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Kyouka didn’t have the most solid grasp on the passage of time.
Sure, she knew that she’d been separated from her papa for a long period of time, too long for her taste, but if pressed she isn’t sure she could tell exactly how long. Now, Kyouka understood how the months and days worked, and Osamu had even once found an outdated calendar in one of their temporary homes to further the education she’d gotten on the subject from school.
So knowledge wasn’t the problem. It was simply that Kyouka’s mind couldn’t keep track of the days. Every once in a while, she would catch a glimpse of the date from something or another, but it wasn’t a big deal to her. She didn’t really care about the passing of time, as it was time that she couldn’t have her entire family together. There was no telling how long her papa had actually meant when he’d sent her away, so it was easier not to pay attention.
Now, mere moments after three of the most important people in her new life jumped out at her from the dark of Kouyou-sama’s apartment, she was wishing she had paid more attention to the days.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known they’d be there, Kyouka had been called for dinner with the three, so the pretense of turning out the lights and scaring her seemed a bit silly.
But the smiles on their faces made up Kyouka’s mind that this was to be a happy event, and she would treat it as such.
As Hirotsu walked past her to the kitchen, he patted her on the head. Kouyou-sama followed behind him, righting the strands that had been displaced by the man.
So Kyouka was left with Chuuya. They were on much better terms after their impromptu heart-to-heart, but that didn’t change the trepidation that filled her at the look on his face. He was grinning, and showing entirely too many teeth in her opinion. She was struck with the uncomfortable reminder that this guy was the so-called love of Osamu’s life. Kyouka was alright with Chuuya now, but that in no way meant she was on board with him trying to take her papa from her.
Though looking at him, Kyouka found it hard to imagine it would be a hard choice. She was clearly the more put together one.
As if sensing that Kyouka is mentally insulting him, Chuuya springs into motion far before she could have any chance to stop him. Arms pinned to her sides, Kyouka is instantly assaulted with the nearly painful dig of knuckles over top of her head. Laughter rings out through the room, undercut with the squeals and pleas for mercy. But she found that her resistance was far more token than genuine. A real smile breaks out over her face, and Kyouka plays up her attempts to get free more than strictly necessary.
Following the brutal attack on her person, the two make their way into the kitchen, where a meal has been set out by the actual adults. The four talk over their food, Kouyou-sama making a rare allowance for chatter at her dinner table. Their conversation doesn’t have a particular theme, but there is a fair amount of Chuuya firmly disagreeing with any accusations of rivalry with Kyouka, citing that it would be dumb for a grown man to have a rivalry with a child. The first time it came up, Kouyou-sama had let out a snort, which caused a chain reaction of offended sputtering and choking on food. Laughter filled the space, and Kyouka’s smile from before had yet to fade. Overall, it’s a very pleasant meal, spent with people she cares about.
It’s only when a cake is brought out, candles flickering in the darkened room, that a memory takes Kyouka away.
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Osamu was acting weird.
And not in his usual, “I’m Osamu and I’m mysterious and weird” way either. In a new, secret way, that Kyouka very much did not appreciate.
It had started with him suggesting they split up while grocery shopping, under the pretense of covering more ground. And it culminated in Osamu leaving Kyouka at the newest of their homes to go out alone.
He almost never did that, and for good reason. All of those terrible sellers only wanted to take advantage of Osamu, and he apparently couldn’t see that he needed Kyouka to protect him.
So here she sat, wrapped in Osamu’s coat waiting patiently for him to return. She had briefly considered going out after him, but he had made it very clear to her what the consequences would be if she ever went out alone. And there was no way she would risk him never telling any more stories. Right now, he was in the middle of telling about the first time he and Chuuya met, and Kyouka needed to know more.
Like why the box man was so cold all the time, or why Chuuya would leave the Sheep. Well, she might have a guess as to why he would leave them, and it had a lot to do with the man she was waiting on, but she needed to know for sure. So disobeying Osamu was out of the question.
Kyouka had been sitting, decidedly without pouting because she was Osamu’s big strong girl, for what felt like hours before the front door clicked open. It was likely for her benefit, as she was almost positive if he hadn’t wanted her to hear him she wouldn’t. But her guardian’s odd tendencies were secondary in her mind.
All but leaping from the bed she had been sat on, Kyouka slipped her arms into the coat and ran out into the main room. Sure enough, Osamu was standing in the kitchen, a box placed on the counter next to him. The relief at his safety courses through Kyouka’s vein, urging her feet to move faster. And faster.
With her running start, Kyouka is able to launch herself high enough to latch on to Osamu’s shoulders and hang off of his back like a cape. With a laugh, bandaged hands grab her knees and keep her weight supported.
“Want to see what I got?”
The sound of Osamu’s voice instantly soothed the leftover anxiety that had been brewing in her chest since he had left, and she hummed out an affirmative.
He taps her knees, a signal that Kyouka knows to mean that she’s to hold on tight. She does so, and Osamu’s now free hands flick open the box to reveal a pink and yellow birthday cake. Kyouka can feel the tears welling up in her eyes long before Osamu urges her to get down. He turns around and gathers her into his arms, squeezing her tight.
“Happy birthday dear.”
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Kyouka is taken from her memory by the expectant silence, the singing has stopped and it’s time to blow out her candles.
The faces of these people, who took her in when she had nowhere else, burn bright in the light of the candles. There was only one possible way this night could be any better.
Blowing out her candles, Kyouka lets a solitary tear roll down her cheek, smile never budging, and makes her wish.