Chapter Text
His instructor pushes his glasses up disapprovingly, glaring down at him through the clear lenses on his face. “Twenty laps,” he says coldly. “I don’t want to see you in the dining hall until you’re done.”
Soryu nods before setting off. The instructor must be a demon in disguise. Ten laps is enough to wipe a grown man onto his ass, but he’s being forced to run twenty. Not for the first time, he curses the Hoshinas for their ridiculously large house.
As he huffs down the field, he looks up at the clear sky and finds his mind wandering once again. Thankfully, the day is not too hot, so he’s not sweating buckets. He hates the feeling of sweat sticking to his skin more than anything else in the world.
After six laps, he decides to give up and rolls onto the ground. He ends up on his back and stares at the few wisps that are in the sky.
This is not his world.
Soryu can’t remember anything from before, but he’s certain that he’s not supposed to exist here. As soon as he gained a sliver of consciousness, a sense of wrongness had settled into his gut and stayed there throughout his early years.
The rest of the world seems to sense it too. He knows that his parents are not particularly loving towards his older brothers, but they are even colder to him. That’s okay. It doesn’t particularly bother him that they don’t love him, especially since he’s not talented with the sword or particularly good in combat.
Well, he is seven, so he’s not sure what they’re expecting from a seven year old.
Life is incredibly boring here. He’s forced to study everyday, and they want him to practice the sword for hours even when he sucks at it. For the first five years of his life, he had only seen his brother’s in passing, and he had only gotten close to one of them in the past few years.
If he thinks about it, he supposes that he’s not actually that close with his brother. They sometimes eat together, but that’s about it. He still likes to crash his brother’s practice once in a while, but he mostly watches until the teachers come to drag him away again.
“They should just give up by now,” he grumbles. “When are they going to realize I’m not going to live up to the family’s legacy? I’d rather they just give up and leave me alone.”
“Oh really?” A familiar voice has him looking upwards and sure enough, he spots Soshiro standing behind him. “Sounds like you just want to be lazy.”
“Brother?” Soryu says, startled. He’s never sought him out first before. “What are you doing here?”
“I heard the teachers complaining again, so I figured I’d come and look for you,” Soshiro says, taking a seat next to where Soryu is sitting. “Looks like you’re just prone to causing trouble all the time.”
Soryu pouts, making a grumpy expression. “The teachers are like slave drivers,” he grumbles. “Why are they trying so hard to teach me the family sword style? I’m not talented like you or elder brother. I’m getting tired of it now.”
Soshiro laughs out loud. “Don’t be silly,” Soshiro scoffs. “I’ve seen you fight. It’s not that you don’t have talent, it’s just that you don’t want to.”
Soryu shakes his head. “I don’t have the same sense that you and elder brother do,” he says in response. “I’m okay at moving my body, but I’ll never reach the levels that you two will.”
Soshiro merely hums in response, and they sit in silence. After a while, Soshiro stands and brushes the grass off of his pants.
“Well, shall we get some dinner?” Soshiro says, extending a hand towards his younger brother. “I’d like to eat soon.” It’s an invitation of sorts, but Soryu sighs.
“They won’t let me eat until I run twenty laps,” he says petulantly, a little pissed when he thinks about the instructor’s face. “I’ve only run five and I don’t want to run the rest.” Soshiro chuckles at his childish expression before raising his hand to his lips.
“I guess I’ll have to get extra large servings and eat in my room tonight,” he muses out loud. “I’d like some privacy so I’ll probably lock my door, but I like having my window open at night. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, my dear younger brother.”
Soryu watches him stroll away with a stunned expression. Once his brother has vanished into the house, he bursts into laughter and rolls around on the ground. Once his chuckles fade away, he sits up and shakes his head before standing up.
He’ll have to sneak back into his room if he doesn’t want to get assigned even more laps. With a final huff of laughter, he disappears.
-
If there’s something that he feels semi-confident about, it’s his studies. Given that he’s known for a long time that he’s mentally older than seven, studying has always come easy to him.
“Another perfect score,” he muses to himself as he looks at his graded test. “Pity the teachers don’t really care though.” They seem to be more interested in his physical abilities, so it doesn’t matter if he does well in his studies.
