The Hoshigawa Family

The Hoshigawa Family

I woke up early in the morning.

Though I struggled to get up, the pain was more tolerable than yesterday.

This was the first time I slept in a bed in a long time, it felt refreshing.

Suddenly the blanket slipped off me and onto the floor. Someone, Jinsei must have placed it on me while I was sleeping.

He did get me new bed sheets after all, and guessed I must have passed out when I planned on taking a nap.

The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous the thought of Hotaru out of all the people getting me a blanket seemed.

It only made sense for it to be Jinsei.

…

Though thinking about it again, I wasn’t sure if anyone else lived here…

Hotaru has a father, but what about her mother? Maybe she left too, I was told that mothers aren’t needed…

But the night before..why did I hear my mother’s voice?

I can barely remember her face…only her voice, especially her humming that soft tune.

Though at that moment it wasn’t her humming, she said something. What was it?

I pondered for a moment trying to recollect what she said…but nothing. I can’t remember.

Maybe it wasn’t important then, she wasn’t really there…not like father was.

Suddenly I could hear a faint creak coming outside the room, someone was approaching.

Hotaru?

No, the footsteps sound too heavy to be hers, it must be Jinsei.

A moment passed.

Nothing.

I could feel the presence emitting outside the door, but it was totally silent.

Maybe Jinsei is checking if I’m asleep? I guess I should say something.

“Hello, is anyone out there?”

No reply.

Yet that presence slowly drifted away.

They’re gone?

Hotaru…it has to be her right? She seems to be very distant.

But those footsteps were too heavy to be hers…I need to check it out.

No…maybe I shouldn’t. It could be those rulvins right? Maybe they came to me to finish the job.

I swallowed and grabbed the blanket sitting on the floor.

My hands are trembling.

If only I had that dagger—no!

I don’t deserve to wield a weapon, not till I find out what happened that night.

A true warrior doesn’t kill unless it’s their enemy.

Right now, I don’t know for sure if what lies ahead of that door is one.

Should I barge open the door or approach discreetly? I could pull a surprise attack...no, I don’t want to hurt myself and bother Jinsei any further.

I hate this feeling, the feeling of hesitation. But I have no other option right?

Stealth it is.

I grabbed the blanket and twisted it around my head, covering everything except my eyes.

As I slowly crept towards the door, holding the door knob I could feel its cold touch.

Hesitantly I pushed the door, making sure that the noise was at a minimum.

Huh? It’s still dark inside.

No candlelights or anything, everyone must be sleeping then right?

The hallway was swallowed by shadow, I don’t even know what direction to go.

Which one, left or right?

I hate making these fifty-fifty choices.

There's no logic or signs to go off.

The left will work.

I crept forwards in that direction. I could feel my feet brush against the rough wooden floor, that texture, it felt like home. But this isn’t home, I’m in a stranger's house. I’m no longer safe outside the boundary of my home. Anyone could be my enemy right?

A sudden flash appeared of Jinsei wrapping his arms around me.

Even him.

The blanket wrapped around my face started to loosen, so I tightened it and continued moving forward.

Something had me feeling a sense of dread.

It wasn’t the silence.

It wasn’t the shadow.

It’s the presence I can feel at this very moment, the presence of someone who isn’t supposed to be there. I could feel my eyes adjust to the darkness, that feeling has me focused.

Then I saw it.

At the far end, the moonlight slipped through the window, revealing her.

A silhouette, seated on an old wooden chair, the shadows moving and clinging around her.

It wasn’t Hotaru, she was too grown to be her.

Yet the resemblance of her purple and black colored hair was undeniable.

Maybe it was her but older…

Or maybe it was her Mother.

The woman in front of me was awake, her purple eyes were gazing towards me.

I urgently looked away.

Not out of awkwardness, but out of fear.

Was it her?

Why didn’t she say anything?

Even though I was looking away, I could feel her staring through me. She left me no choice but to utter words from my mouth.

