Chapter Text
Hina leaned against the cold metal of a fence post. The rain clicked monotonously at the plastic lining of her umbrella, illuminated by a small screen against the hazy dusk. The storm was getting worse, it had pounded on relentlessly since the previous night with hardly any signs of letting up. Now and then a little spray of rain would slant down through the umbrella and splash uncomfortably against Hina’s legs. She tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, wincing at the cold sensation. The buzz of her phone eased her attitude and she tried to drown out the sound of the assaulting rain as she read the message to herself.
‘Sister, I will be by in a few minutes. I’m sorry but traffic is a bit held up at the moment. Love, Shingo.’
Hina gave a small smile at the glowing words. She gave a quick response to the text and shoved the phone back into her handbag. Having nothing else to do to pass the time, Hina merely waited by the curb under a short tree which provided hardly any shelter from the rain, seeing as its branches were stripped bare of leafage by wind and the changing seasons. Still, she admired the swaying trees across the street, how their bare branches swayed almost glossy in the dim light of the street lamps. The silhouettes of people slowly making their way down the sidewalk were made into ghostly figures as wisps of water twirled down from their figured in a grayish glow. Passing cars sent small drops of muddy water onto the sidewalk. Hina stepped back and frowned. Most of the time, she would stop to consider these small scenes but at that moment she was too cold and miserable. Nonetheless, she still took the time to count the cars. One red, three blue, four white, two taxis, five black. With each car, she became more impatient about it not being her own. An elderly woman passed by Hina and gave her an apologetic and pitiful look as she saw her standing alone in the cold downpour. Hina forced a smile and bowed her head with respect to the woman while involuntary annoyance crept up red in her cheeks. She tapped her foot in a puddle and tried to ignore the water which was slowly crawling into her socks.
Just as she thought that nothing could save her from this misery, her brother’s car pulled up cautiously along the curb. Hina gave an audible gasp of relief and fumbled around the car to the passenger side, closing the door in an eager rush. The first thing she saw upon entering was her brother’s embarrassed smile as he tapped nervously at the steering wheel.
“Thank you.” Hina breathed, slouching into the seat and not caring if her damp clothes affected the seat’s upholstery. She tilted her head to look out the window, thankful she was no longer in the rain which continued to pour outside.
“Hey, I’m sorry I got a bit caught up.” Her brother looked down, not wanting to look straight into her eyes. He pulled away from the curb and set out towards their apartment.
“It’s alright Shingo, really. I was actually really worried that you got into an accident or something.” Hina attempted to hide her discontent. She pressed her lips into a smile, which seemed almost painful against her conflicting emotions.
“You worry too much, sis,” Shingo laughed, relieved at not detecting anger in her tone. He momentarily took one hand off of the steering wheel to ruffle Hina’s hair. She giggled in response. “Business must have been difficult in this rain.” He offered.
Hina hummed in affirmation. “We managed.”
“And the customers?”
“They were more shaken than us, but glad to get away from the rain. I’m just thankful that Chiyoko didn’t make this week’s theme an aquatic one. That would have really stirred some nerves.” Namely Hina’s own nerves, but she didn’t disclose that to her brother. She would have been fine without seeing another drop of water in her life after that night.
“That would be rather appropriate, don’t you think?” Shingo sniggered at his joke. Hina pinched him. She shifted back to her seat and stared out at the red tail lights of cars ahead for a few minutes. It seemed their route home was taking longer than usual.
“Hey, Shingo?” Hina turned to her brother who remained focused on the road.
“Yeah?”
“Why do you never come visit me at work?”
Shingo sighed. “This again?”
“You wouldn’t have to stay long! Just maybe on a lunch break, come by and order soup or something.” Hina pleaded.
Her brother cleared his throat and responded, “Oh, come on, you see enough of me at home, you don’t need me tagging along during your only time without me. You may get tired of me.” He joked.
“I never could.” Hina smiled warmly.
“Besides,” Shingo cleared his throat. “My own work is very continuous. I always have to be on alert in case something happens.” His grip on the steering wheel became a bit tighter.
“Brother, nothing bad every happens here! At most, just a minor shoplifting but that doesn’t require a detective. I mean, how many times had something serious like a murder ever happened here?” The girl persisted, a hint of defiance arising in her tone.
“More than what would be considered alright.” The detective’s answer didn’t seem to satisfy Hina. She gave an indignant sigh.
All of a sudden, the red headlights in front of Shingo’s car blared red. It took a moment for Hina to realize it was their car that was faltering.
“Shingo!” Hina warned as she pressed the steering wheel to the left, away from the car in the next lane. Shingo looked shocked and instinctively gripped the wheel harder. After swerving back to the center of their lane, Hina leaned back and exhaled, her heart caught in her through a moment and was still racing.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” Shingo muttered to himself, grimaced and lightly hitting his head against the neck rest.
Hina consoled him reassuringly, trying to calm him down. She spoke with the faintest hint of worry.
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Once home, Hina set her handbag down hurriedly on a short chair, kicked off her shoes and peeled off her soaked socks. She walked briskly to the bathroom and ran a hot bath, left, and returned shortly with a set of fresh clothes which she set on the counter. Ridding herself of the sticky, freezing clothes as the most rewarding thing she had done that evening, Hina decided. Second most rewarding thing was slipping into a cozy, warm bathtub.