“What does it matter anyways,” he sighs, tossing his paper aside and resting his head on his arms. “It’s not like it’ll matter in the long run.”
His thoughts wander as he finds himself drifting. The sun is shining through the open window, casting rays on him that warm his shirt up. There’s a slight breeze that comes through, and it’s just strong enough to make his hair tickle his face.
If he’s being honest, he would rather study all day than be forced to practice with the sword. It’s expected of him, since it’s their family tradition, but getting whacked with the sword is not his favorite pastime.
Unfortunately, his sparring class is next, so he reluctantly opens his eyes and stretches his arms out before picking up his bag and shuffling out of the room. It’s a quick walk to the practice room, and his instructor is already there waiting for him.
“Hurry up,” he scowls. “You’re late.” Soryu is pretty sure he’s only a few minutes late, but he merely hides his sigh before throwing his bag to the side and walking over to pick up a practice sword.
He takes position and tightens his grip around the wooden sword. Soon, they begin sparring, but he’s easily overpowered. Soryu winces as he’s pushed back and lands flat on his back. It knocks the wind out of him, so he spends a few moments on the ground, trying to catch his breath.
“Get up,” the instructor says coldly. “The enemy will not wait for you to recover. Learn to overcome your weaknesses, or you will die on the battlefield.” Just hearing his voice pisses Soryu off, but he knows that retorting will only make things worse. With a groan, he pushes himself back onto his feet and picks up the practice sword again.
They exchange blows - or Souyru takes several blows for the next few hours. By the end of the session, he’s pretty sure that he has bruises all over his body. There isn’t a spot on him that feels unscathed.
“Lower yourself more,” he barks. “You’re not stabilizing yourself. The wind could easily blow you over at this rate.” Soryu bites his lip before doing as he says, but it really doesn’t change much.
“Focus!”
Soryu winces as he takes a hit to the ankle as he’s trying to avoid a hit. Something pops, but he doesn’t have time to think about it as he immediately brings his sword up to block the swing aimed for his head.
After what seems like an eternity, the instructor finally lowers his sword, looking irritated. “We shall stop here for the day,” he says haughtily. “Practice your drills a hundred more times.”
Soryu keeps a straight face while he rages on the inside. A hundred? This instructor is trying to kill him. With a deep breath, he starts moving, and the instructor watches him for about fifteen reps before he finally leaves.
Once the man is out of sight, Soryu lowers the sword and wipes the sweat from his face. As if he’s going to stick around and finish the rest of his drills. He stumbles over to the closet, cursing the weakness in his legs before putting the sword away and limping back towards his room.
As soon as he makes it back, he locks the door behind him and flops on the ground. He doesn’t want to get his futon dirty with sweat, but he doesn’t quite feel like moving and washing up just yet. He lays there in silence, his body aching from all the hits he received today.
After what feels like hours, he groans and pushes himself up into a sitting position, swiping his bangs away from his face. This entire family is full of slave drivers. He slowly starts stripping off his clothes before crawling to the bathroom.
The shower feels heavenly, and he decides that he’ll be hiding for the rest of the night. Once he feels like he’s scrubbed the filth away from his body, he steps out of the shower and roughly dries his hair with a towel. His ankle aches, so he takes a moment to wrap it up before gingerly putting weight on it.
The temporary wrap seems to do the trick, and he flicks the lights off before dressing himself in all black and opening the window.
Soryu checks to make sure no one is in sight, and he jumps out and lands softly before turning around and closing his window. His ears are peeled for the sounds of people nearby, but thankfully it seems like everyone is far from here at the moment.
The woods sound like a good option, so he takes his time to quietly slink along the walls until he gets to the fence that’s behind their estate. He carefully shakes his ankle, deems it safe enough, then leaps over the fence.
If there’s one good thing that’s come out of being forced to train everyday, it’s that his body is quite strong, especially for a child. He’s capable of doing things that other children definitely can’t, and it’s quite helpful for when he wants to run away from his teachers.
The forest is quiet, though he hears the occasional bird chirp. He heads a bit deeper inside before climbing up a tree and swinging his feet lightly. It’s chilly, but not cold enough to be uncomfortable.
