House Satou
Lilly finally breaks her silence.
PoV: Akira
Fuck me, I need a drink.
After spending almost an entire day on a plane, Lilly and I finally arrived in Scotland, but the torture wasn’t over yet. From there, the ride from Edinburgh to Inverness was another three hours of travel. I still can’t decide if I’d have preferred to drive myself because of how much faster we’d have gotten here, assuming this tin can could even get close to my baby’s speed.
Finally arriving at our ‘family home’, whatever that means, the house’s staff were quick to take our stuff inside before I could even protest. Apparently, mom and the old man want to see us immediately. Damn, I should have used the car ride to practice some of the old Scottish wit.
Getting out of the car and stretching, I take in the surroundings. As expected, not a single thing has changed since the last time I visited. Everything is exactly the same, from the pristine look of the brickwork and cobblestone down to the length of the fucking grass. Of course, that’s the look they want to give off, isn’t it? Nothing’s changed, everything is perfectly normal, as if there’s no trouble at all.
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‘Dear old mum’ is the first to greet us once we’re inside. For all my complaining about our folks, she’s always been the more involved and affectionate one, so I guess she’s earned that title. There’s something… off about her, though for the life of me, I can’t put my finger on it.
“Madainn mhath, caileagan!”1 ‘Good morning?’ Huh, coulda sworn it was the afternoon already. Lucky for me, jet lag doesn’t hit me as hard as it does Lilly, who looks like she’s about to pass out.
“Good morning, mother. It’s so nice to meet you again,” says Lilly as we’re both pulled into a hug that I reluctantly reciprocate. Brave face, brave face…
Having exchanged pleasantries, Mom gives us the rundown on what happened with Aunt Socha.2 Thankfully, her condition’s taken a turn for the better and she’s been stabilized, but she still has to stay in the hospital for a few days.
“We should be able to visit her between this afternoon and tomorrow, according to the doctor. Mayoi should also be arriving sometime tomorrow to visit, as well.”
“Oh! Aunt Mayoi is coming, too?” asks Lilly with more than a little enthusiasm. She may not get along well with Shizune, but her mother is a completely different story. After all, she is our father’s sister. Speaking of which…
“Huh, does that mean we’re getting a surprise visit from the patriarch of the Hakamichi clan?”
“Absolutely not,” says a stern and authoritative voice from the other room. There he is.
Our ‘dear’ father walks into the room, not even bothering to hide the annoyance in his face at the mere mention of Uncle Jigoro. He’s accompanied by the old, golden Labrador Retriever from our youth. Old boy’s still kicking.
“Arf!” barks the old coot as he rushes toward us. It takes him a few seconds to recognize me, and even longer for Lilly, but once he does, he goes from protective guide dog to love-starved playmate. Poor thing.
“Oh, Niji! Yes, I came back!” says his previous charge as she playfully pats his head, Niji answering with a little bit of joyful whining.
“Niji.”
And with that, the whining stops. Father’s voice is neutral, yet assertive. With just a single word, he’s re-asserted himself as the man in charge. Niji’s entire demeanor changes: he quietly sits and stares at his master awaiting further command or acknowledgement. He gets neither.
“Good morning, Father. It is so good to meet you again,” says Lilly as she bows deeply in his general direction. Yeah, I’m not doing that.
“What’s up, Pops?”
“I am your father; I am not your ‘pops.’”3
“Aha. Well, we’re all here, so, what’s the plan?”
“‘Plan?’ Surely, you didn’t think that after an international flight and the long ride over, I’d subject you to further torture by having you drive us to the hospital, did you? You’ve been spending too much time with that boisterous clown my dear sister calls ‘husband’. Only he could come up with something so preposterous and inhuman.”
Yeah, you’d know a thing or two about that, wouldn’t you?
“Father, if I may ask. It was implied, rather strongly, that there was a sense of urgency in us being here. If we are not to visit Aunt Socha immediately, what is the cause for alarm?”
Lilly makes a good point, not that he would ever admit it. Things are getting weirder and weirder; Mom’s demeanor is off, there’s something urgent enough that needs us here immediately but not important enough to be discussed just yet, and even the old man is pretending to be somewhat magnanimous. What the hell’s going on around here?
“All in due time. Lillian, if you don't mind, there are some business matters I must discuss with your sister. Privately.”
Oh, goodie, it's time for the obligatory ‘so here's how you've been failing to meet my expectations’ part of the meet and greet. Hooooray…
Without any protest (not like he’d allow any), we make our way to the old man’s study and settle in. Huh. It’s… uncharacteristically hectic. There are unorganized books on the table, some notes scattered about his desk, and a few doodads here and there that are just out of place.
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“Pardon the mess, I’m in the middle of reorganizing my office. Sit.”
Oh sure, shall I also roll over and give you a paw? Maybe play some fetch? Eugh. I take a seat across from him and make myself as comfortable as can be, though it’s mostly because of the atmosphere that I’m having trouble. Say what you will, but the man has impeccable taste in furniture.
“Well, then. Let’s get down to business.”
He goes on and on about how things have been going in the European branch of the company. Most of it is information that I already know, and he knows that I know, but I play along. Everything goes as it usually does, until we get to the part about an open position in the company. An open executive position. One that he wants me to fill. The only way I can do that is…
“I expect this won’t be a problem?”
…
“Akira.”
“Sorry, what?” Shit, I must have spaced out. Who wouldn’t? A fucking executive position, at my age?! This isn’t climbing the corporate ladder; I’m practically skipping it! Father sighs deeply and repeats the words that made me lose focus in the first place.
