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”Zana-nii!”
Takemichi was a little nuisance, a thorn on his side. Yet somewhere deep down Izana holds some love for his little brother.
Well, held.
The 8 year old boy was always seen around his little Takemichi, who was only 4 years old. They were never seen without each other, yet it was clear the younger was mostly dragging Izana along.
”Zana-nii promises to never let Take get hurt right?!”
For a toddler, Takemichi was a loud one. Both when he cried and when he tried whispering. Izana reluctantly nodded his hand, his hand holding the smaller one’s. Even though he never particularly held a close love for his little brother like his little brother held for him, he couldn’t help but be a little domestic.
”Nii-san promises.”
-
“Zana-nii where are you going..?”
’Nowhere’ He wanted to say, yet Izana couldn’t, not to Takemichi, especially with those big puppy dog eyes he’s giving him at the moment.
”I’m coming back soon I promise, I’ll visit you.”
It was a bold faced lie. He knew that. Yet he said it anyway. He knew his mom was sending Izana away because he was a hard kid to deal with.
“Promise…”
Staring back at the two adults who patiently waited and watched as Izana gave his last words to Takemichi, he turns back around, only to find his little brother holding up his small pinky. There was tears drooping his cheeks still stuffed with baby fat.
Izana didn’t say anything in return, just wrapping his own pinky around the younger’s. His hands reaching to wipe the tears from Takemichi’s cheeks.
That was the last he’d ever see or hear from Takemichi in years.
-
Izana’s boots seemed to amplify the echo of him walking. His feet leading him to Shinichiro’s grave. A place he’d gone to regularly mourn the only family he ever had. He’d forgot to stop by the flower shop to replace the flowers. Hopefully, Shinichiro won’t be too mad this time.
Lifting his head up, about to be greeted by the familiar sight of gray stone scattered around. He ends up seeing two unusual sights.
One, a light blonde haired boy wearing heels.
And two,
Someone he’d never assume he’d ever see again. Someone he’d repressed to the back of his mind, hoping all memories of him will vanish and never return.
”Who are you?”
The light blonde haired boy asks, eyeing Izana up and down, examining him. The tanned man noticed how he slightly gets protective of the other boy beside him.
Sure, there were some features about him that looked less familiar. Yet that could be with age. But, there were some very unmistaken things about this boy.
“Takemichi, go, I’ll handle this guy.”
Izana’s expression almost hardens, he’s long forgotten about Takemichi. Yet it’s clear Takemichi hasn’t forgotten about him. But it was no use, Izana no longer considered this nuisance to be his blood. Not after his mother had left him to rot, giving Takemichi the life he’d wanted.
His eyes look up at Izana, staring straight at him, bewildered. He recognized him almost immediately. The younger boy was about to speak before the boy with heels repeated himself once more.
He looked up at the boy, then to Izana, debating if he should listen, before slowly backing away running off.
-
There was a lot Takemichi wanted to say.
He knew who that was, he could recognize Izana from miles away. But he just didn’t have to courage to stand his ground and speak up.
He wanted to ask why Izana never visited him, why he completely abandoned his own little brother, why he was sent to the orphanage.
”I hate you, Zana-nii.”
For the last ten years, that’s all his head repeated. And that’s all Takemichi had been fighting back, counterattacking those thoughts.
He loved his big brother.
No matter how much he wanted to hate him, there was just no way in hell he could.
So maybe that’s why he didn’t speak up. Why he’s running as fast as he can, Takemichi’s feet dragged him over to the crosswalk.
He stopped in his tracks, wanting to turn back. His feet shifting from one position to the other, he needed to go back, to make amends with his only family.
His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the loud noise of a motorcycle engine revving.
Noticing two men in tinted helmets, Takemichi wants to back away, yet before he could do so, the bike seemed to speed up, getting closer.
The boy in the back held up a baseball bat, giving Takemichi no time to react before everything goes blank.
-
A loud scream led them there, well really Inupi, (Izana learned the name of the boy), was the first to react, rushing over to the sound, Izana followed after.
And for the long minute he was there, he couldn’t register a single thing going on.
Izana didn’t want to look up, he couldn’t look up. He knew if he did, he’d be met with a disgusting sight.
Yet even as he’s looking down, his shoes are covered in blood.
Not his blood.
His mind had blocked out the noise of Inupi’s screams and frantic calls for help over the phone. Leaving Izana to sit in his own thoughts as he stared at his own two feet.
His body felt weak, unrealistically weak. He could feel his eyes getting wet, too wet. Slowly trying to slow down his breathing, he can’t, his mind plays two words over and over.
Look up.
Look up.
Look up.
Shooting his head up, he’s met with an awful sight.
Izana gags inevitably, his hand covering his mouth.
His baby brother, (when did he suddenly accept that fact?) mangled, bleeding on the floor, probably dead for all god knows, Inupi holding his lolling head up, in a panicked state.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
Izana’s whole body seems to shut down, feeling weak in the knees, he stumbles, afraid to look back up again.
Feeling bile rise up his throat, he vomits.
‘My baby brother is dead.’