds before a chuckle escapes from his lips. "Of course." He shouldn’t be surprised that some things turn out to be lies after all this time. So, this the beginning of the truth, huh? "Why are we suddenly talking about this locket?"
"That locket will be helpful to you. It will fulfill everything you need. Find it and you can..." Her mother's sentence halted for a second before she continues firmly. "You can earn the truth about everything."
Osamu blinks his eyes once then twice before biting the insides of his cheeks. "Mother, could it be that have you been watching a lot of soap operas? Or maybe reading too many books?" The black-haired man clicks his tongue.
"This is not a joke, Osamu." His mother reprimands him. Her eyes bear no hint of playfulness and yet… Osamu wishes that his mother would start erupting into laughter any minute now. "You said you wanted to know the truth. I am telling you the clues now."
"Clues—See, this is absurd! Why can't you just tell me everything right now? Why do I have to find a locket? And if I found it then what...?"
There's a silence between them before his mother casts her vision down to her lap, seemingly know that her following words would sound more absurd. "Go to the King's castle."
And Osamu stands corrected. "Are you mad?!"
"You wanted the truth—"
"I am entitled to the truth!" Osamu exasperates. Why does his mother act like the truth is something optional when Osamu shouldn’t have been living with secrets in the first place.
"Osamu. You're not like any other child. You're very special." His mother’s hand lifts to cup the younger's jaw. "My past, your past, it bears heaviness like no other. Our truth is like connected dots. A string. One truth will open to another. That's why, the truth of your birth and our past, isn't something that should be told." His mother’s gaze pierces through his soul. “It is something to be learned."
All this time, Osamu lived a normal life. He goes to school. He learns, eats and plays just like any other kid. However, ever since he was a child, he has always felt so alone in the dark. Almost like there was something more to his life than just living like any other man in this village.
He knew he was special. A part of him has always felt so but he can barely provide any reasoning to it. It is in his mind. Throughout time, he has always been waiting for that cue where everything will make sense.
So far....
... it still doesn't.
Osamu sighs, holding his mother's hand. "Fine. For argument sake, I do want to find out the truth…” Osamu mutters before taking his mother’s hand more firmly. “Where is this locket hidden exactly...?"
How can you not remember where the locket is hidden?! Osamu groans as he picks up the scattered letters again. Just how does she expect Osamu to find information through the many piles of letters she kept? To explain in detail, his mother had forgotten where this old couple who used to see her often lives currently. Heck, she doesn't even know if both of them are still alive. Osamu couldn't even get any of her assistance because just 2 days after Osamu tastes his first truth, his mother had gone away forever.
It took him 2 months to finally move his feet towards the box of letters that belonged to his mother. For the whole 60 days of nothing but time with his mind, Osamu contemplates towards himself if it's worth it to go on a hunt for the truth. He is living his life rather just fine. He could continue working as the woodworker like he always have and just... move forward.
However, after much deliberation, Osamu decides that he does want to seek for the truth after all. Not because he wants to know about his father. Damn, he doesn't give two shits about the man that abandoned them. What he wants to know is the extent of the secrets about his past. His mother's past. Just how immense it is that had resulted in Osamu living his life deprived of the truth.
Perhaps... this could be a closure for him.
Placing aside the already read letters, Osamu takes out another pile. There aren't truly many personal letters. Most are just favours for her work or the bills she has to pay. He has been scanning papers after papers since morning and eventually, he got bored. After coming back from work, Osamu resumes reading the remaining letters again.
After many piles, he stumbled upon one that stood out. Other than the address of this sender is unknown to his knowledge, the word ‘emerald’ catches his attention.
"A few men visited our place again. It seems that they are not even aware of what they are supposedly looking for. With that being said, fret not as the emerald is still safe."
Emerald?
