Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The First Proposition ~ Bad News ~
Asato & Fujihara Legal Counsel Office - Wednesday 15th May, 2013
Reigen Arataka never thought he’d be the type to hire a lawyer.
In his experience, he’d always been good at talking his way out of any situation before it got serious. He figured if it ever reached the stage where he would have genuinely needed one, he would rather represent himself than throw all his money at someone who was probably in it mostly to scam him anyway.
But that was before a small blond kid by the name of Hanazawa Teruki had become part of his life. Having a kid was a strange motivation he was still adjusting to, one that made you want to do things the right way; to avoid cutting corners so everything was more likely to end up well.
He certainly never thought he’d seek out a lawyer deliberately, of his own accord, without outside pressure.
And he never thought he’d do things the right way, and still end up with bad news.
“Alright, Reigen-san.” His lawyer, Asato Harumi, was business-like for the most part, but he’d seen her soft smile when she’d met Teru. She worked primarily in family court for a reason; she liked to see families work. He also knew she was alright with the odd turning-a-blind-eye or allowing a sketchy half-truth, which was part of why he’d picked her. She was a lawyer, scum of the earth, but at least she was honest about the second part.
“I managed to track down the Hanazawas and submitted your appeal to them.”
Reigen straightened in his seat; a simple, smart grey fabric chair that matched his suit to an almost uncomfortable degree. Large windows behind her desk looked out onto an unremarkable street. All in all, it reminded him of his own office, a fact that put him at ease a little. Although this neighbourhood was fairly more well-to-do than his own.
“Did they respond?” He stilled his hands purposefully. He wasn’t eager, or anything. He fought back a swarm of questions. What did they say? Did they agree? Where are they staying now, are they overseas? Where have they been, all these years? Every birthday? Every holiday season? It had been four months since he’d first put forward his intention to adopt Teru, and even that had been four months too long, spent in an uncomfortable limbo.
Asato eyed him with patience as she moved a paper forward on her desk. “So, we sent them through the document detailing your intent to adopt Teruki-kun, along with the consent forms for releasing a child for adoption. His father signed. However, his mother refused to sign.”
Reigen’s shoulders slumped, but Asato raised a hand. “Look, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen, it just means it’ll be more difficult.”
“We can still win? Even if she doesn’t let him go?”
Asato’s face twisted a little. “I’m not going to lie to you, the adoption process here is very difficult compared to other countries. Our child welfare system affords biological parents strong rights, and there is culturally a preference for children to remain with them, even if the prospective adoptive parent is better suited to care for the child.
“It’s… an arduous process, but if you still want to go ahead with adopting him, it’s just what we have to work with. But, there’s always a risk that the system rules against you, and Teruki-kun is taken away from you.”
Reigen realised his fingers had tightened on the fabric of his suit pants. Smoothing them down with sweaty hands, he took a deep breath. “Okay, okay. What do we do.”
“I can walk you through the general process, if you like. And things you can do that’ll make your case stronger. But, if you want to pursue this, we will need more meetings, which means the cost-“
“I’m pursuing it.” He cut her off.
Asato smiled a little. “Alright. Well, the first step is to make sure you meet the basic eligibility requirements for anyone looking to adopt.” Asato flicked open a document on her desk and tapped to a line on the first page. Reigen leaned across the table to read as she did. “These include being at least 25 years old, having a stable income, and being married.”
Reigen felt a stone sink into his stomach.
“Along with that, you’d have to have a clean background check, character references, a good home environment which an official agent appointed by Family Court would ascertain through a home study…” Asato trailed off. “You aren’t married, are you?”
Reigen shook his head.
“Shame. The majority of adoption agencies only accept prospective parents who are married. It’s a biased system. Single parents need special permission from family court in order to adopt. It isn’t impossible, but…”
“It’s harder.” Reigen grimaced.
Asato flicked over a couple pages in her document. “The first step in an adoption of this type is to have consent from the biological parents of the child, as you know. But there are cases where the parent’s lack of consent can be overruled if the child has been abandoned or treated with cruelty.”
“Hm.” Reigen tapped a finger on the document. “I know Hanazawa, though. If we start calling her neglectful and a bad parent to Teru, she might back out. I think reputation matters to her.”