From this high up, he can see the entire estate and one of the training fields. He squints as he sees someone practicing diligently, and he realizes that it’s his oldest brother, Soichiro.
Soryu pulls his knees up to his chest and rests his head on his legs. The prodigy and rising star of the Hoshina family, Soichiro. Everyone is full of praise for him, and Soryu can’t deny that he’s truly talented. He’s so well rounded in every field, it’s unfair to compete against him.
Not like he ever stood a chance against either of his brothers.
He’s not entirely sure as to why this particular instructor hates him so much. The rest of his teachers are at least indifferent to him, but his sword fighting instructor seems to have it out for him. Every session feels like some kind of excuse to beat him up for a bit.
Regardless, he wishes that everyone would just forget about him. It would make life easier for the entire household if they did.
He plays with the nearby leaves, enjoying the little crunch beneath his fingers. Soryu isn’t sure how long he sits up there for, but the day slowly goes dark until he can’t see Soichiro on the field anymore. Once his fingers start going numb, he decides it’s time to sneak back into his room.
As he climbs down the tree, he swears as he nearly loses his grip from his cold hands. Somehow, he manages to make it down safely, and he starts the long trek back. Once he’s back in the house, he glances around to make sure he’s clear before he runs for his room.
The window is still unlocked, so he silently climbs through before shutting it behind him and locking it. A sigh escapes his mouth, but he shrieks when he realizes that there’s something in the room with him.
Or rather, someone.
“Where have you been?” Soshiro inquires, sitting on a chair with his arms crossed. It’s dark, so Soryu can’t see his expression. Somehow, his voice makes Soryu shift nervously. It’s not like his brother is one of his instructors, but he has a feeling that he shouldn’t make Soshiro mad.
“I…was out hiding again,” he says, unwilling to admit that he left the walls of the estate. It’s against the rules to go out by himself, and while Soshiro has been very nice to him, he doesn’t know yet if he can trust him.
Still, he doesn’t feel like he should completely lie, so he gives a half-truth instead. “Wait,” he frowns. “How did you get in my room? I’m pretty sure I locked the door before I came in.”
Soshiro waves his hand dismissively, but Soryu feels a bit peeved he’s trying to bypass it so easily. Does this mean he can break into Soryu’s room whenever he wants? He’d rather not have to fear his brother appearing at the door at random times during the night.
“Do you know how late it is?” Soshiro scolds. “The hiding is one thing, but you should at least come back before it gets dark. What if something happens and we aren’t able to find you?”
It’s not like anyone would really care, nor is he irresponsible enough to land himself in trouble, but he finds himself withering away at his brother’s scolding. “I…I’m not stupid enough to do that,” he protests. “I’ve been safe up ‘till now, haven’t I?”
A twinge of pain goes through his ankle and he winces while shifting his weight, something that doesn’t go unnoticed by his brother. “Sit,” Soshiro orders while standing, and Soryu reluctantly takes a seat on the bed.
Soshiro kneels and carefully removes his shoe before examining his ankle, which causes Soryu to flinch in pain. “See?” He clicks his tongue. “You should have stayed at home and rested.”
“Yes brother,” Soryu says grudgingly. He can’t really argue, not when his ankle is starting to throb more.
Soshiro stands up. “I’ll go grab more bandages and ice,” he says. “Don’t move an inch, or you’ll regret it when I get back.” Sensing that he’s being a hundred percent sincere, he nods quickly and resigns himself to waiting.
It doesn’t take long for Soshiro to return, but the pain in his ankle is starting to get worse. Sneaking around and climbing trees probably didn’t help at all. Soryu can’t help but sigh in relief when the ice is pressed up against ankle.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, and Soshiro pauses while rewrapping the bandage. “I appreciate it.” He doesn’t clarify what he’s grateful for, but it seems like his brother gets the message as Soshiro smiles.
“Well, I’d like to get along with at least one of my brothers,” he says. Soryu snickers at that, knowing that Soshiro and Soichiro don’t have a great relationship. It’s not like he does either. “Especially with my cute younger brother who likes to get himself into trouble.”