Could it be...? He knew in the heart of the hexagon locket, there lies a stone. As to what kind or even what the colour is, Osamu has no clue about it. Despite that, something in his gut is telling him to trust his instinct. Reading the letter again, there's no indication that an old couple had written this. Nor does he know when this letter was written to his mother.
Despite so, Osamu has a very strong feeling about this letter.
And his instinct never lies.
Osamu might have underestimated how hard it is to find this place. The village is easy to find but the exact location has gotten Osamu lost for a whole day. He had no choice but to stay the night in this unknown area.
The next morning Osamu resumes his search again. After much asking around, he finally ended up in front of a very small store. Quite old if you ask him.
An old antique store?
He expected a house. Could the man showing him the direction be mistaken? But, according to the street name, the name written on the mailbox, it is more likely to be true. Without much thought, Osamu makes his way inside the store.
The wooden door creaks as he helps himself inside. Just like the antique store near his place, there are old lamps, books, silverware, and much more. Usually, shops like these are deserted, Osamu expects that. As of now, he’s confident that he’s the only customer in the shop. Instead of calling for anyone, Osamu walks around this dim place. Despite how it looks on the outside, the inside looks… decent. Quite a charm, actually.
However the question still stands, why an antique shop?
"Yes, young man?"
Osamu got startled by the hoarse voice behind him. Turning around rapidly to the counter, he puts his palm on his chest to calm his racing heart. "God, you scared me."
"My apologies." The old man titters. For an old man, he is surprisingly tall although not as tall as him. Still, quite tall. Osamu abandons the tiny old globe that he was about to touch prior being startled and walks up to the counter. "What can I do for you today?"
"I...uh... I'm looking for something." Osamu starts unsurely. He doesn't even know if he is talking to the right person.
"Well, you have to be more specific than that." The old man chuckles as he brings a few empty glass bottles to the counter.
Osamu scratches the back of his head. He doesn’t even know what colour this necklace is nor is it confirmed that it has a green emerald stone in it. For all he knows, he could be making a mistake coming here.
Aha! Osamu snaps his fingers. "Maybe you would recognize if I show you the picture." The black-haired male takes out a photograph from his sling bag. The minute the old man registers the picture, his previous expression hardens. "You're looking for this locket?" The old man questions him with a raised brow.
The change of tone in his voice made Osamu gulps. "That's correct. I take it that you know where it is."
"I don't." The man retorts before turning away from Osamu.
What? That's it? He came all the way to here and that's it? But Osamu is unconvinced. The old man is not doing a good job to hide it. "Why don't you check the picture again?"
"Nope. Whatever that is, it's not here." The man grumbles.
Again, that doesn’t sound convincing. "I'm sorry. But my mother said—"
"You think I haven't heard of that before." The man hisses, sending Osamu a death glare. Suddenly, he retrieves a cane out of nowhere and points it to Osamu. "Just how many times you palace dogs have come here pretending to be Aika's son. You leave that poor woman's name alone from ya filthy mouth."
Osamu's eyes widen. "So you do know her..." That’s definitely his mother’s name. Then… Osamu is not mistaken. He is on the right track. "I'm truly her son!" The man tries again.
"Do not test me, young man." The tip of the cane pokes against his chest. The eyes of this old man are filled with rage and Osamu would easily back down if he wasn't desperate too. "I am not one for you to mess. Now scram!"
Being told off, Osamu is starting to get frustrated by this whole thing. It is not helping that he is more clueless than he already was at such a foreign place. "What do you want? Proof? I have your letters!"
“9 years ago, Aika’s house got trespassed. You devils tried to fool us before with the items you stole but we can always see right through you."
"Then why can't you see I'm the real son of Aika?!" Osamu exasperates in frustration. "I'm here because my mother said to find out the truth about my birth!"
This succeeds to catch the old man's attention as he spun around slowly to gape at him. "Truth? About your birth?"
