Chapter Text
Itoshi Rin is officially pissed right now.
To be fair, his nose is always turned up in annoyance in general. But it seems their little ‘game’ has gone beyond from the line drawn not to cross.
Before jumping into the present scenario, we have to know about the past. So, with a click, let us pause here at the imagery with Rin drenched in milk and rewind back to the starting point.
Since when he was a kid, Shidou Ryuusei has been an excellent student — If the description included being that skilled in sarcasm to offend the other person in seconds, loud as the vehicles honking in traffic jam, straightforward as an arrow being released from a bow and punch the lights out of someone when they spout bullshit, then yes, he is an excellent student.
Currently, he is preparing his bag for the first day of college. Ryuusei had no serious plans for the life is a misconception. He is carefree because why take stress? He can be himself and be serious for what he has to be.
He had interest in art and fashion since the day he had stepped in his mother’s boutique. Shidou Sayuri (Ironic name considering she is definitely not a delicate little lily), is a single mother who whacks him too often so if you think he has loose marbles in his brain, she is at fault!
“I heard that, Ryuusei!”
He winces and braces himself for the hit. He waits for few seconds and yet there is nothing. He cautiously opens an eye and very that moment, a newspaper roll hits his head.
“Ha! You fell for it again!”, His mother cackles in delight at another win.
“This is getting old. What fun do you gain from this, Okasan?”, Ryuusei asks, annoyed. He rubs his head and hisses out as pain flares up.
“I had a feeling you were speaking bad about me”, she replies and gives him a mischievous grin.
“So, you did not even hear anything and just hit me?! That is so not fair!”
He huffs and sits down on the couch. He folds his arms in mock offense and legs splayed on the table. Not a second is wasted and there is a spatula hitting his foot.
Not again , he thinks as he glares at her.
She shrugs back at him, smiling.
“Ryuusei. You literally were whispering your thoughts out.”
He blushes in mortification.
“I did not! You are just using my childhood habits as a defense”, He rebuts the accusation.
“Sure, Dragon. Whatever you say”, She snorts and tries to sit beside him. In protest, he does not move an inch.
Again, because his mother literally took the role of a dragon mother, she elbows him in the stomach too painfully, making all the air leaves his lungs and cough loudly.
“You could have told me to move”, He murmurs in annoyance.
“And you would have listened to me like an obedient child?”, She sasses him back and unlocks her phone.
“Yes?”
Sayuri stares at him as if he is stupid, which he realizes he is, and flicks his forehead.
“Actions speaks louder than words really applies to you. I can guarantee that”, She chuckles and shakes her head.
“Why are you annoying me so much in the morning today? I have to leave in few minutes.”
He reinforced his statement by displaying his watch- it read 7:30 am.
“I was giving you motherly affection. Can’t I even give it now, Mr. College kid?”
“You have hit me ten times since this morning. Ten times!”
For the millionth time, she gives him the you-are- stupid stare.
“My dear, Okasan. The affection is enough for now. Can you show mercy to this poor, first day of the college kid?”, He begs her and presses his palms in a ‘prayer’ gesture.
She simply blows raspberries on him.
How mature.
“Fine. I will not keep you here anymore than needed. But- “
She pauses and contemplates her words. She squeezes his arm and smiles warmly before continuing.
“Be careful. I know you are strong like your namesake, Ryuusui, but this world is not so nice. I know you have your reasons and I trust you but try not to get into too much trouble? I will always support you. There is no doubt about that, you hear me?”
Ryuusei couldn’t help but feel grateful for her. She annoys him lot with her antics but she is the best mother. He nods in understanding and hugs her.
“I will try to. I will go now or you will be arrested”.
He picks his bag and slung it over his shoulder.
“Arrested for what?”, She asks, bewildered.
He steps out and shouts over his shoulder.
“For the crime of making your son cry on the first day of his adult journey!”
WHACK!
A pink slipper hits his back and he laughs carefree, running towards the metro station.
“Sayuri stop hitting the poor child already! You really need to have the last word, don’t you?”
