Chapter Text
Senzai didn't like the thought of working under Law. When his father made him and his brother, Isamu, study law, he wasn't sure about it at first. Though, eager to please his father, he agreed to study it throughout his highschool years.
However, while Isamu learned to love the subject, Senzai didn't share the same liking for it. Instead, he'd developed a different kind of passion. A passion for Arts. But with the stress his father placed on him? The expectations? He considered giving up art entirely.
Until he reached out to his best friend, Kibo. They took a while to catch up, and eventually talked about their choices for university. It was to him that Senzai revealed that he didn't want to enroll into a Law university, it was just what his father wanted.
Knowing about his passion for art, Kibo eventually recommended him an Arts University, which he was grateful for. He was still hesitant about it at first, until he remembered all the encouragement and comfort Kibo had given him, and applied.
So you could imagine how he felt when he actually received his enrollment letter sometime during the summer of 2015, repeatedly feeling the edges of it just to make sure if it was real, it was a miracle he wasn't getting any papercuts from it.
He wasn't the only one who learned about this news, however. As much as he didn't really want to mention anything about it, a certain 15-year-old would end up exploring his room like the annoying little brother he loved to be, and finding that letter.
Now, the two brothers sat at the edge of Senzai's bed, the older talking to the younger about his desire to study in an Arts course rather than Law. Isamu, oblivious to the stress that their father would place on Senzai specifically, didn't seem too worried about it.
"I think that's great, brother! You should totally go for it, but..." Isamu started, glancing down at the letter for a moment, then looking back up. "...maybe you talk to father about this, first."
Ah. That wouldn't end well.
"No- No. No, I shouldn't... Father wouldn't—" Senzai struggled with his words, only to be interrupted by a gentle pat on his shoulder. He turned to his brother, who was just smiling at him.
"I'm sure Father would be fine with it. He loves you, right? He loves us, so I'm absolutely sure that he'd approve." Isamu reassured, which at least lightened Senzai's thoughts about this at least a bit. Besides, the older one was their father's favorite son, why wouldn't he agree?
"I guess..." Senzai looked back down at the letter, before setting it down beside him.
"When he gets home?"
"Yeah, I'll tell him then."
Isamu's smile widened a bit, before suddenly trapping Senzai in a warm embrace. Though stunned, the older hesitantly returned it, finding comfort overshadowing his worries about the eventual conversation that was going to happen in just a few hours.
After a while, Senzai pulled back, standing up once he noticed the time. "Alright, you go back to your room, now." He said, ushering the younger out of his room so he could actually finish the chores his father left for them.
"Yeah, okay—okay! I'm going now." Isamu begrudgingly walked out after being nudged by the other a few too many times, pouting as he made his way back to his own room. Their father would be home soon anyway, he had a good game to finish.
Watching him head back to his room with that attitude, Senzai couldn't help but laugh quietly. Despite everything, he was somewhat glad that their father didn't put too much stress on Isamu, even if it did make him at least a little bit jealous. Just a bit.
But in the meanwhile, there was still a few spots he missed when cleaning earlier—might as well clean those up before their father arrived. Who knows, maybe that would do more to persuade his approval. Assuming there was even a small chance that he would...
When their father finally arrived home, both sons were already waiting near the door to greet him, having just been having their own conversation in the living room right before hearing the car pull up outside. It was mainly just Isamu easing Senzai's worries, though.
Their father, Akihito, simply nodded to them in greeting, about to simply head to his room to rest from work. However, Isamu stopped him. "Father, before anything—"
"What is it?" Akihito responded in his regular serious fashion, honestly, the youngest almost didn't understand it. This was their father, did he have to be so... professional with them?
"W-well, Senzai actually has something to tell you. About University." Isamu responded, unable to help the way he stumbled over his words at their father's tone. Senzai meanwhile, stood nervously beside his brother, his worries from earlier spiking up once again.
"Ah, yes. I'm sure at least one of the universities I'd recommended accepted you, isn't that right, Senzai?" Akihito asked as he walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of alcohol, just like usual. They've had a cabinet full of it ever since their mother passed...