Oh? The old man is finally listening. "Yes... It took me two days to reach here." Sensing the hostility subdues, Osamu decides to ask. "Who are you exactly?" The way this old man is reacting to his mother's picture, his mother's name, there’s a sense of protectiveness that Osamu is detecting. Almost like if this old man said he is going to send Osamu flying, he will send him flying.
The grey-haired man eyes Osamu like he is a predator. Instead of answering Osamu’s question, he retreats the cane back to his side. “Are you really her son?”
Osamu sighs. "Believe me. I am—"
"It's true." Another voice comes in between them.
Both of them turn their heads to the door behind the counter where it is slightly ajar. "Mei..."
"I saw him." She says, slowly stepping forward. "You're Aika's son, right? Osamu."
The astonishment on the old man's face is priceless. Finally. After much back and forth, there is someone who believes what he has been trying to tell this old man.
Wait… Hold on.
"You saw me?" Osamu questions after fully processed her words.
The old woman nods. "Yes. We have met before when you were just a child. Mori... It's time."
The old man in front of him gulps before walking past Osamu and head straight to the front door. Osamu watches in confusion when the old man, Mori, turns over the ‘OPEN’ sign and turns off the lights of the shop.
Huh? They're closing the shop?
"Come with me." The old woman pulls Osamu's sleeve.
Obediently, Osamu follows her through the door at the back of the room behind the counter. At first, Osamu doesn't know what to expect but he certainly did not see himself being dragged into a spiral staircase that leads them to a... basement.
Glancing behind him, the old man is also following suit.
"Since you're here now, does it mean... Aika..."
Osamu didn’t realize what she meant at first until he saw her gloomy eyes. Ah… she meant about that… "Yeah... 2 months ago." Osamu answers. The old woman takes a deep intake of breath before she ushers him to follow her again. "Where are we going?" Osamu asks.
"To a place where we keep our most precious items." Old man Mori says as he takes out a set of dangling keys. They finally arrive at a lonely door down the basement. From the outside, it looked like a small shop. Who would've thought that deep underground, there's another whole extension to it.
They enter the room which was dark at first. It is until the old man lights up every corner of the room that Osamu can see very clearly what they had in store in the room. "Oh..." Osamu gapes as he turns to glance at the whole room. Unlike the floor above, the antique items kept here look rather... different. Almost like it cost a lot more than just an old lamp or and 100-year-old book. "What are these?"
"They're items we received as gifts. Most of them were from when we were half of our age now." Mori invites Osamu to sit on the lone table in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, the old lady Mei goes behind a shelf to retrieve something. "Do you know who we are?"
Osamu stayed quiet. Are they someone known? Is that it? However, even through the letter, Osamu has a hard time figuring who and what this old couple actually are. "No." He answers truthfully. "I was hoping you would tell me. And also about the necklace."
"The necklace..." Old man Mori bites his lips.
Just in time, the old woman comes back with a blue velvet case in her hands. "Before telling him about the locket, should we tell him a little about the blessing?"
"The blessing? The King's blessing?"
Osamu knows about this. In fact, everyone knows about the blessing. That is what so great about being the King of the kingdom. Every person that inherits the throne possesses a special power. A gift. It is commonly called as ‘blessing’. There are two ways of inheriting the blessing. Through blood descendant and inheritance of the title King. With the latter being said, it means that even if one are not born from royal blood, but they can receive the blessing once the title falls upon them.
However, the latter scenario are rather rare. The royals are very protective of their gifts. To this reason, it is more often to marry between the royal families. Even so, not all royal-born are gifted. Anything, it's a rare gift.
Despite such gifts, the royals are not allowed to use their gift in public without means to protect someone from harm. It's their absolute law.
Those are the basic things that Osamu was taught in school. The village’s loyalty lies in the greatness of the Royal family.
"I take it that you are well informed about it." She pulls the chair adjacent to him. "I would like you to hear me with an open mind."
Osamu clears his throat. He's prepared mentally for whatever truth that is being hurled at him. For the past months, he knows his past isn't exactly a normal one. He had waited for this moment.
