Chapter Text
The grass had overgrown the fences, climbing and tearing them down back to the ground, to the earth where they belonged, where they'd eventually return.
Samon walked in the garden, pushing weeds and bushes out of the old path. A mouse squeaked, running for the shadows. It sure would need some work to be walkable again.
He stung his hand on one of the bushes, carrying red berries and sharp thorns. Brambles had taken over the landscape, hiding away old trees and birds alike. He winced slightly in surprise, stepping back.
How did it end up like this?
Why was he back here, after so many years?
He had nowhere left to go, nowhere left to run. This was the one remaining place he knew he could come back to. Hihi had promised it, afterall. Even after his passing, it still felt like home.
Not like Building 5 had felt, tho. This home was much colder than that. Much, much lonelier.
"-I'm sorry, Samon. I was asked to terminate your contract. Immediately."
"-..Uh—what? Momoko, what are you on about?"
"-Please put your uniform, badge and access card in the deposit box before leaving. I'll accompany you to the exit."
"Momoko, you can't be serious—!"
And just like that, his career was over. Back to the starting case, without any useful diploma. Getting fired from Nanba was endgame in the industry, impossible to come back from. So, here Samon was, jobless, opportunityless and officially orphaned after his siblings' death.
To be fair, he didn't really need to work. The savings he had accumulated during his years as a guard and his retirement fund were already enough to chill for the rest of his life, if he was careful with his spendings.
That's why he came back here, actually.
He didn't want a job. Not if it wasn't being a guard.
It's all he knew, all he wanted to know.
Samon only came back to this old town to rest. Take over his gramp's house, clean up the garden and the amassed dust. He could probably sell some of what he grew, eat the rest.
Yeah, he could make it. Probably.
The only rough part would be to pass from an active, loud and cheerful environment, to this.
The still, tranquil countryside, silent save for the chirping of the birds and rodents.
To be fair, Samon wasn't completely alone. He had taken with him his dog, a big, full of white fluff companion. He had affectionately called it Kiki, after his older brother's most hated nickname.
Said dog was currently walking by his side, yapping away at his ears and sniffing just about everything. Seems like atleast, one of them liked the change.
Samon's hand thoughtlessly went to pet behind its ears, earning a few licks and more yapping. He chuckled.
After finishing inspecting what used to be the garden, and hopefully will be again, he headed back to the main house past the trees.
His gramp's house was far from even the closest town, being atleast an hour walk for someone used to physical activity. It was in the middle of a little claring, hidden from the eyes by the trees. The garden was a little farther than that, being a five minutes walk from the house itself. If Samon hadn't known the path by heart, he would've been lost. Even then, recognising this as the garden he used to know so well was difficult.
The same garden that Enki had showed him for the first time, that had given him his love for the activity.
Hihi's house was mostly made of logs and stones, having been passed down from hand to hand past the generations. It definitely needed a lot of love to be restaured to its previous glory, but in the meantime, it'd still be a good enough place to sleep.
The door protested loudly as Samon entered, but not as loud as it had when he did a little while ago to put his bags in the entrance area. Kiki followed right after, disturbing the dust and remplacing it with dirt from its paws, running around and discovering the place faster than its owner could remember it.
Samon chuckled and was quick to remove his shoes to follow his dog, grabbing his bags on the way to put them in the living room.
He didn't notice he put his shoes right by Enki and Noriko's old ones that had been left behind. Right into their places, right where they belonged. Where he belonged.
At home.
Where they should've been, too.
This house should have never turned this empty.
Samon grimaced as his steps left a visible path in his wake, dust clearing up. Clearly, nobody had been here in a while.
He tried to turn on the light—and it flickered lightly before turning off again. Well, that was another thing to put on his to-do list. He was sure that with the right amount of love and care, this house would turn back into the home he once grew in.
To the house he once shared with Hihi, Enki and Noriko, Houzuki as the most frequent visitor—to the point where he had his own room.
Kiki was quick to climb on the old couch and bark his heart out, scaring out of hiding an orange cat that rushed for the now closed door. It hit it full speed, and even Samon winced at that. It couldn't feel nice.
Kiki, not missing a beat, rushed after the frightened cat. Who knows what it would've turned the poor thing into if Samon hadn't caught his dog in time, yanking it from the ground as he sighed.
"..What the hell is a cat doing here.."
For now, all he did was open the door. He had never seen a cat leave quite this fast, with the barks of his dog still chasing after like the devil.
He had other things to worry about, tho. Like the dust in his room and the possibility of not having lights during the night. Or much food for tomorrow.
He'd have to go downtown.
Samon wondered if he'd see familiar faces, or if his own would get recognised.
.
.
.
.
idk if ill ever have enough motivation to completly rewrite the end sighs