"Uh- About that..." Senzai was about to speak up, but stopped himself. This was it, he'd have to reveal that he was diverging from his father's expectations. All of a sudden, he'd completely forgotten both Isamu and Kibo's reassurances. He considered just not saying it anymore.
But the letter was on the dining table. Both brothers had forgotten that they'd brought it down, and their father had definitely noticed its presence. Of course, he had to open the letter to read it himself, only spiking Senzai's anxiety higher than it already was.
For a moment, time froze. None of them moved. Just their father silently reading the letter with a serious expression, his reaction effectively blocked by his glasses. Yet, his mannerisms seemed to already say everything that he needed to.
"You applied to an Art's school?" He asked, crumpling the letter in his hand. They could both hear it in his tone, he was furious. "I paid for you to study law, I had very high expectations for you, son."
"I know, father, but just—"
"Just what, Senzai!?" Akihito slammed his hands onto the table, the bottle that was set down on it wobbling from the impact, and both sons flinched. They hadn't seen him this mad before. "You have wonderful grades, you're an exceptional student, you have potential! And you choose to waste it on—this?!"
Senzai went silent. All of his worries had come true, the worst ones possible. Neither him nor Isamu wanted to say anything now, stunned by the sudden loss of temper that their father was showing right now.
"I though I raised you better than this, I'm disappointed in you." Their father would say, before tearing the letter in half, letting the remains fall onto the floor that Senzai had just cleaned earlier. Then, he turned to his youngest. "Isamu. Did you know about this?"
The aforementioned individual stiffened, internally panicking just as much as his brother was beside him. At first, he thought of blaming Senzai. It was the easier way, he was the one that decided not to go law, after all. Isamu actually enjoyed the subject.
...But wouldn't that just be cruel?
He was the one that assured Senzai that it'd be okay. He was the one that told Senzai to talk to their father. He was the one that convinced him that their father could actually listen and consider. That was his one mistake, and he's made quite a few already.
If he blamed Senzai, that would just be another mistake to add to his record, wouldn't it? He'd be betraying his brother, just to save his own skin. But it was his fault, wasn't it? He was the one that was to blame. Beside him, Senzai was staring at the ground, drowning in many emotions that stemmed from shame and fear.
Seeing that, and considering who'd caused this, Isamu made his decision.
"...Yes. I encouraged him to do it." Half-lie, he technically only supported Senzai's decision, he knew it was someone else that actually persuaded the other's University decisions. He was the one staring at the floor now, feeling his two relatives' eyes on him now.
"No wonder. You've never been as gifted as your brother was, always more focused on your games than your academics." Just like that, all of Akihito's anger was then directed at Isamu. It actually surprised Senzai when he took the blame.
As much as it angered him to hear those words, it was true; Senzai was always the more academically gifted one out of the two, something that their father praised and treasured. Although Isamu had the passion, apparently the passion wasn't enough for their father.
Still, he pressed on. "But— Father, Senzai's gifted in art, too! I've seen it, he has a really good talent for it! If you just let him maybe try—"
"Quiet! I won't let you corrupt my son this way, I raised both of you to study law. That's what I planned to pay for, and that's the only thing I will pay for."
"Father just listen to me—"
"I said be quiet!" Their father reached for the bottle nested innocently on the table, raising it over his head. He was about to hit him.
Reacting quickly, Isamu had raised his arm to block it, but Senzai was quicker. He moved in front of the other, taking the hit instead. Blood ran down from his head once the glass bottle made contact, losing his balance as Isamu struggled to help him stay up.
"Huh, too bad your mother passed away." Akihito said, the broken bottle still clutched in his hand, not a single ounce of care in his eyes as he stared down at the two. Both of his sons had somehow managed to let him down at the same exact time, further frustrating him.
"Senzai!" Isamu, although physically active, was barely able to support Senzai's weight. It really was a shame their mother had passed, they really could've used a doctor about now. "Hey— Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Senzai merely brushed it off, more focused on the man they both called 'father' their entire lives, now staring at them like they'd done some heinous, unforgivable crime against their bloodline. Which in their father's eyes, they probably did.
"Tsk. Disappointing." Their father said blankly, before dropping the broken bottle on the floor and turning away without another word or even a second glance.
Whatever happened today, it either changed things for the best, or the worst. Neither of them were very excited to find out which one it was exactly.