"I am Mei. Call me Lady Mei, if you will. And I… too possess a gift or blessing."
Osamu's eyes widen at the revelation. He looks towards old man Mori and they are both very serious. "But how? Ar- Are you a royal blood?"
"Seeing how that she has the gift, it leads us to believe that she could be an illegitimate child of anyone in the royal family." Mori informs him.
Wait, hold on a minute. An illegitimate child? This old woman? "Her gift is very dangerous. Not to people, but to her. It is better than she remains concealed especially from the royal family." He continues.
Osamu blinks his eyes. "What's her gift?"
The woman presses her palms together. "I can see someone's future. Since my power is relatively weak, I can only see a few selected people."
"So you saw my mother's future?"
"I saw you coming. That is how I am able to confirm that you're truly Aika's son."
Osamu ponders for a little. If she has seen his mother's future, that means she knows a lot more about his mother's memory. "Can you tell me what you see?"
The old woman lifts her index finger. "The future mustn't be told to anyone. The information of the future can lead to consequences. As for someone who possesses this gift, I had learned that the future cannot be changed."
"I still don't see why you can't tell me." Osamu tilts his head in confusion.
"Oh, poor boy. Knowing the future is a miserable thing." She chuckles but her eyes are piercing towards Osamu's soul. "You'll understand what I meant someday."
Osamu doesn't know what she means by that but it doesn't sound good to his ears. "If I can't know the future, then can I know the past? Where Aika and I come from?"
The two couple in front of him exchange looks before giving Osamu an apologetic smile.
"Regarding the past, we can't help you with that. We deeply apologize."
The black-haired man grimly sighs. Just what is he doing here then? It seems like there's no shortcut. His mother really meant it when she said it's like a treasure hunt. Accepting that he will probably receive close to nothing again, he pulls the velvet box towards him. "Is this the necklace?"
Both of them nods as they urge him to open. For some reason, Osamu's heart started to race as he touches the smooth surface. It is as if there are drums beating around him as he carefully opens the case.
There it is.
As in the photograph, the necklace with the hexagon locket lies before him. It isn’t gold like he had guessed but it is silver in colour. There’s a little pattern carved around the stone stuck in the middle. Osamu comes to the conclusion that even a photograph couldn't possibly catch the full beauty of this locket. The rich green colour of emerald is breathtaking.
"Do you remember this?" Old man Mori asks when Osamu couldn't bring himself to say anything.
Osamu shakes his head. "I definitely don't. It's my first time seeing it." There's something more. It's like his heart is pulled towards the locket. He both feels happiness, sadness, and longingness that it makes Osamu wants to cry. He feels these emotions and it's confusing. "Say... Can you at least tell me about this locket?" He looks up to the couple. "I have a feeling that this isn't any ordinary necklace."
The old man smiles at him. "You are right. In this world full of unexplainable things, this locket is one of them." He slides back the photograph that Osamu gave him earlier. "Your mother loved this necklace. Until she died, it was her most cherished possession. It was said to be given by someone she once loved.”
"Is it my father?" Osamu has to ask.
"Perhaps."
Before Osamu could filter his speech, the question escapes from his throat. "The King?" The two at the front of him were caught by surprise by the mention of the King. With just one word, the two pairs of eyes went from astonishment to sadness.
"Child, are you sure that you want to learn about your past?" Mori asks him to be sure.
His tone made Osamu believed that what lies in the past definitely is something big. They’re not even denying Osamu’s claim. Nevertheless, Osamu only wish is to find out the truth about his mother and himself. Who they truly are.
"What does your wife see?" Osamu asks instead. "I'm pretty sure in her vision of the future, I was walking towards that direction, right?"
At his words, Lady Mei's lips curve upwards into a smile. And yet, the sadness in her eyes remains. "Precisely."
Osamu nods. He guesses his journey to search for the background of his upbringing is the right decision after all. "My mother said that this locket will help me. Does it have special magic as well?"
