Chapter Text
-Shouyou was ecstatic when he found Gin-chan again.
-The child had settled himself near a taiyaki stand in a park the Yoshidas frequented, casting the biggest, most pitiful puppy-eyed expression to any passersby that so much as glanced in his direction.
-The man felt his heartache, watching the small boy shyly step back and forth next to the stand, most likely hoping for a bite of that sweet-smelling pastry. Shouyou just wanted to scoop the kid up, plant a massive kiss on his little cheek, and give him a nice cozy spot in the comfort and safety of the Yoshida household, regardless of what his brother may say.
-But, alas, that can’t happen.
-After what happened last time, Shouyou had to agree with his brother that maybe bringing a “feral demon child” into their peaceful house life wasn’t the smartest thing to do. It was stressful, no doubt.
-If only there was a way to bring the boy home without frightening him.
-The sweet smell of food from the taiyaki stand gave him an idea.
-Gin-chan seemed to have recognized the man, visibly tensing up and inching away from the stand as Shouyou approached it. The child didn’t leave its vicinity, just stood much further away than he originally was, glaring viciously at the beige man. It probably would’ve been intimidating if the boy wasn’t half the man’s height and reminded Shouyou of a feral kitten.
-Thankfully, like kittens, children can be socialized too.
-Especially with food.
-The soft sizzling, the sound of the mold closing, and a sweet smell. Oboro loved to watch the stand owner make the pastry, Shouyou can just picture the ten-year-old patiently watching as the batter was poured and the fish was made, followed by the child smiling that soft smile as he graciously accepted the treat.
-Shouyou ordered 3, with that child in mind. The other one for Gin-chan and the third for himself.
-Utsuro didn’t really care much for sweet things. His preference matched his general disposition: sour.
-With a bag of fresh taiyaki now in Shouyou’s hands, the man approached the boy that was still warily eyeing him in the corner.
-”Would you like one?” Shouyou offered, presenting the warm, golden crispy treat to the skittish child, who looked at him skeptically before glancing at the taiyaki and slowly took it into his tiny, grime-covered hands and skittered away.
-The man didn’t follow, only watching as the child turned the corner and vanished.
-”You know the kid, Shouyou-sensei?” The taiyaki vendor asked, tending to his pastries. “Picking up strays, as usual, I see. Which number is he?”
-The teacher gave the man a simple smile.
-”Who knows, I haven’t been keeping track.”
-Be it kittens, puppies, or some other kind of helpless animal. It’s not uncommon for the Yoshidas to end up taking them in, including small children, much to the chagrin of his brother.
-He still helped, despite the incessant complaining. Shouyou would’ve forced him otherwise.
-”We don’t have the room.” His brother would say but agreed to give the child his room.
-”Neither of us have time.” He would say but was the first person home when Oboro got sick.
-”We don't have the money,” He’d say, but let Shouyou spend money on buying Oboro random little gifts.
-”It’s needed expenses.” The older Yoshida would claim. “Consider it an investment.”
-The teacher could never figure out if he was being serious or not, his brother had a bizarre skill at hiding his thoughts, his feelings, everything. If Shouyou didn't know any better, his brother may as well have felt nothing
-His brother may as well have felt hollow.
-Shouyou wondered whose fault it was.
-He sat down on a bench near the playground, watching the children play. So many vibrant smiles and cheer, as their parents watched on, satisfied with the excitement.
-It must be great, to know there’s someone satisfied simply by witnessing enjoyment. It must be nice to know that someone is waiting, watching out, and caring for you. To know that they’ll catch you if you fall. To know that they’re safe.
-Gin-chan’s battered little hands flickered briefly in his mind. Tiny little fingers, scabbed up and scarred. He thought of the child’s face, of his dull eyes and overall emaciated appearance.
-He thought briefly back to when he first met Oboro; a little boy playing all on his lonesome, with no friend or family he could call his own. An outcast.
-Finally, he thought back to his own childhood, of all those adults that shunned him and his brother, of all those nights spent looking up at the stars, wishing for the day when the need to inflict pain would become obsolete. Of waiting for the day where defenseless children no longer needed to spend every restless night tending to their sibling’s injury while listening with bated breath, silently praying that the warden was done for the day and won’t be returning.
-Who decided that being born was a sin in the first place?
-The crinkling of a paper bag broke Shouyou out of his thoughts.
-He glanced down to where he had set the remaining taiyaki, and was greeted by a pair of crimson eyes staring right back at him.
-”Oh, hello again.” Shouyou greeted the boy. “Did you want seconds?”