Yocchan

My hospital room was simple and grayish, with enough space for twenty people. I sat on the bed, dad on a chair, and Hyakuya-san and Shou on a nearby couch.

“Hyakuya-san, can you tell me how you hide your feathers?” I asked. He’s also a bird, so he might know something.

“To me, it is like moving a limb, but requires more concentration.” He replied with a smile after gathering his thoughts. “Try?”

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my back. I could feel their weight on my back, and I imagined them closing in, slowly withdrawing into my skin, but even if I concentrated so hard that I sweated buckets, my wings would not budge.

“It’s useless.” My shoulders slumped.

“Don’t worry. Even if society shuns you, there will always be those who are willing to stay by your side.” Shou touched my shoulder.

“You’re talking from experience, aren’t you?”

“Yes. I swore my eternal loyalty to the Goddess Athena, so people who do not understand that think I am nothing but a weirdo.”

“Are you saying that I should become a weirdo as well?”

“Shou-chan has a point.” Dad spoke before Shou could quip back. “Yuuya, I’m still here. You also have Shou-chan, Hyakuya-san, and Tsutomu-kun.”

“That is correct, Kazakiri-san. You may feel lonely, but you are not in this alone.” Hyakuya-san said with a gentle smile. “You are also on his side as well, I assume, Yakou-chan?”

I instantly felt cold. I could not see Akame in the room, but as I was about to ask if it was a joke, the bathroom door slid open. Akame came out with her head lowered.

“I’m sorry, Nii-nii. I’m sorry for bullying you and putting you through this.”

I look at her. I couldn’t hate her, but I couldn’t bring myself to feel something for her either. I should say that it’s alright, it’s not anyone’s fault, but I sat there, silent. Akame is my sister, and I should say something as her brother, but my mouth would not move.

“Yuuya, that’s enough. How long are you going to keep acting cold towards her?” Dad stood up.

I knew Akame only pretended to be a weak scaredy-cat in front of others. She was a demon when it’s just her and me. And that’s why… I’m terrified of her. I’m terrified of the knowledge that I was alone in the room with her, unaware of her presence in the bathroom. I’m terrified of the pain. My wings throbbed, and Akame stared at me, wide-eyed.

She seemed to come to some kind of understanding, so she bowed and left the room.

“Yuuya…” Dad sounded disappointed.

“Please, give him some time.” Hyakuya-san spoke up for me.

“That’s right. I get into fights with my brother all the time, and we don’t talk for days, just like this.” Shou said.

“You’re right.” Dad sighed. “I had brothers, but it’s been so long since I last saw them. I forget that sometimes, it can’t be helped, but…”

Dad was about to start a sermon. I quickly got up.

“I’m heading out.”

“Yuuya, PUPA hasn’t allowed you…”

“To hell with PUPA!” I bolted out the door.

“It’s best to leave him alone for now.” I could hear Hyakuya-san’s voice before the door closed.

I followed the signs to the hospital’s rooftop garden.

An investigator walked past. He was a young man, probably two or three years older than me. He had brown hair and cat-like eyes. His brown tail swished side to side as he walked.

“Where’re ya going?” He asked.

“The garden.” I glanced at his name tag. His surname was ‘Yoshioka’, but his cardigan was covering his first name.

“You’re Kazakiri from Room 225, meow?”

Meow…? Well, at this point I’m not even surprised.

“Yes. What is it? Are you asking that I go back to my room?”

“Nopey, just asking. Do ya need anything, Yuu-kun? I can call ya Yuu-kun, right? You can call me Yocchan.”

“Yocchan…?”

“Meow, that’s right. Fumicchi is outside. If ya have nothing to do, go chat with her.”

“By Fumicchi, you mean…”

“The futakuchi-onna. Kawaguchi Fumi.” He raised his brows, his cat-like eyes widening. “She spoke of ya. I thought ya knew her.”

“Oh. She saved my life.”

“Oh, from Shiina-chan. That Shiina’s a super dangerous walking electric eel. Even I am scared of her.” Yocchan rubbed his arms. “Eh, I have a job coming up. Talk to ya later, Yuu-kun. If ya still in the hospital for the next few days, that is.”

Yocchan waved and disappeared down a hallway. The only thing on my mind at that point was the realization that Onizaki Shiina was a girl.

Wait, no, that could wait. This Yoshioka or Yocchan was the only PUPA personnel so far that seemed willing to talk to me. I needed to ask him some questions.

“Yoshioka-san, wait up!” I ran after him. My wings flapped up and down in tune with my steps.

“Huh? What’s the matter, meow?” He flashed a cheshire smile.

“Do you… know Kaname-san?”

“Ah. Senior Investigator Yakou Kaname, the one who married your father? Man, I used to have a little sister as well. This is nostalgic.”

“What’s Kaname-san’s job, exactly?”

Yoshioka twirled in place.

“She leads a bunch of investigations, so she’s out of the office most of the time. She’s got two adoptive kids to take care of, hmm?”

“Wait, you said two kids?”

“Yep. You and Akame-chan.”

My head was spinning. Was he messing with me?

“I really have to go now, meow, meow. See ya!” He leapt into a room and closed the door behind him, leaving me stupefied in the middle of the hallway.