“...Why are you just sitting there? Were you the one who came to my door?”

No answer.

Maybe if I approach her—footsteps. Behind me. Sharp, quick.

“Nairen!”

I flinched back, slightly turning my head. Hotaru angrily walked towards me.

Hotaru’s eyes were locked at mine, she approached right in front of my face, her voice almost hissing.

“…What do you think you’re doing?!”

I froze.

“Answer me. Why are you here!”

I slowly opened my mouth, but before I could say anything I noticed that presence again.

Slowly, I glanced past Hotaru’s shoulder.

Her mother hasn’t moved, she was still seated, silent, and expressionless like before.

Maybe I should say something, but what do I say?

Hotaru noticed my trembling gaze and scowled.

“Don’t you dare—” she turned around, her eyes following my line of sight.

For the first time since I met her, Hotaru’s voice faltered.

“…Mother?”

Guess I was right.

“What were you trying to do to her!” Hotaru shouted while rushing towards her mother.

Do to her? She should be asking what she’s doing over there in the middle of the night.

I unwrapped the blanket around my head and dropped it on the floor.

“I wasn’t going to do anything! What do you think I was going to do?”

Hotaru’s eyes sharpened in an aggressive way.

“You nairens are always up to no good!”

…Again that word.

“Why do you keep calling me that, that’s not my name alright?! My name is Seyren!”

She took a step forward, like she was protecting her mother from me.

“I don’t care for your name! I’m calling you a nairen because that’s what you are. The white hair and golden eyes, all nairens share that trait!”

White hair and golden eyes, I guess that is an accurate description of me. They all share those features…like how father describes mother…But my father doesn’t share those traits…does that mean he’s not one of them?

She glanced back towards her mother, the mother still expressionless, but at least she’s looking away from me now.

Hotaru brushed her mothers hair, lifting her hair to find something?

What is she checking her for?

Suddenly Hotaru's mother lifted two fingers with one hand and with her other hand she pointed towards me.

“What are you trying to tell me?” Hotaru whispered.

The mother’s eye started twitching, her eyes widened staring at me.

Thump-thump-thump-thump.

Again with the staring! W-what is with this woman, her behaviour isn’t normal at all! Maybe I should just go back.

“Mother, please calm down. I’m here, don't worry. He’s nothing to worry about, I’m here.” said Hotaru.

Why is her mother acting so strange, maybe I should go ahead and just ask her?

“Is everything fine with her?”

Hotaru glanced over towards me while brushing her mothers hair with her hands.

“You really don’t know, do you.”

What is she on about?

“What do you mean? I don’t know your right, so how about you fill me in.”

“Her soul is tainted…she has the inability to speak or communicate in any way. I’d thought you would know, don’t you people specialise in that sort of thing anyways?”

Tainted soul…?

Wait, what did she mean by specialise in that sort of thing?

“W-wait what do you mean by a tainted soul? Is there any way to cure it—”

Bang!

“Ehk!!”

Woah! I almost fell back, she has some strength behind that hand doesn’t she. She just left a crack on the wall.

Did I say something to upset her? I didn’t mean to. Maybe I should just apologise.

Hotaru shouted.

“Why does everyone keep asking that! If there was a way to cure it, do you think she would be in this position right now if there was a cure!”

She’s right, maybe she’s sick of hearing that…I really struck a nerve with that one.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to be upset.”

Hotaru snarled back.

”It doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean to, you did it anyway! Why don’t you just go back to your room!”

Does she really hate me that much, even after I said sorry? She’s acting totally different to me than Jinsei…

“What did I ever personally do to you? Ever since I’ve arrived in this house, you’ve been staring at me with disgust. I haven’t even talked to you properly till now, yet you still treat me like some sort of danger…”

Hotaru’s facial expression changed to a softer tone.

She stopped brushing her mothers hair.

There was a long pause, no one moved an inch.

Her expression changed suddenly after realising that her mother stopped staring at me.