“Right. That would be the fastest way to solve this. If we can prove to his mother that she won’t win, she will hopefully drop the case herself and sign the consent forms. And even if she doesn’t back down, we appeal to the courts. We build an airtight case. We make it clear she has been neglecting her child, and that you are a more suitable guardian and have been for years. His father signed the release form, which is a good sign. Teruki-kun testifying he wants to stay with you will also help, since he’s old enough to have a say. Obtaining the permission needed for a single parent would be part of this process, although then there’s a gamble Teruki-kun just ends up being taken away from both of you; placed in foster care or a children’s home. But for now, that’s our game plan.”
Asato paused for a second, perhaps assessing the pale quality his face had taken on. “Listen, we don’t need everything to be perfect, every bit just helps. If we build a strong case it won't even need to reach the courts.” She slid the stack of paper, stapled together, over the desk and he tentatively picked it up, glancing down across it. “For now, this goes over the whole process, plus a list of things I need to know. Try writing down and answering them as best you can and bring that in for our next meeting.”
“Right.” Reigen said. His fingers tightened around the paper and he tried to scavenge together some meagre confidence. “I’ll make this list damn well perfect; you just wait.”
Spirits & Such Consultation Office - Tuesday 14th July, 2009
Reigen slouched in his desk chair, his feet tapping steadily against the floor. His eyes flickered across the book balanced in his hand as his other hand hovered, cigarette pinched in his grip. He’d seen a satisfied client off a half hour before, and he didn’t have another appointment scheduled for an hour, which meant he was using his downtime skimming through a book on the art of Seitai massage.
The office around him was quiet, as it always was for a man with no colleagues, but he told himself he liked it that way. It was certainly far more peaceful than the incessant ringing and blathering of the call centre, and there was no way in hell he was returning there.
Reigen brought his cigarette up for another inhale, before his lips formed a small smile.
Building a business over the last nine months had been hard, but satisfying work. It had become his dedication, his hyperfixation, throwing his spare hours into furnishing an office, practising phrases, printing off and handing out business cards, deliberating over pricing and promotional material and scouting out which supermarkets sold the cheapest salt. He was consumed, and worked without giving himself a wage, all yen earned poured straight back into his company. Proving, bit by bit, that he could do something.
He just hoped, at the end of the line, it would amount to something; he wouldn’t get bored and led astray like his mother repeatedly insinuated he would, like he had observed himself doing with his last job, with college, with any number of his school age interests.
As long as he lived in this building stage where his passions had yet to burn out, he could keep himself afloat.
There was the sound of the doorknob twisting and Reigen moved to stub out his cigarette, straightening to stand as he fixed a smile in place.
A woman walked in, dressed smart in a prim suit jacket and skirt, unusual compared to his normal clientele - though who was here to judge.
“Welcome to Spirits and Such! How may I help you?”
The woman’s eyes seemed to roam the space, taking in the decor, his posters, the books lining the shelves, but eventually she seemed to come to some sort of an agreement with it as she advanced further into the space. Hesitant, Reigen read. He had to put her more at ease.
Reigen rounded his desk, gesturing to the sofas. “Please, do take a seat! I can fetch you some tea, if you’d like, and then you can tell me what’s-”
“You’re a psychic, right?” She interjected.
“That I am! Twenty first century’s greatest!” Reigen smiled, moving his arm in a grand motion to point to himself. “The name is Reigen Arataka!”
“Mm. Well, you seem… relatively normal, you know.” She gestured around herself. “There’s no incense, or sigils all over the walls, I mean.”
Incense. A thought chimed in Reigen’s mind. That might be a good idea, actually, for massages, or…
Reigen shrugged loosely, trying to wheedle through her words. “Well, I’m a psychic, true as they come, so I don’t need any of that performativity to get the job done. I’m just an honest man who’s gotta make a living somehow.”
“Well, I can respect that. You have a business to run.” She seemed to nod to herself, before she finally took the seat Reigen had offered her. “So how would you like a business proposal?”
Reigen quirked an eyebrow, forgoing his previous offer of tea to sit opposite. “So long as it’s within my purview - spirits, curses, seances, the like - I’m confident I can assist; my powers are quite versatile.”
“Well, it might be a little outside of your usual field of work, but I’m certainly in need of a person in your profession.”
Reigen gestured for her to elaborate.
“I have a son,” she began, “and neither me nor my husband have enough time to look after him. Work commitments, you know. But because he’s young, someone has to.” She made a slight face, and waved a hand. “Anyway, I keep hiring people to look after him; housekeepers, nannies, babysitters, but he just doesn’t put up with them. He keeps being mean to them, and chasing them all away. He’s spoilt, you know how it is with kids.”