Soryu flushes at being called cute before sullenly crossing his arms and looking away. Soshiro breaks into laughter at that, reaching up to pat his head before finishing up his ankle. “Looks like you do have an immature side to you,” he teases. “How cute. ”
“Stop teasing me,” Soryu whisper-yells, not wanting to attract attention from the outside. His cheeks are still bright red, and his brother laughs again.
Whatever. He’s just going to ignore his brother. For the rest of the night, he valiantly attempts to ignore his brother’s attempts to tease him again and again.
-
The wall has cracked between him and his brother. Though they don’t spend a lot of time together during the day, he sometimes sneaks into his brother’s room at night just to bother him.
“Brother, I’m here,” he announces, hopping onto the window and balancing on the wall. Soshiro looks up from his book with a smile and gestures for him to come in. Soryu jumps down quietly before closing the window behind him.
Soshiro puts a bookmark into his book before setting it aside. “You’ve gotten really good at sneaking around,” he comments. “I’m impressed no one has caught on yet.”
He waves a hand dismissively, sitting with his legs folded under him on the floor. “They think I go to bed early since I turn off the lights and tuck some pillows under my blanket. Most of them are too dumb to realize that it’s not me under there.”
Soshiro laughs. Soryu has come to realize that he really likes the sound of his brother’s laughter. “That’s not very nice of you,” he chides, but there’s no actual heat in his voice. It’s become clear to Soryu that Soshiro does not hold much love for the servants in the household either.
“You know I’m right,” Soryu argues. “I’ve been sneaking away for how long now, but they still haven’t caught me? They’re just too stupid to pull their head out of their asses.”
Soshiro stifles a chuckle, and Soryu belatedly realizes that he probably shouldn’t use that kind of language yet. He’s still tiny in this world. Most kids his age probably don’t speak like this.
Well, whatever. It’s not like he’s a normal seven year old, and he has no intention of pretending to be one.
“Why don’t you come to the dojo more?” Soshiro suggests. “We can spar together. I’m sure they won’t have as much to complain about if you’re practicing with me.”
Though Soshiro is only a few years older than him, he feels incredibly mature for a child. He has incredible focus when practicing, and he does so with the single intent of getting stronger. However, that also means that Soryu really does not want to spar with him.
“Brother, I would get thrashed in about five seconds,” he responds promptly. “Actually, three. I’m overestimating myself.” Unlike earlier, Soshiro outright cackles, and Soryu pouts internally.
“Stop underselling yourself,” Soshiro says after wiping away his tears, patting his head. “You would do much better than five seconds. I’d give you a minute, tops.”
Soryu scowls. “That’s still a whole minute of just getting beat,” he gripes. Still…spending time with Soshiro, even if he’s getting beat up, would definitely be better than spending time with the adults.
“I guess I’ll come by more often,” he relents. “At the very least, the teachers should behave if I’m with you, right?”
At his words, Soshiro goes silent, and Soryu peers up at him. “Brother?” He questions. At the sound of his voice, Soshiro shakes himself out of his stupor and grins.
“Yep,” he says, popping the p. “I’ll expect you starting tomorrow then. I’ll set aside some time for my adorable little brother.”
True to his guess, Soryu gets thrashed within five seconds the next day.
He grunts as he lands on his back and the air gets knocked out of him. “I told you I would last five seconds,” he wheezes, and a hand appears in front of his face.
“If I remember correctly, you changed your guess to three seconds,” Soshiro corrects as he helps Soryu back up. “I counted exactly five just now.”
Soryu groans. “It’s not that much of a difference,” he complains. “At that point, you’re just making fun of me.” Soshiro merely raises his sword again, and Soryu reluctantly readies himself again for another spar.
It’s a long hour, but it turns out to be his favorite hour of the day. Even if he walks away with bruises all over his body.
-
Unfortunately, he still feels awkward around the oldest of the three brothers, Hoshina Soichiro.
They don’t interact much, given that they have a decent age gap. Not to mention, he’s the rising star and prodigy of the Hoshina household, so he’s always busy studying or practicing. Why would he have time to waste on Soryu? The mere thought of it is unbelievable.
Which is why it’s even more surprising when he actually speaks to him one day.