Shingo instantly returned to his room upon entering the apartment. The door was open a crack so a thread of light cut through the dark hallway. Hina passed, already changed in a modest nightgown and robe. She tried to peer into her brother’s room unsuccessfully. He was holed up in a corner of the room not visible to her and she didn’t want to appear suspicious. She continued to the kitchen, her mind abuzz with her brother’s strange distraction in the car. He was often the most cautious human alive to her. It wasn’t like him to take his mind off a dangerous task for a moment. Hina knew him far better than letting herself ignore such a detail. However, hunger mixed with exhaustion eventually clouded the thought from her mind. For this same reason, Hina couldn't bring herself to prepare anything more than soup for dinner. She made a simple broth seasoned with miso and green onions which was only large enough for one serving for two people. Hina ladled the steaming, golden liquid into two white bowls and transferred them to the table. Then, she made her way down the hall to the thin light of Shingo’s room. She paused at the door, realizing that opening it may be the only chance that she had to see what Shingo was up to, but hesitated. The light awkwardly struck her face as she stood there, hand poised against the wooden frame of the door. Hima gave up and knocked, instead.
“Shingo, dinner’s ready!” She called from beyond the door before returning to the dining room and taking her place at the table. The room was delicately lot with a hanging light and the rest was by various lamps around the room. As she glanced around, bored, Hina eye caught on the shrine to her parents. She instinctively bowed her head and threaded her fingers through each other respectively. A sudden wave of solemness took hold of her. Her moment of silence was broken as Shingo entered the room. For the first time that evening, Hina realized that his shirt was not buttoned all the way and that it seemed he may have skipped a few buttons. She shrugged this off. He sat down.
“Thank you for the food!” Hina and Shingo chanted as they began to eat. Hina hardly touched the soup. She was too intent on watching Shingo. He silently gulped down his soup, finishing it in nearly three minutes. His features seemed worried and rushed, although he was determined on finishing the soup before an urgent doctor’s appointment. Hina’s face twisted in sad confusion as Shingo quickly set his finished bowl in the sink and returned to his room. Hina sat alone at the table once again. She hardly had anytime to ask Shingo about what was going on before he had dashed away. She sighed and poured the leftover half of her soup into a tupperware container, setting it in the fridge. She would have it later.
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Hina’s wish goodnight to Shingo was meekly returned from inside his room. She paused once again down the hallway to give an unsteady look towards the door before continuing to bed. However, she couldn’t sleep. She lay in bed, over the covers, looking up at the ceiling at nothing in particular. She noted the thin web-like cracks which extended across the paint here and there as well as the moonlight reflected by her desk mirror. The rain was calmer now, muffled by curtains and window’s glass. But too many thoughts and scenarios scattered her brain subconsciously, none she could put a finger on. She tilted her head and sighed, staring at the wall. She remained like that, quiet and listening only to the rain and her breathing. Sleep dusted her mind as her eyelids drooped and her black hair flowed comfortingly over her neck. Hina could only think of one thing she wanted at that moment, and that was for the rain to stop. She wanted it to stop tapping at the glass and trying to get into her head with its incessant pitter- patter. After awhile of annoyedly regarding the rain, she realized that the rain wasn’t the only clicking noise. She heard one that sounded almost like fingers against a keyboard. Her mind lazily went to her brother. Sometimes his work kept him up late but never as early into the morning as it had then. Hina’s body curiously climbed out of bed, almost as if the thought took her over. She crept barefoot out of her room, down the hall, stopping at the entrance to the dining area. She pursed her lips into a displeased line as she saw her brother tapping spastically at his laptop. He didn’t glance up when she walked over to him. He just slammed the lid and rested his forehead in his hands, grinding his thumbs into throbbing temples. Hina’s brother let out a dejected sigh as he looked up at her wearily with those eyes that could always make her relieved, always made her feel like everything would be okay. However she couldn’t tell if it was the dim light of the laptop screen or the harshness with which he was staring at it, but his gaze made her feel somewhat uneasy, like she just realized she was standing on a tightrope over a pit which she couldn’t see the bottom of.
“You should go back to bed, Hina. It’s late. You have work tomorrow.” Shingo stated tiredly. Hina approached him, taking a seat next to him.
“You do too,” She replied, searching his eyes for something to hold onto, some reassurance.
“This is work.” Shingo looked back to the computer.
Hina nodded, she felt, almost out obligation.
“I’m sorry. I must have been off-putting today.” Shingo glanced up at Hina whose face slightly hid her shock. She was surprised that he brought it up, and thankful, for she didn’t have to figure out a way to bring it up as non-awkwardly as possible. Hina merely nodded timidly and folded her hands on the table, drumming her thumbs against the wood.
“I don’t want things to change.” Hina blurted out. Her sudden confession seemed to have lifted weight off her shoulders because she continued.
“I like my life just the way it is. Nice and simple: work, home, and you. If anything is going on, I don’t want it to change that.” Hina’s eyes became a little misty. Shingo was surprised at his sister’s forwardness. He was silent for a few moments, pondering his response. He clasped a hand over Hina’s hands and patted them soothingly.
“Neither do I. Don’t worry, sis.” He gave a small smile and reached over to Hina, ruffling her hair with his free hand. Somehow that gesture didn’t comfort Hina as much as it used to before.