Chapter Text
Dead leaves roll along the rooftop of the Ayase home. Everything is illuminated by a full moon, shrouding the world in a sickly, pale blue. Still and quiet, only the chirps of the last remaining crickets of the season fill the gaps between the rustling leaves.
It was almost peaceful, if it weren't for the sense of something being not quite right. An unease that a tragedy is right around the corner. Anxiety over what was missed or left undone. Fear that something important was lost.
All of this was lost on the sleeping occupants of the traditional styled home. It wouldn't stay this way, though. Their slumber was abruptly interrupted by the flooding of frantic chimes blaring throughout the home.
A few rings. Pause. More ringing in quick succession. A shorter pause. One more press of the doorbell before the door was forcefully slid open by an angry brunette. Her maroon eyes glared harshly at whoever dared to disrupt her night.
As her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, the ire that was burning within was quickly replace by ice. A cold that dragged her heart to the bottom of her being and weighted her feet firmly to the wooden floor.
"J-Jiji!?"
Sullen eyes looked down to her from behind the messy locks of scarlet hair. She could make out scrapes and bruises marking what parts of his skin were visible. Though, even more concerning, was the fact that he had absolutely nothing with him. Only the clothes on his back accompanied him.
"Momo…" his voice rasped from a dry throat. Making it clear that his path here was strenuous.
Suddenly, the weights anchoring her down lifted as she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. The tall boy hadn't the strength to even think about resisting, so his legs followed the coax to move forward.
"What the hell happened!? Why are you here!?" Her voice cracked. She hadn't seen nor heard from him in so long. Jiji was so much taller, and if it hadn't been for his disheveled appearance, she'd even say he had matured nicely.
Those dulled brown eyes of his couldn't look at her. Ashamed. Afraid. But most of all, numb. It was like he couldn't cry any more than he already had. Like he had cried for hours already and there was nothing left but to accept whatever it was he'd been through.
"C'mon, answer me," his childhood friend's voice softened. A tremble guided her words with concern, her own unease making itself known.
"I…I'm sorry. I wasn't sure where else to go…" Jiji's eyes squinted as he tried to hold back tears that surfaced from even the thought of explaining the journey to Kamigoe.
Worried eyes scanned the taller teen's body. She resigned her questioning. It was abundantly clear that he wasn't ready to talk about it, and she wasn't about to force it out of him. Especially not at this hour of the night.
"It's fine. God, you look fucking terrible," she didn't know what else to say in response to his apology. "Have you eaten or anything? I can at least grab you a snack for now."
Jiji's shoulders hunched in and he took a step back. It was almost like he was trying to make himself small, not that he could ever possibly do that with his stature.
"I wouldn't want to be a bothe-"
"You aren't a bother. Stop being dumb. If you're in need, you're in need. So come on and at least eat and drink a little something."
Again, he didn't have the strength or will to resist. Through trembling steps, he managed to follow her to the kitchen. His eyes unfocused as she rummaged through the fridge and pantry. Everything felt so empty and far away. He was floating yet crushed under an impossible weight at the same time. Nothing registered to him anymore. Now that he was safe, now that he could finally rest, his mind let go of the adrenaline needed to survive.
"Hey."
Nothing. Not even a tilt of his head or recognition in his eyes. Hell, Momo doesn't even catch him blinking.
"Jiji."
It wasn't until she nudged him that he answered.
"Ah- sorry."
"Geez, stop apologizing. Here, it's not much but it'll at least getcha through the night. You eat that and I'll go dig out something for you to sleep on."
He didn't feel like he deserved all of this, yet he had no choice but to accept. The demanding growl of his stomach wouldn't let him decline or hesitate.
"Thanks," Jiji managed to slip the word out before he bit into the food graciously.
"Yeah, no prob."
Momo left him to his emergency meal to dig out a futon. What he could have gone through racked her mind, damn near tortured her. All she could remember was his smile from when they were friends back in their elementary years. He had been so bright…
She covered her face with her arm as tears welled in the corners of her eyes. How could she hold onto her grudge when he shows up like this? It's proof that she never stopped caring about him. That all of that truly didn't matter.
The tears can wait for later. Right now, it's more important that he gets some rest.
By the time he finished the food and water, she had the spare room adjacent to the sitting room made up with a bed. She approached him and took the glass from the weak grip he had on it.