A woman, who looks to be in her late 60’s enters the living room. She is sitting on a wheelchair, wearing a pink cardigan. Speaking of pink, the whole family follows the aesthetic very religiously.
Whether it is grandmother, mother or the son, all three of them have the color as a part in most of their things. Even the house interior is decorated with different shades of color but also to be noted is the balance between them so that they are not obnoxious to the eyes.
“Kaasan, you are one to talk”, Sayuri snorts and proceeds to make breakfast.
“Aren’t you getting late for office? Let me prepare it.”
The objection has not completely left her lips before Sayuri shuts down her mother.
“I can go late. I am the boss. I can afford one day of tardiness”, she shrugs in the carefree way with spatula in one hand and spoon in another.
She turns to switch on the stove but a hand twisting her ears painfully staggers her immediately.
“Just because you are the boss, does not mean you can be lazy. Every second is important in battlefield, child. Now, move your ass of my kitchen and shoo away.”
“You are watching too many ancient period dramas! Oka san this is my kitchen! You can’t hijack like- like that!”, She sputters indignantly.
“For now, it is mine. I am your mother. Listen to me.”
“Won’t your legs hurt though? It has been recently aching more, right?”, Sayuri asks in concern, her previous annoyance whooshed away.
“I need exercise as the doctor said. I am no China glass doll, Sayuri or you have forgotten the national karate champion?”
Her mother flexes her arm teasingly making her laugh.
“I will never forget it. But-“
She pushes her out with hands on her arms with a surprising strength from a woman of her age.
“You worry too much. You will get white hair sooner than me!”
“Recently in fashion white streaks are in trend. Maybe it is not that bad?”
Like a Frisbee, a slipper whacks her head similarly like her son.
“Oh, come on! You could have expressed your distaste verbally too. I am getting old too. Do you want me to get brain damage or something?!”
“Who says you don’t already have Sayuri?”
Grandma Shidou cackles loudly hearing the grumbling and huffing-gaffing of her daughter like the teenager she once was. She whips an egg and switch on the radio. The song playing was a love song, not her usual taste but it is not awful to ears.
“Nando hikisakarete mo toozakatte mo tsunagatta mama no
Futari wo tsutsumu mabuta no oku no uchuu"
(No matter how many times we are torn apart or separated
We'll always be connected and enveloped in the universe behind our eyelids.)
"Hoshikuzu no naka chiribamerareta kokoro ga futatsu
ai no yami wo kakenuketeku omoi ryuusei ni nari
nagarete yuku yo kimi no soba made kieru mae ni
bokutachi wa onaji seiza da to shinjite"
(A pair of hearts, yours and mine, have been bound within the stardust.
My thoughts for you, streaking through love's darkness, become a shooting star,
and will shoot all the way to you before it disappears.
So please have faith that we belong in the same constellation.)
"kimi yori kirei na hito demo kimi yori yasashii hito demo
kimi ni wa narenainda mou dare mo…."
(Some others may be more beautiful or more graceful than you,
but nobody will be able to replace you.)”
Hearing the song made her heart feel yearn for the man who was once the light of her life.
It has been many years since she has seen his face, heard his voice and felt his touch and yet it feels like she was in his embrace. Her husband’s death was nothing but fate’s cruel game. And that was not enough, her daughter had to endure worst than her.
She is not particularly religious but sometimes she feels that God is making them suffer as a price for what they have gained.
They both have achieved greater than what they expected. It was something she never will regret, she can say that for herself. But the price which she had to pay with her husband’s death makes her feel guilty for having such thoughts.
She feared that Ryuusei will also pursue the martial arts like how she and Sayuri did, but thankfully for her poor heart, he did not. Call her selfish but she did not want her grandson to suffer even an ounce of what they have gone through.
So, if God exists, hear her sole prayer:
Let her grandson find happiness.
If it is in a person, let them be someone who can reciprocate the loudness of the love her Ryuusei possess, not like the illness who was ruby wine and turned bloody black.