"It is special. With magic, indeed, but it isn't exactly powerful. Go ahead, pick it up." The old man nudges his chin to the item.
Hesitantly, Osamu touches the center of the locket with his finger before he gains his confidence to lift it up from the box. It feels cold. Surprisingly freezing. His first thought is too wear it but Lady Mei said that it's with magic so he's not sure what to do next.
"Now. Close your eyes." Lady Mei instructs him.
Before Osamu did, he sees Lady Mei encloses her palm on the locket together with Osamu's hand. Slowly, the cold sensation in his palm gradually turns warm. It's like there's a gush of wind blowing his hair. His eyes threaten to open but Osamu tells himself to not just yet.
The air wafting against his face halts and the hand above his disappears. Taking it as a cue, Osamu gently flutters his eyes open. "What was that?"
Again, two pair of eyes are staring questionably at Osamu. "Well...?"
"What...? Did something happen?" Osamu replies. He looks down in his hands and nothing seems to be different. The locket still sits beautifully in his palm.
"What do you see...?" Mori asks him again.
What does he see? Is there something that—
Before Osamu could finish the sentence in his head, a cold touch on his cheek startles him, making him flinch in surprise. “??!!”
Glancing to his left, someone is bending down to the same eye level as him with his hand a few centimeters away from his face. Where did this man come from?! Unlike Osamu's astonishment, this man bears an expression like he had just won a dozen pearls. "This is extraordinary!" The man whispers as he grins wider.
"Osamu?" The black-haired man turns back to the old couple. "You saw something, didn't you?"
Osamu's confusion doubles. "You can't see him?" He asks in bewilderment while pointing at the newcomer.
Strangely, the two people shake their heads. That is not even the weirdest part. The man who just arrived out of nowhere makes his way in between the old couple. Crouching on one knee, the hand of this man timidly reaches out to touch Lady Mei's cheek. Osamu was about to warn them until his words got stuck in his throat.
The man's fingers... went through Lady Mei's face.
Instantly, the smile on the man's face dropped. "It didn't work?" The man stares at his hand in puzzlement.
The scene before him tells everything to Osamu. This person… is definitely not like them. That explains why the other two can’t see the fourth person in this room.
"You!" The man suddenly points at him before marches towards Osamu. Alarmed, Osamu stands up, making the chair screeched. Without warning, the man stands in front of him and clasps both of his hands against Osamu's cheeks. Osamu is too startled to push the latter away. "Oh...? It worked with you though...?"
"Get off me." Osamu slaps off the hands on his cheeks.
"Mori... I think he’s here."
Both of the standing men turn to look at Lady Mei. "What's going on....?" Osamu questions the old woman's beaming face.
"Seeing your reaction, the spirit must be near you." The old man says.
"Spirit?"
"That's me!" The man who had just invaded his personal face chirps with his hand up. "I guess we haven't introduced ourselves! I'm Yamaguchi!"
"Yamaguchi...?"
"Is that their name?" Old Mori asks with wide eyes.
Hold on. Everyone needs to calm the fuck down because Osamu swears his mind is too jumbled up to put the pieces together right now. "Let me get this straight. You're a spirit." He points to Yamaguchi. In return, the "spirit" nods eagerly. Then, he points to the couple. "You two know the spirit?”
"Oh?! Do you know who I am?" The man sits down onto the chair Osamu previously sat. He waves his hand right in front of their faces and as Osamu had figured, only he can see the presence of this spirit.
"Yamaguchi, is it?" Lady Mei begins. "Is he listening to us?"
Osamu glances at the spirit named Yamaguchi unsurely before he nods. "He is in front of you two."
"Yamaguchi, I'm sure you know both of us. Lady Mei and Mori."
To this, Yamaguchi nods his head. "Of course! How can I not know those who trapped me in this basement for such a long time?"
Trapped? What does he mean by trapped?