“Soryu.”
Soryu doesn’t register that he’s being spoken to for a moment, but his head whips around after a second and spots a familiar face.
“E-elder brother,” he stammers, confused. Soichiro is leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Soryu feels small compared to his tall brother, even though that’s something he doesn’t have control over.
“I hear that you’ve been sparring with Soshiro lately,” he says. There’s nothing in his tone that gives away what he wants, and it only serves to make Soryu more nervous.
“Yes…?” He answers, not sure what else he should say. “I’m not very good, but he’s been helping me out lately.”
“I see,” Soichiro says. Soryu shifts uncomfortably. “Would you care to have tea with me?”
A few minutes later, Soryu finds himself seated across from his brother, a cup of steaming tea sitting in front of him. Soichiro sips his own cup, while Soryu doesn’t touch his.
He’s always been a bigger fan of hot chocolate.
“So,” Soichiro says conversationally. “When did you start training with Soshiro?” Soryu gulps. Is this some kind of test?
“It’s a recent development,” he responds quietly. “It hasn’t been long since we’ve been sparring.” When they had first started, he had definitely started out covered in bruises, but now he’s able to block at least half of his attacks. He’s proud that he no longer goes to bed covered in purple and black.
“How did you guys meet?” He presses, and Soryu wishes that he could leave. There’s a strange look in his eyes, and he wonders if he’s somehow ruining the brother’s relationship even more.
“Sometimes I eat dinner late, so I would see him on days where he would also be late,” Soryu fibs. He’s not crazy enough to say that Soshiro had caught him sneaking out, which led to them getting closer. Nor does he feel like saying Soshiro has caught him skipping classes on more than one occasion.
“And he just invited you to spar with him?” Soichiro asks. Soryu nods, his hands curling around the cup of tea to keep himself distracted.
It’s warm, and it helps sooth his nerves a bit. Feeling a teeny bit more confident, he raises the cups to his lips and takes a sip. It tastes a lot better than he expected, and his eyebrows lift in surprise.
“I thought tea was supposed to be bitter,” he wonders, and Soichiro laughs. Oops. He didn’t mean to say that out loud.
“It can be,” Soichiro agrees. “But it usually means it’s either low quality, or it’s been steeped too long. I’m quite picky about my tea.”
At Soichiro’s words, Soryu finds himself relaxing just a bit. Up until now, he had seen his brother as someone who was perfect, someone who was on a pedestal that he could never reach. But knowing that he’s picky about his tea makes him seem a bit more human, if not a touch elitist.
“You should join me for tea once in a while,” Soichiro says abruptly, and Soryu’s eyes widen at his words. His older brother looks a bit awkward, sitting there across the table with his hands folded on the table.
Ah.
“If…if you don’t mind,” Soryu says shyly, and Soichiro looks very pleased at his words. Soryu also feels his ears start to burn, and he fidgets. Who would’ve thought that the perfect son was a bit awkward at communicating his feelings?
“Can you tell me about your training?” Soryu requests softly, and Soichiro looks thrilled to have been asked a question first. Though it’s not very interesting to Soryu, he pays close attention to his brother’s words, his heart pleased that he was able to connect with one more person in the household.
-
It’s his eighth birthday.
Soryu rests his head on his arms, gazing into the sky full of stars. He doesn’t really mind that they didn’t celebrate his birthday, but he wishes that they would have at least gotten cake for him to eat. He wants something sweet.
Soichiro was unfortunately away from the house for the day, but he had sent him a package with a small gift inside. It was a nice watch that Soryu found he liked quite a bit, so he had immediately put it on his wrist and admired it.
A cold breeze blows through the window and he shivers. It is the middle of January, so he reluctantly closes his window and climbs down from the ledge. He crawls onto his futon and flops down, putting his arms behind his head.
“I’m tired,” he says out loud, and his voice fades away into nothing. His room is unnecessarily large, and he hasn’t found enough things to fill it up with yet. Their family is probably rich enough to get him whatever he wants, but he finds that there’s nothing that’s particularly interesting.
A knock on the door startles him, and he sits up. “Come in,” he says, and the door slides open to reveal his older brother’s face. He’s holding a box in his hands, and Soryu perks up at the sight.