“I see.” Reigen folded his arms across his chest.
“So, I was thinking if I hired someone like you instead, then he’d stop kicking up a fuss all the time.”
Reigen felt alarm ice through his core. Did she think he would… what, use his supposed powers to force her kid into line? “Someone like me? Why would someone like me make a difference?” He kept his voice calm.
“Oh, well, he’s a psychic too.”
Reigen’s eyebrows shot up. “He’s claiming he’s a psychic for attention?”
“No, no, really he is.”
Reigen glanced back and forth between her eyes. Oh. She was serious. Reigen quickly schooled his expression back to neutrality. “Right, right.”
“Yes. And I was thinking that someone like him could put up with his bullshit more - not be intimidated by him. Maybe you’d last longer. So, I have a proposition. Summer break is coming up soon, how about I hire you to take care of him for summer break, just for a couple weeks?”
“Hm. The entirety of summer break is a long stretch of time to take away from my work.”
“Oh, I’d pay you fairly of course.”
“How fairly?”
She proceeded to name a sum that at least doubled what Reigen typically earned in an average day, and all Reigen could see were ten thousand yen notes fluttering in front of his eyes.
“When can I meet this kid.”
“Well, you can come meet him on Thursday, if that works? And if everything is good then the summer holidays begin this Saturday – I know it’s not much notice but I have such little time in the day as it is with my work, that-”
Reigen waved a hand. “No, no, that should be fine. Also, I don’t believe I caught your name?”
“Oh, of course. It’s Hanazawa Misaki.”
“And your son?”
“Hanazawa Teruki.”
Reigen nodded, committing the name to memory. Whoever this Teruki kid was, he was Reigen’s ticket to the easiest money of his life. You bet he’d make sure he was well looked after.
Seasoning City circle train line - Wednesday 15th May, 2013
The train ride between the lawyer’s office and his own was only two stops. It felt like at least seven, by Reigen’s estimation. He caught the train nearly every day, he would know.
Maybe eight.
Fuck. Reigen stared soullessly out the train window as residential streets zipped past. His hands were sweaty on the plastic grip above his shoulder. He swayed with its movement as the train clattered slightly over the rails. How would he tell Teru? How could anyone tell their kid there was a chance they’d lose each other? He gritted his teeth, biting down on the instinct to not mention any of it, to somehow fight this case alone. No. Honesty was good, he’d learned the hard way. Obscuring this would get him nowhere. Teru appreciated adults who didn’t mince their words, he deserved at least his own adult to do that.
The train slowed and Reigen stumbled off onto the platform. He adjusted the thickly folded ream of paper he’d stowed under his arm for lack of any kind of bag or briefcase. Assured he hadn’t left it behind, he began his walk to Spirits and Such.
It was a couple hours after lunchtime, but still people milled about, queuing outside food stalls or grabbing a bite in the cafes near the station. His stomach growled in commiseration as he passed his regular takoyaki stand, but the idea of stopping for food felt wrong. He’d left the office in Serizawa’s capable hands, and while he knew they were indeed capable, he felt bad leaving that responsibility to him for too long alone.
He’d scheduled the meeting for the early afternoon, partly because that was simply the closest time available, and partly, (selfishly) because Teru had wanted to attend too, and making it during school hours was the easiest way to hold him off with the promise of filling him in later.
Reigen had been scared about what the outcome could mean for himself, but more scared for what it could mean for Teru.
Reigen passed under the familiar Spirits and Such sign and sighed as he made his ascent up the stairs.
“Reigen-san!” Serizawa sat up eagerly in his chair as Reigen entered and peeked around the corner, putting down his pen on what appeared to be his night school homework. “How was the meeting?”
“Hi, Serizawa.” He managed a smile as he entered the room properly. “Any clients come by?”
Serizawa stayed still behind his desk. “It’s been quiet. One caller, who I scheduled in for Friday. Uh, just a heavy shoulders type of problem.” Serizawa tilted his head as he tracked Reigen’s saunter to his desk, and continued to observe quietly as Reigen took his seat, unceremoniously letting the papers hit the desk with a soft thwap. Reigen had found that happening more and more, recently; Serizawa watching him, closely, always observing, sometimes even without what seemed to be the conscious decision to watch.