"Oi." Yamaguchi pinches Osamu's sleeve. "You have to convey it to them. They can't hear me."
Aaaand now he has become a bridge of communication for them. With a sigh, Osamu pulls the other chair next to Yamaguchi. "He said you two trapped him."
"We certainly didn't trap him. We just meant to... keep him safe, isn't that right Mori?" She turns to the old man.
"That's correct. After all, he should know that this is all done by Aika's request."
Aika...? His mother? "You know my mother?" Osamu directs his gaze towards Yamaguchi.
It is the freckled boy's turn to look surprised. "Your mother? Aika is your..." Yamaguchi pauses for a second before he smiles again. "You're that kid! Aika's son!" His amusement later then transformed into shock. "How long did you keep me in this basement?"
Obviously, Osamu doesn't know anything about that so he transmits Yamaguchi's question to the couple.
"Almost a decade."
"Nearly 10 years... No wonder this kid is so big now. I used to hate you, you know." Yamaguchi says bluntly with a shrug of his shoulder. “You cried a lot.”
"I beg your pardon?" Osamu raises his eyebrow. "First and foremost, who exactly are you?"
"Have you not been paying attention? I am Yamaguchi. YA-MA-GU-CHI. Do you want me to spell it for you? ...Well, too bad, I can't spell." The spirit huffs.
"I know you're YA-MA-GU-CHI.” Osamu mimics the other’s tone. “A spirit? What kind of spirit? How do you even know my mother?"
"Oh, I guess Aika never told you about me..." Yamaguchi mutters sadly. However, his expression turns 180 degrees as he stretches out his hand to him. "You know my name already. I'm the spirit residing in this locket for years. This is actually my first time out of that old thing."
"You’ve been inside this the whole time?” Oh, Lord… Osamu can't brain all this mystical stuff.
"Uhm, Osamu. Let me explain." Lady Mei intervenes. "The truth is… the locket that your mother has, I realized from when I first saw her that there's a spirit locked inside it. How and why, I do not know but Aika insisted that it isn't something evil."
Ah... so his mother knew that she's been wearing a possessed locket. Glancing to his side, this man wearing a long cardigan above his brown tunic is wriggling his fingers as if he is still in disbelieve. His face bears no malicious. Instead, he seems pretty innocent.
Yeap. Definitely not evil, Osamu can tell.
"She called me her friend." Yamaguchi boasts proudly.
"You talked to her?" Osamu questions.
The spirit snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I couldn't move nor talk. I was similar to a locket with consciousness. But today, this lady extracted me from the locket." Yamaguchi rests his elbows on the table as a smug grin appears on his lips. "I wonder why..."
Truthfully, Osamu wonders the same thing. "He is asking why you had extracted him out."
At the question, Mori clears his throat. "9 years ago, your mother entrusted this necklace to us. She said that there will come a time when it is needed..."
"Really? I'm needed?" Yamaguchi points towards himself excitedly.
Osamu ignores the freckled boy and focuses back on Mori's words. "Mei saw that she had to extract the spirit from the locket for you, Osamu. To assist you. The very least is for the spirit to be your friend. On that note, you, Yamaguchi, now you belonged to Osamu here."
"Really?!" Both Osamu and Yamaguchi choruses. However, one is in disbelief and another in eagerness.
"Does this mean I get to be out here all the time?!" Yamaguchi celebrates with a series of claps. He then turns to the blank-looking Osamu. "We're friends starting from now!"
Before Yamaguchi could launch onto Osamu, the black-haired man stops the latter’s face from nearing him. "Hold onto your horses." Osamu grimaces. "So you're the reason? Are you a powerful spirit that can take me to the palace?"
"Palace? The King's palace? I'm supposed to bring you there?" Yamaguchi scratches his head.
"Uh... yes?"
"Oh, fantastic!" Yamaguchi replies enthusiastically. Not long later the confusion comes back to the freckled man’s face. "… But how do I do that?"