"Go get some sleep, alright? We can talk to Granny about it in the morning." She looked up at him, a frown pulled at her lips.
He wanted to smile for her. He wanted to tell her he was fine and that she didn't need to frown because of him.
But no joke or gag or antic could come to him right now. For the first time in his life, he felt shattered— broken.
"Yeah, thanks Momo." His words were spoken softly now that he didn't have to force them through a dry throat.
"Yeah…good night." Momo lead him to his temporary room and waited for him to disappear behind the sliding door.
What she did from there was completely unknown to him. He couldn't perceive anything whatsoever. Not even the soft blankets as he tucked himself under them.
Then came the next issue.
Closing his eyes.
It was impossible to do so without seeing the vivid and disturbing imagery that seared itself on the backs of his eyelids.
They laid there.
Still.
Their necks bruised and the warmth quickly fading from their skin.
He was so…useless. Lost.
If only he had stayed home.
If only he was better.
Then, maybe he could've continued to see them smile and tell him they love him.
Jiji gasped as his eyes shot open, and tears promptly blurred his vision the second the floodgates opened. Gasps and sobs poured from him despite his vain efforts to withhold them.
He wanted to wail. Beg. Scream. Anything to stop his overwhelmed heart from aching so intensely.
Yet all he managed to do was quietly weep.
Hours passed before his body finally gave in to the exhaustion of survival. Strands of his hair cling to the soaked pillow below them. His skin cooled from the air meeting the stains left from his despair. All things he couldn't have possibly noticed.
…
The next thing he was conscious of was the smell of food on the other side of his door. Jiji only wanted to lay there, numb to it all. He didn't want to be grounded back to reality by the presence of others. To have to explain why he ran all the way here. Or how he even got here to begin with. Part of him was still scared as well.
What if he walked out and they were there looking for him? It's not like any of them could fight back. (As far as he knows, anyways.)
Before being able to wonder about that too much, he took notice of the muted voices. One definitely sounded like Momo, which brought him some peace of mind. The other he believed to be auntie Seiko, knowing they were safe brought further comfort.
Thinking about Seiko made him want to be held tight. He wanted to hear that things were okay. That they were still alive, just bad off, but will recover from it.
He whimpered as the tears threatened to spill once more. As they pooled, Jiji finally noticed the torturous pain squeezing at his head. Dehydration wrung his body. The whimper turned into a hiss as he curled up in attempts to combat the discomfort.
There's no choice now. Jiji has to face it and go join them.
He forced his heavy limbs to move, only being able to because his throat craved liquid above anything else. Then, as he approached the sitting room, he quietly slid the door open.
"There ya are, kid. Come, sit down and eat your fill." Seiko pointed her chopsticks to the spot readied for him at the table.
Jiji gave a small nod, the only semblance of a response he could muster. Following her instructions, he walked over the spot and sat on his knees. The food smelled so good. So fragrant and lovely. Though all it managed to do was make his stomach drop. It wasn't his dad's cooking. Something he'd never have again.
Moisture coated his eyes, but he didn't let it get too far. He needed to eat, he knew this. So he put his hands together to mouth out a 'thank you for the food' before gingerly taking a bite. Barely a whisper made it past his lips.
Momo had been sitting at the table this whole time. She found herself unable to look away from him and study how different he was. Honestly, she didn't even know he was capable of making his voice that soft. So quiet. Clearly he was going through something so horribly devastating and she felt bad being the one that wanted to cry. She wanted to say something, anything, to make it better. But how could she when she didn't even know what was going on?
Both Ayase women withdrew somewhat, neither wanting to make him feel like they were breathing down his neck. Yet, at the same time, both also knew that sitting here in silence kept them from being able to help properly.
Seiko took a deep drag on her cigarette before blowing smoke above them. Seemingly using the act to self-soothe before she could speak again.
"Your folks know you're here?" It was her indirect way of asking for as much information as she could without being outright about it.
The question made Jiji jerk up to look at her. His eyes widened and his body frozen. Even his mouth hung agape.
"They're…" was all Jiji managed to squeak out from his tightened throat. And in his attempts to say it, the dam holding it all in came crashing down. His eyes squinted nearly closed. Tears rolled into a stream down his cheeks. His gritted teeth could be seen from the thin parting of his lips as a small gasp of air was pulled in.