“Ah, good.” Reigen took his time settling in, scooting his chair forward as his eyes flickered to his laptop. He woke the screen by swiping the mouse back and forth perhaps more insistently than was needed.
Serizawa knew he’d heard his question. There was only so much silence either of them would take before Serizawa would ask again. Reigen’s eyes rose to find Serizawa’s still on him, expectant, and he swivelled back in his chair a little with a tired exhale. “We finally got a response on the adoption consent forms. His father signed…” he started. Serizawa’s face lit up and he sat forward, mouth opening. “His mother didn’t.” He finished.
“Oh.” His hand twitched slightly, found the pen he’d set down, started to fiddle with it.
“It’s not the news we were hoping for- really, it would be far too simple if Teru’s deadbeat useless folks just handed him over without complaint. But, still. We will fight!” Reigen gathered the optimism to raise a hand to gesture with. “It’ll take longer, but his mother has no case, really, any stupid fucking idiot could see Teru’s better off with me.”
Reigen bit his tongue. He needed to check his anger before he talked to Teru about this. He was fine to show these emotions with Serizawa, but, well, it wasn’t fair on the kid. If there was one thing that set him off it was thinking about the humanity of people who could abandon their own child, when he could so easily take in one that wasn’t by any legal means his. Even unmarried as I am.
“You’re bound to win.” Serizawa nodded. “I don’t really know how the courts work, but I’m sure they’ll have common sense.”
Reigen flourished a finger, and reached for the papers. “There’s this stack of paper I can get on top of.” He held the offending item aloft, unfolding it with a snap of freshly printed sheets. “Some of it’s bullshit, but I can definitely ace a fair bit to prove Teru should be my kid.”
Serizawa smiled. At some point he’d relaxed his grip on his pen. “If I’m honest, when I first met you both, back after… I first left Claw, I was convinced you were father and son. Genetically, I mean. Or… I don’t know.”
“Was it the hair?” Reigen grinned, waggled his eyebrows.
“No, more… how you acted around each other. How comfortable you seemed, how much you cared for each other. Just… so definitely a family.” Serizawa stared at his desk in thought. His cheeks looked slightly flushed. “It was part of why I felt okay coming to work here. I thought, I don’t know, you were kind. I- I mean, I knew it already, you’d just offered me a place to be despite all the bad I’d done, but… you were a good dad, too.” He raised his head again. “There’s a certain kindness in that.”
Reigen’s heart burned slightly. “I… well.” How the hell did someone respond to that. “If we end up needing a character reference for the court case, I guess I know who to call on.” He tried to add a joking lilt to his tone.
“Of course! Anything at all I can do to help, I will.” Reigen found his eagerness oddly endearing. “Just ask, I’m more than willing to help.”
“Thank you.” He flapped the paper in his hand a couple times. “I’m sure there’s at least one thing on this mammoth list you can help with, though it’s mostly background stuff and financial…” His pocket buzzed, a shrill ringtone starting up and Reigen retrieved his phone. He glanced at the contact and frowned before he answered.
“Aren’t you in school?” Reigen asked with no preamble.
“Class just ended; don’t you know the time?” Teru’s voice spilled forth from the phone, loud against the background noise of people chattering nearby, moving through hallways.
Reigen swivelled his chair a little, angling himself to read the wall clock. “Ah. Yeah.”
“How’d the meeting go?”
Reigen moved the arm not holding the phone across his chest in some half-crossed way. “You’re coming here after school, no?”
“Yeah, duh, it’s one of Shigeo-kun’s working days. I’m just meeting up with him to walk there now.”
“Then I’ll see you soon.” Reigen’s gaze accidentally caught Serizawa’s, and his heart skipped a beat as he noted just how fond his expression looked, so he forcefully kept his eyes skittering across the room.
“Bleh. You’re so annoying.”
“Love you too.”
“You’re so cringe.” Teru hung up.
Reigen smiled softly, folding the phone closed and tucking it back in his pocket.
“You were saying?” Serizawa asked after a moment.
Reigen stood from his seat, stretched a little. “Teru and Mob will be here soon, I guess you can all hear it together. I’m making tea.”
“Ah, of course, sorry-” Serizawa rushed to stand hurriedly, as if the fact he hadn’t made tea himself was a major failing on his part.
“Don’t worry, I got it.” Reigen couldn’t help but smile, and he let his hand rest on Serizawa’s shoulder briefly as he passed him to go to the kitchen. The other man seemed to pause at the motion for an indeterminately long moment before he retook his seat.