…
"Don't you have any powers or anything useful?" There could at least be something. Or else, why would his mother insist on him coming this far?
"I can walk through walls...?" Yamaguchi tries.
"That's it?" Osamu deadpans.
"What do you want me to say? It's my first day out, how am I supposed to know what I can and cannot do?" Yamaguchi huffs out in annoyance.
The black-haired man pinches his nose bridge. Why does he feel like there is a headache coming after all of this? "…Just great." So, to sum it all up, Osamu barely learned anything except that the necklace he has been searching actually possesses a spirit that's completely... powerless. Sigh. He guesses this place too isn't where answers are all kept. Perhaps, most of it is hidden in the palace after all. "That's fine. My mother said that this locket will be a great help. Maybe you'll be able to help me with something… someday."
"That's the spirit!" Yamaguchi beams as he stands up.
Osamu tries his best not to roll his eyes. Just his luck that he ended up having a pet ghost. Ah... Osamu almost forgot about the old couple in front of him. "Is there anything else that I should know before I leave?"
Old man Mori shakes his head as a no. However, Lady Mei seems to think otherwise. "There's a reason why this locket had to be protected. Your identity too must be protected. Be cautious at all times." She takes the necklace in his palm and hangs it around Osamu's neck. "The last message Aika told us is that she hopes you two take care of one another. She must have predicted that Yamaguchi will be by your side." Lady Mei grins as she pats the hexagon locket on Osamu's chest. "Be careful.”
"I will." Osamu affirms.
"Don't worry! I will be Osamu's guardian." The freckled man confidently declares.
Osamu nearly laughs at this spirit's confidence. Sure. Let’s see what you can do, invisible man. Shaking his head, he follows the old couple that is leading them upstairs again.
He doesn't know what lies ahead. But Osamu knows that what he's about to do can truly be dangerous. Having acquired a spirit isn't what he expected but as he had said previously, Yamaguchi who seems pretty useless now might just come in handy in the future.
It's better than nothing.
As they're going up the stairs, he feels a light tap over his shoulders. "Osamu?"
"Hmm?" Osamu hums in reply.
"Aika... Where is she...?" The way Yamaguchi asks, his tone differs from the cheerful tone before. Almost like he is asking for confirmation rather than a genuine wonder.
"She's passed away." Osamu answers with a slightly clenched jaw. It's been a while and Osamu can still feel the hole in his chest.
"I figured..." Yamaguchi frowns.
"Were you two close?"
"Considering I was always on her chest, yeah!" Yamaguchi says happily.
Tsk, that's not what Osamu meant. Then again, have those two actually communicated? Yamaguchi seems to know his mother very well but his mother had never mentioned anyone named Yamaguchi. Not even anything about the locket until a few days before she passed away.
Looks like there is still a lot to learn. A lot of puzzle pieces need sorting. Hiding the locket inside his shirt, Osamu knows trust is something he can't give easily.
"Do you think we should've just told him everything?" Lady Mei exhales with her arms crossed against her chest. The last time Mei had seen the child, he was still a toddler. It feels like it was just yesterday that the little boy was in her arms. Now, the man towers over her like a tree. "He truly looks like Aika, don't you agree?"
Mori smiles as they watch the man's retreating back. He may not be able to see the other man that's walking along with Aika's son but according to his wife, she can feel the spirit's presence. "I agree on the latter. But the former... there's nothing we can do to change anything. This is his fate."
"I just wished he didn't choose this path. There is too much... sadness ahead." She rubs her own arms in worry. If only it was easy going against what has already written. Maybe she could spare Osamu from all the pain that he didn’t know awaits. However, Mei lived long enough to know that is something unlikely to be possible at all.
"He will be alright." Mori assures her. "Both of them have a long road ahead of them."
Watching Osamu’s retreating back, she curls herself into her husband’s embrace. "They certainly do." Mei agrees.