Seiko's eyes opened further ever so slightly. She got the picture immediately. Damn, did she want to hound for more than that. But that would not help matters whatsoever. He was in need. And that need didn't involve an interrogation.
Meanwhile, Momo took a second longer to process what he meant. As she looked a bit longer at Jiji's sobbing face, she gasped sharply and covered her mouth with both hands. "Jiji…" his name left her lips in a tremble. The single word coated in a mix of emotions. Concern, fear, sorrow, pain.
But it was lost on him. He felt so numb even with the despair that was currently making itself known. He wanted to be anywhere but where his mind was forced to be. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare and be back in his own bed. To smell food cooked by his family. To go tell them he loves them before running off to school. To excitedly tell them about his day or joke around with them.
Seiko calmly put out her cigarette in a tray sitting on the table. Then she pulled herself up from her spot and went over to wrap her arms around Jiji's neck, bringing him into a tight embrace. "You can stay as long as you need. Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of all of it. For now, you only need to take care of yourself."
It's not exactly what he wanted to hear, but it was close enough. A sob broke loose from him. His face moved to bury into the shoulder in front of it. Then, slowly, he placed his food down and hugged back onto her. Her shirt crinkled from his fingers curling into it to grip tightly. The sobs quickly turned into wails. Only to be reigned back into nothing but a whimper. She wanted to tell him to get it out, but unfortunately, he needs to take care of his body too.
"I'm here when you need to talk or if you need anything at all," Seiko rubbed his head gently. His sadness dwindled down from his uncontrollable emotions to a quiet emptiness. It's what he has to do to make it through. Staying in such a down place wasn't an option, not to him, anyways.
"Thank you, Auntie…" he forced a weak string of words out to her.
"Anytime, kid. Now eat up. You need to get your strength back in ya." She pulled back now to give him space to eat what he could. At this point, she didn't expect him to finish his plate, but that was fine as long as he got something in him.
And so he did. Jiji continued eating. Those sullen brown eyes of his distant, gazing past the table mere centimeters from them. All Momo could do was stare at him. Her own heart broken to pieces for him. What could she even do to help? Nothing useful. Simply being next to him or giving her condolences felt like an empty platitude. She doubted he'd want her pity— she sure as hell wouldn't want it. Something will come to her. But for now, all she could think to do was to lean on him and give him what little comfort she could offer.
Next thing Jiji registered, not realizing time had even passed, was that breakfast had been finished. He found himself idly washing a dish. It had to have been at least the twentieth round he's scrubbed this bowl. The monotony of the circular motions being what grounded him back to reality in the first place. He moved to the next and his mind drifted far away once more.
The bird chirping outside and the breeze wafting a pleasant smell was his next bit of consciousness. It was so familiar. If he hadn't thought better, he'd feel like he was back at home again. So he closed his eyes and let himself pretend for a while that he was. That the forest that overlooked the village was right across from him once more. The birds were right there, singing just for him. And if he looked to the left, he'd see the beautiful scenery with the sprinkling of hot springs. Once his eyes opened again, the illusion was gone. Whatever semblance of a smile that was there is completely gone. Then, yet again, his mind fell back to a dark and empty void. Where he didn't have to think. Where he didn't have to feel.
And suddenly, it was time for bed again. Surely, he ate lunch and dinner too. Neither of the two ladies would let him go without. So he decided not to think about it too much. Now came the harder, nigh impossible, task.
Closing his eyes.
He didn't want to. He didn't want to keep reliving this nightmare he was trapped in. Jiji fought with it throughout the night once again. Unfortunately, this time, he didn't have the exhaustion to make him pass out. So, he had to live with the tears. With the pain. With the imagery of their lifeless corpses laying on the ground in front of their home.
After some time, while it was still dark out, he managed to knock out. Everything was restless, but at least it was something.
"Hey. I need your help with something."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"I need you to look into the Enjoji's that lived there."
"Ah, something happen?"
"The parents have died suddenly. Their son showed up here last night looking like shit. Can't help but think it's not just an accident."
"Sooo…you want me to do an investigation? I'm not a detective, master."
"You think I'd call you if I thought it was just a murder, dumbass!? I picked up something else goin' on. Could be his own spiritual energy, could be something was fucking with him."
"Got it. I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks. Keep in touch. If I gotta go out there, I will."
"Will do!"