Chapter Text
Today, was me and my older twin brother Yuichiro’s 11th birthday. The wake up call I received wasn’t one I had expected.
I’d seen grandpa Michikatsu in the dream I was having, but he looked different, almost. . demonlike. Then, after grandpa’s appearance I had seen myself.
I was severed in half, bleeding out while in excruciating. . pain? Everything in my body was on fire, and I couldn’t move, I was pinned in place.
I felt my body heat up before the heat stopped entirely and I went cold. I jumped awake in a cold sweat. The dream felt.. so real?
I mean I could tell it wasn’t but it felt like a core memory one that was almost mine but wasn’t. I shrugged it off at first and got out of bed to wake nii-san.
He’d shortly woken up after and grumbled asking what I wanted and I told him it was our birthday today.
His eyes lit up when he realized and we both opened the bedroom door, and then ran down the hall to our parents room.
We opened the room door briefly then started to tap our parent’s shoulders. “Okaasan, Otousan wake up! It’s our birthday!” We had said in unison as our parents shifted in their bed and both slowly started to rise up.
Okaasan was on my side and she flashed a kind smile at me. “Happy birthday Muichiro.” My mother said in a sweet and angelic voice.
I grinned up at her saying a small thank you. While father pat Yuichiro’s head and said the same to him. “Happy birthday Yuichiro.” My brother grinned and we both swapped places to receive the same gesture from the opposite parent.
Once finished we once-more dashed down the hall and returned to our own room. We then proceeded to get dressed so we could eat breakfast and head to our middle school.
As brother and I walked downstairs hand in hand, we settled into our seats next to one another after reaching the dining table.
Mother and Father had finished making omelets for breakfast, and sat our plates in front of us then their own. “Thank you for the meal!” We said putting our hands together, and then closing our eyes as we readied for the morning prayer.
I noticed our parents smiled at this as I opened my right eye to peek a bit. They then said the morning prayer Yuichiro and I awaited for before we ate our breakfast.
Once we finished eating, we had then started cleaning off the table. We received kisses on the cheek and forehead from both of our parents after we grabbed our matching backpacks.
We then went out the door waving them off, and began to walk to our middle school. I noticed a small calico cat with a strange collar staring at us from the corner of my right eye.
I tilt my head making eye contact with the small animal, and it simply waved its tail around back and forth. I shrugged it off and went to hold Yuichiro’s hand as we continued walking.
We crossed a few streets, and made a few turns before we saw the school building awaiting us. As we made it to school the day went by as it usually did, which was pretty quick.
We arrived to our first class which was math, being as popular as we were multiple other students approached us wishing a happy birthday or giving small gifts like candies.
Girls gave Yuichiro and I cards and asked if we’d like to go somewhere or invite them to our party if we were having one. Yuichiro gave most of them a deadpan glare making them squeak and return to their desks or the back of the class.
I sighed, I never liked receiving this much attention. The people in school were scary so I made sure Yuichiro was never alone, and he made sure the same for me.
After math ended PE started up, it was the same thing, dressing out and getting wished happy birthdays and such. We had a race today, but me and Yuichiro were the top of the class so we won.
After that everything else went by smoothly, second class, lunch, and so on. Once the finishing bell signaled the day was finally over I grabbed my older brother’s hand and we headed towards our afterschool activities.
Yuichiro and I were the youngest shogi champions in the country, so we took our pride being in the club. It was one of the reasons we were so well known within the school.
We had a few practice matches here and there with other club members before it officially hit 4 PM and we had to leave due to our tight schedule.
We grabbed our bags and told everyone we’d see them another time, but once we finished shogi for the day and walked out the club door.
It was then that I noticed a boy practicing kendo, he was swinging his sword nonstop.
His movements were hitting the dummy with such precision, and then my mind registered his movements I felt connected to this sport.
Then as if by muscle memory I quickly left Yuichiro’s side and I walked up to the boy asking if I could use his wooden katana.
The boy gave me a confused look but gave me the go ahead. The second I picked up that sword I suddenly started moving faster than I ever had before, I was swinging at the dummy with swift movements and agile speed I never knew I had.
My body tensed up and I felt my breathing increase. Then it happened, another flash of a memory. Hitting a dummy nonstop while my muscles were sore and I was crying out in pain and grief.
The way I continued to hit nonstop and forget more and more of my memories overtime as if blocking something out as it was hidden behind a cloudy mist. I grew colder and colder towards others letting no emotion take over.
Suddenly I was brought back to the present once I was knocked off balance and struggled to avoid falling. This is scary, I thought frowning I really don’t like this.
I suddenly ran back to Yuichiro who gave me an annoyed glare. “The hell was that Muichiro?” He said confused.
I looked down and told him I wasn’t sure, he eyed me but shrugged it off eventually expecting I’d tell him later. I grabbed his hand and we walked to the front of the school waiting for the bus to come pick us up.
We always admired the scenery on our way home, it was extremely beautiful. Once 15 minutes had passed we heard the bus stop, acknowledging the fact we were officially dropped back off into our neighborhood.
We exited the bus telling the bus driver thank you. “Anytime you two! And Happy 11th Birthday!” We smiled giving our thanks as we ran home.
Once we arrived the day continued on, and more and more memories flooded into my head. About 3 hours after we arrived home, Okaasan and Otousan called us to come downstairs.
It was time to sing happy birthday. Once our parents had officially sang happy birthday to us, it happened. A flash of red, I remembered a boy.
.
.
.
One with burgundy hair, red eyes, and strange Hanafuda earrings. Who was he? I thought.
Then a name came to mind. “Tanjiro..” I said slowly to myself. Tanjiro Kamado? I thought. The way his name flowed off my tongue perfectly, and I sensed no malice towards him in within all the memories I’d received today.
It made me realize that he was important, I noticed my heart sank as if in longing. I hadn’t realized my heart begun racing once his name left my mouth.
I slowly calmed myself while I pressed my eyebrows together in confusion and went to shower. Once finished I returned to me and Yuichiro’s room and laid down on my bed staring up at the ceiling.
I glanced to the side of me, Yuichiro was already in bed playing shogi alone, memorizing his own movements while watching a video play so he could store in the moving patterns a famous player from the USA had done in his latest tournament.
Once he put his things away, I fully turned towards his direction and he turned to mine. I swallowed slowly before I looked into my older brother’s eyes and asked him the question I did.
“Aniki , do you believe in past lives or reincarnation?” I noticed Yuichiro gave me a puzzled gaze and he paused. “Why do you ask that Mui?” He asked curious.
I shook my head, my older brother clearly had none of the memories or flashbacks I had received.
At least that was what I thought. But.. a lightbulb flickered across my mind. Was it possible to share these memories with him?
“Yui, hold your hand out to mine!” I said excitedly pointing to my hand. “What? No way weirdo!” He said weirded out. I frowned.
“Cmon please!” I noticed he grew agitated, but looked at me once more before he sighed and gave into my request.
He pressed his hand to mine, and I noticed a pained expression on his face. It was working, I could tell from the way he looked at me.
“What. . was that?” He asked. I grinned. “It was the past, our past.”