Her tone changed, a blend of that soft yet still with a passively aggressive tone.

“You didn’t do anything to me yet. Regardless, you nairens are born to be cursed in this world, that’s something you can’t control.”

A curse to the world?

Is that what she meant by misfortune yesterday? I was really born to be a curse? Could that really be true?

For some reason I can tell she believes in what she said.

…

That day.

The reason I’m here, it all started that day during training. Maybe she’s right after all. Only a curse wouldn’t remember how they killed their father right…?

But…I don’t want to believe that, but that’s the truth right? I was the only one holding that knife that day…the blood was all over me. I’ve made so many excuses, blaming rulvins before blaming myself.

I’ve always questioned why my father resented the rulvins so much? Is it the same reason Hotaru hates me? Could it really be just for existing…If that’s so, is that reasoning justified..?

So then why…why did that man help me?

“If I’m a curse, then why did your father help me? Why did he bring me here to his home?”

Her voice crackled.

“Because he’s a religious fool,” she snapped, voice trembling, “trying to save people who can’t be saved.”

As soon as Hotaru finished, Misora raised her hands down, her eyes starting to rest.

Religious? Am I meant to know what that means, is it something similar to me being a nairen or something? I don’t know what it is, but I should ask another time…I know one thing though, the way she looks at her mother, is how I looked at my father.

“What’s her name?” I asked.

Hotaru blinked, her eyes started to look softer. She didn’t look towards me, but back to her mother.

“…Misora,” she said quietly. “Her name is Misora Hoshigawa.”

That name echoed in my mind. Misora.

The meaning of that name means beautiful sky right? The name sounded so gentle, too gentle for someone who looks so lifeless. I don’t know what Hotaru means by her soul being tainted, but I guess it must be like dark clouds covering up that beautiful sky right?

“Misora…that’s a beautiful name.” I whispered.

Hotaru flinched. The hand she’d been running through her mother’s hair suddenly stopped.

“Don’t… say it like that,” she muttered. Her voice was quiet.

Before I could respond, I heard footsteps approaching the room.

“You’re both awake already?”

That’s Jinsei’s voice.

Hotaru quickly straightened herself, putting her hands next to her arms like she was caught doing something wrong.

“Father,” she said quickly, her tone louder than before.

Jinsei smiled faintly, his eyes moving between me and Hotaru before looking towards Misora. For a brief moment, I saw Jinsei’s smile fade away.

“You shouldn’t be wandering around this early, Seyren, especially with those injuries.”

“I know… I just woke up, I couldn’t sleep,” I murmured.

He nodded, then looked back at Hotaru. “And you, Hotaru? Couldn't you sleep either I’m guessing?”

Hotaru shook her head.

“I was checking on Mother that’s all,” she replied in a soft tone.

Jinsei took a step towards Misora, kneeling beside her. He gently placed his hand on top of hers, with his other hand gently brushing the front of her hair, trying to take a look at her eyes.

His smile didn’t falter like last time.

“She looks peaceful tonight,” he said quietly. “That’s good.”

Hotaru looked away from both of them.

The tension between them started to become more noticeable. Guess she doesn’t look at her father like her mother, was it because of yesterday or have things always been like this?

“Come on,” Jinsei said finally, standing up and brushing off the dust of his robes. “Let’s not bother her like this. Since you two kiddos are awake, guess I could make some breakfast. Better not pass out while I’m cooking, especially at the table.”

Hotaru nodded while avoiding his eyes. “Alright.” she said.

Jinsei was still smiling while he turned toward the hallway. “Good. Let’s go then.”

Hotaru followed after him, her footsteps quieter than when she approached me.

Once they left towards the hallway I took a glance towards Misora, her eyes this time closed. The moonlight from the window next to her shifted, resting softly over her face. She didn’t look lifeless like before…she looked at peace.

“Beautiful sky, huh…” I murmured under my breath, then turned around towards the hallway.