The tea brewed, and soon Teru and Mob were sitting across from him, together on the couch, while Serizawa sat next to Reigen. He took a deep breath, then spelled it all out.
“Ah, okay.” Teru said. He nodded slightly, face a complicated mix of thoughts. Mob similarly studied him, then tentatively reached out a hand to grab onto Teru’s.
Reigen fixed his own expression with optimism. “It’s alright! It’s gonna take a little longer, but it’ll work out, I promise. We’ve got a good lawyer, I’ve got a list of things to do. Your mum’s a negligent…” Reigen stopped. How could he phrase his and Asato’s game plan without just trash-talking his mum? “She doesn’t have as strong a case as us. You’ve been with me for four years. Plus! I mean, your father signed, we should be…” Celebrating was not the right word. Not for a parent accepting the abandonment of their child. “Happy.” He finished lamely. Still not quite right. Fuck.
“Yeah.” Teru said, and nodded again, this time with finality. Determination settled across his features as he squeezed Mob’s hand tight. “It’ll be okay.”
Reigen watched, feeling a small tinge of pride smooth the edge off his anxiety. They’d make it through. He glanced at Serizawa, who gave him a firm nod, as though reading and agreeing with his thoughts.
Even though… Reigen had failed to mention that, after the issue of parental consent, his own inadequacy was the next largest roadblock. If it ended up being his fault that everything fell apart, then… that was that. But for now Hanazawa was an easy target to blame.
It wasn’t until later that night, after they’d all gone out for ramen at their usual place, after they’d split from the other two to catch their usual train, Teru’s head bumping slightly against Reigen’s shoulder with the train’s motion, after he’d unlocked their shared apartment door, after he’d tentatively suggested they watch Teru’s favourite film, after they were halfway into the film and a packet of microwave popcorn Reigen had got up to make, that Teru finally broke down.
“It’s not fair.” He cried. “How- how can she decide she suddenly wants me. Now, after she’s been gone- just when I’m finally happy without her-“
Reigen held his son to himself, tucked his head under his chin although he was so much bigger now than when they’d first met, wrapped an arm around his back as it trembled with sobs, smoothed down his bright blond hair. “I know, Teru. I know. It’s okay.”
Bonus: Excerpts from Adoption Guidelines
Page 1..... Section 1: Introduction to the Adoption Process
There are two systems for child adoption in Japan, foster care and special adoption. Special adoptions are permanent, where the original parents give up legal custody, and the child becomes officially registered in the adopted family.
Unlike regular adoption, where the adoptee is shown as “adopted son/daughter” in the family register, under the special adoption system an adoptee is registered as a couple’s natural child and all links with the child’s birth parents are severed with the intention of providing the child a stable, permanent family life.
……
Page 3..... Section 2: Basic Requirements
Prospective parents filing for a special adoption should be aware of the following guidelines:
- All persons with legal custody of the child, including the biological and adoptive parents, must consent to the adoption, EXCEPT IF:
- The biological parents are incapable of declaring their intent;
- Family Court rules that the biological parents have treated the child with "cruelty;"
- The biological parents have abandoned the child; or
- Any other cause "seriously harmful to the benefits of the person to be adopted" exists.
- Adoptive parents must be legally married, over the age of 25, and must jointly consent to the adoption. Single parents may only pursue a special adoption with the Family Court's consent.
- The child must be under the age of fifteen at the time the adoption petition is filed OR must have been placed under the continuous care and custody of the prospective adoptive parents since before the child's fifteen birthday.
- The child must be in the custody of, and residing with, the adoptive parents for at least six months before the Family Court will render a final judgement and issue an adoption decree.
…..
Page 7..... Section 4: Required Documentation
Reigen - please source the following documents
Prospective parents must have numerous documents signed, notified, or otherwise authenticated. These documents include:
- Birth certificates[20]
- Passports[21]
- Marriage certificates[23]
- Certificate of no criminal record (obtained from each parent's home city)[24]
- Certificate of legal address, employment, and bank statements[25]
- Copy of property ownership deeds (if applicable)[26]
- Biographic histories of both parents[27]
- Statement of consent to adopt by the child's current guardian[28]
- Statement of prospective parents' intent to adopt[29]
- Home study approved by a licensed adoption agency[30]
- Two character references[31]