“Happy birthday to my cute little brother,” Soshiro sings as he steps inside, walking over to where Soryu is sitting on the futon. “Sorry it’s a bit late, but I brought you a little gift.”
Soryu peers inside the box and sure enough, a delicious looking cake is inside. “Is this really for me?” He asks breathlessly, touched and pleased that his brother had remembered and gone out of his way to prepare this.
“Of course,” Soshiro grins, and he holds out two forks. “Sorry I don’t have plates, you’ll just have to eat it straight off for today. I’ll prepare better next year.” Soryu beams and takes a fork before opening the box and pulling the cake out.
It’s frosted with white cream with strawberries on top. Soryu loves strawberries. He immediately stabs his fork into the cake and takes a bite before his face relaxes, blissed out by the sweet taste.
“You’re the best brother ever,” Soryu tells Soshiro with a serious expression. “I would die for you right now.”
Soshiro laughs before ruffling his hair. “Wipe that cream off your face first,” he says, using his sleeve to wipe off the white bit on his cheek. “Glad to know you like it.”
“You should eat some too,” Soryu insists, holding out a bite for Soshiro to take. They each have their own forks, but Soshiro leans forward and accepts the bite anyways.
“It’s good, right?” Soryu asks eagerly, and the corner of Soshiro’s eyes crinkle upwards as he nods. Soryu continues digging in, unaware of his brother’s fixated gaze.
He makes it through about half the cake before he feels satisfied. “Phew,” he exhales, setting the fork down. “Thank you,” he says, putting the cake aside and wrapping his arms around his brother. Though it’s a bit awkward, Soshiro reciprocates and uses one hand to pat him on the head.
“I’m sorry everyone forgot your birthday,” Soshiro says, looking apologetic. “I’m sure you must’ve been really sad.” Soryu shakes his head, still clinging onto his brother.
“It’s okay,” he insists. “You and Soichiro remembered, right? That’s all I need.” Since his face is hidden in the embrace, he doesn’t see Soshiro’s face go dark.
“Plus, I know that our parents don’t really like me,” he continues on, oblivious to Soshiro’s mood worsening. “My brother’s are both really talented, but I’m just average. I know I’m not really useful anyways.”
After all, it’s not like he belongs to this world anyway. He wasn’t actually meant to be a part of this family, so it makes sense to him that he’s not some prodigy at the sword or fighting. Before he came here, he was probably some average person that lived a very average life.
“Anyways, I really am fine, so don’t worry about me,” Soryu says, pulling his head back to look up at his brother’s face. “I’m just grateful you two remem-”
He cuts off as a sharp pain strikes his head. “Soryu?” Soshiro asks cautiously, sensing that something is wrong. He pulls his arms away and grabs Soryu’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
Soryu can hear what Soshiro is saying, but his body’s not responding. He tries to move his mouth, but it’s like he’s been frozen. Another sharp pain cuts through his head, and his eyes fly open as his head suddenly feels like it’s being split open.
He screams.
The pain is so intense, he feels like someone’s driving a knife into his brain and twisting it violently. Something tries to hold his arms, but he thrashes, the very touch searing his skin like a metal brand.
“Hold on!” A voice yells, but he’s too far gone to hear it. Soryu howls in agony, tears streaming down his eyes as the pain tears through his body. The sound of rushing footsteps echo through the hallways, but Soryu opens his eyes to try and find his brother with shaking eyes.
“Brother,” he whimpers, his fingers clenching his sleeve. “P-please,” he begs. “It h-hurts.” Without hesitation, Soshiro hits his neck, and he falls into the peaceful embrace of the darkness.
-
He’s floating.
Soryu tries to open his eyes, but his eyelids feel like they weigh a ton. His entire body feels weightless, and he’s not even sure if he’s in his bed. He can’t feel his blankets and sheets.
“Wake up,” a voice gently calls to him, and he feels an unexplainable draw to the voice. “Wake up.”
With great effort, he manages to pry his eyes open, only for his mouth to open in shock. “Where on earth am I?” He whispers in disbelief.
“Watch.”
He watches.