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 makes 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 dagg—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.

My shoulder and arm are still in pain.

Father taught me that brute force was for fools, stronger opponents win by knowing not to strike.

I hate this feeling, 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.

Left will suffice.

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.

I saw Hotaru angrily walking 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.

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.

Hotaru leapt past me, going next to her mothers chair.

“What were you trying to do to her!”

Do to her? 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!”

Why?

“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, she’s describing me.

Are all nairens related by those features?

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?

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.” said Hotaru.

Her mother is 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.

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!”

I guess she’s right…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.”

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, what have I done?

…

That day.

The reason I’m here, it all started that day during training. Maybe she’s right after all.

But…I don’t want to believe that, but for some reason I can tell she believes in what she said.

I stand and yet father is gone, but isn’t that the rulvins fault? Or is it my fault for bringing the rulvins?

Is that the curse she was talking about…

No, I don’t know. I don’t really know what happened that day, so why am I assuming it’s them without proof?

But still, I’ve always questioned why did my father resent the rulvins so much?

Is it the same reason Hotaru hates me?

Just for existing?

Is that reasoning justified..?

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

Her voice crackled.

“Because he’s a religious fool, he thinks taking you in will absolve him from his sins.”

Absolve…his…sins…?

So that’s it.

It was for his own protection, he’s using me like how warriors use weapons for training right?

So that blanket wasn’t for me, it was for him right? The conversation about people caring, it was all a lie? I guess I was right, he can’t be trusted at all…

Stupid, stupid, stupid me.

I should have trusted my instinct from the start, but I let my guard down…why though? Did I really want my father's words to be wrong?

“So he’s using me for his own self satisfaction?”

Hotaru nodded.

“Guess you can say that, but he’s just making things worse at this point. You don’t need to stay any longer. After all your injuries seem to mostly be better.”

Leave…maybe I—suddently Jinsei approached us.

“What’s with all the ruckus here?”

He’s here…

Jinsei looked quite surprised, he started to scratch his head as if unsure how to react.

“Misora’s sitting here too, guess she woke up from her bed then.”

Why does he sound so casual? Acting like nothing happened at all…

My chest began to tighten as I kept looking at Jinsei.

Why am I letting him bother me so much?

“I heard footsteps coming from outside, so I came to check. I saw him with mother…”

Jinsei let out a sigh.

“So what? Did you think something bad was going to happen?”

“You know what they’re like, dad! I’ve never seen one before so I just had to be careful alright?”

Jinsei's eyes turned towards Misora.

Does he think I’ve done something towards her?

“Alright, alright, we can all talk together tomorrow and clear things up. Just go to bed, both of you kids.”

Clear things up? I’ve done nothing wrong! Let me try to clear this mistake up.

“I didn’t go anything wrong, I was just trying to check—”

“I said to the bed, both of you. Now.”

Why won’t he let me clear it up.

Maybe he thinks I’m guilty without asking for my side. Now he’s commanding me to go back, he doesn’t even treat me like I’m human..

Because he’s a religious fool, he thinks taking you in will absolve him from his sins.

Why does that keep appearing in my mind?

“A-alright…I’ll head back.”

Quickly I grabbed the blanket I left on the floor and left the room abruptly, walking past Jinsei and leaving the rest of the family alone.

Hotaru stayed close with her mother, not even looking at me as I left. Misora’s gaze followed, but this time empty—expressionless.

It felt like I didn’t belong here at all.

As I walked back into my room with the blanket in hand, I tossed it to the bed.

That blanket he put on me…was it ever really for me? Or was it some ‘good deed’ for his own redemption?

My fist tightly clenched, causing my nails to stab into the palm of my skin.

I can’t stay here.

A curse like me doesn’t belong here anyways…I’m not leaving just because of him…

Father’s words echoed in my mind. “Don’t trust anyone.”

A while passed, after no longer feeling that presence I decided to leave that room.

As I walked outside the room on my way out, I noticed Misora wasn’t in that chair anymore.

Something wasn’t right with her, she didn’t even speak once. It almost felt like she wasn’t even alive, almost like an empty shell.

Well besides her staring at me…That felt pretty lively…Anyways that doesn’t matter now. It’s time to get going.

Huh, the door knob feels so cold. It never felt this cold at my house.

…

Should I really go? I don’t even know where I should be heading. I don’t know anything about the outside world…besides stories told by my father, but is that really enough? Maybe I should just stay…I could just stay in that room anyways, just like before.

Yeah maybe I should do that…I can always just look outside from my window right? I won’t have to see the rest of this family, and they won’t have to see me. I’ll admit it, I’m scared of the outside world…or maybe I’m just scared to go alone…

Suddenly as I let go of the door knob, I felt something move from across the window. Is it an animal or something? I guess I could take a closer look.

As I went to look outside the window, I saw a small figure waving towards me. Who could that be? The more I stayed looking out the window, the more I was convinced that figure was directly at me. Does he want me to come outside? Maybe he knows how the outside world works…

I grabbed the door knob handle again and pushed my body forward. Suddenly I could feel the cold night breeze push against my face.

“Come, let’s explore!” the small figure shouted.

I took a step forward without looking back.