“You and Lillian’s relocation, so that you may fill in the vacant position I have just described. I expect this won’t be a problem?”
Yeah, actually, there’s some pretty big fucking problems! Like, oh, I don’t know, leaving everything behind on a whim?!
“What about Lilly’s school? It’s the middle of the school year.”
“It will be taken care of. There are many excellent schools nearby that can cater to her disability.”
“And my current job in Japan? I can’t just-”
“It will be taken care of.”
“So, we’re supposed to just abandon our lives in Japan; friends, home, career, loved ones, just because-”
“Akira. This is in the best interests of you and your sister. Lillian’s future after Yamaku is riddled with too many risks to be left to fate. You know better than anyone that our homeland is not as accommodating to people like her as they are here. A blind hāfu living by herself at university?”
“She wouldn’t be by herself…”
“Oh? Were you planning to have her stay with you? Or were you planning to cater to her needs as if she were a child again? Yamaku has support systems in place; no matter how much Lillian functions without them, she benefits greatly.”
“I…” … can’t argue with that. Even without me around, Lilly does get some support, whether it’s from Yamaku’s staff, or from people like Hanako, Hisao, and even Shizune. But what happens after? Hisao and Hanako have their own lives to live, so does Shizune, and then there’s…
“Now, I understand you might also have reservations due to your current relationship. There are processes for him to acquire a work visa, provided that is the path you wish to take.”
There’s a lot, and I mean a lot, you can say about my father, but never once has he criticized my choice of partner. It’s a common thing among men of his position and status to scoff at the idea of their ‘princesses’ associating themselves with the working class, but given his and Mom’s relationship, he is a rare exception.
“I… I need to think about all of this… and I need to tell Lilly, some-”
“It’s been taken care of; your mother is explaining things to Lillian as we speak.”
Of course she is! I would expect nothing less; divide et impera, after all. It’s taking an unfathomable amount of restraint to keep me from lashing out right now, but I need to get out of this room and talk to Lilly before-
“Speaking of which, there is something she wanted to tell you, as well. Don’t keep her waiting.”
He stands up and opens the door, gesturing for me to leave the room. I’ve barely processed half of what just happened and he’s already throwing me out. Typical Hiroyuki Satou; cut, dry, quick, effective. At least he’s not stalling to keep me away from Lilly any longer; I know that the longer she’s alone with Mom, the more she’ll be able to get through.
“I will give you time to consider your decision, but do not delay indefinitely. You should also consider what is best for our family as a whole, not just you and Lillian.”
I zombie my way out of his study and he closes the door, my head still in about a million different places at once. A new job, a new home, a new country, just like that? No time to argue, barely any time to think, just an oncoming train with no way off the track. Just like last time…
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Before I know it, I’m back with Lilly and our mother. I’m so lost in my thoughts that for a few seconds, I was worried Lilly would see my expression and be concerned. It’d be a moot point regardless, because judging from her expression, I can tell she’s as overwhelmed as I am. Fuck me, I really need a drink…
“Ah, you’re back! Goodie! Sit, sit, now I can break the news to both of ya.”
“There’s more?” I let out before I can stop myself. At this point, does it even matter?
“Aye! Lilly, Akira… come the spring of next year, your father and I will be welcoming the newest member of our family!”
…
…
FUCKING WHAT?!
To emphasize her point, she places a hand on her stomach and rubs it in a slow, circular motion. Any doubt, or hope, that I had misheard her has just been crushed. Before I can say anything, Lilly all but squeals in delight.
“Oh, my! Mother, congratulations! How exciting! How far along are you? Have you thought of a name? Isn’t this exciting, Akira?”
“Yeeaaaaah, it’s great…” You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…
“Haha, calm down, Lilly, one at a time,” Mom responds as if this were the most normal conversation ever had on Earth. Am I awake right now, is this real, or did I die on that plane, and this is some demented purgatory?
“I only found out recently; we had planned to tell you under different circumstances, but with Socha getting sick, things got a little… hectic. Hah, maybe it’s providence; the timing of all this is too convenient for coincidence.”
Is that a fucking joke?! Her sister almost dies, we fly halfway across the world fearing for the worst, and now she’s thanking God for the convenient timing?!
“As for the name, your father has made it clear that it’s ‘my turn’, so I’ve narrowed it down to either Leanne or Adrianne. Regardless, I’m sure you’ll get along and will prove to be vital influences for her as she grows up. I’m so happy our family will be together when your new sister arrives, it’ll be a new beginning for all of us.”
Aaahhh, there it is! Clarification, your honor; I’m not in Purgatory, this is Hell. I died and went to Hell and am damned to this existence for eternity.
“Mother, you seem quite certain that it’s going to be a girl. Isn’t it too early to tell?”
Am I just not here? Am I the one who’s crazy? How is she taking this so well?!
“Hah, well, given your father’s track record, I’m pretty confident in saying that it’s going to be another girl! Hmm, I wonder if our family has an as-of-yet discovered connection to the Tudors?”
She’s laughing. Our lives are being uprooted, AGAIN, and she’s laughing. I can’t bear this anymore; I need to get out of here, I need to think, I need to breathe, I need to talk to Lilly. I need to speak my mind.
“Yeah… King Henryuki VIII of House Satou. Hope he doesn’t lock you in a tower.”
The good news: that felt really good to say. The bad news: my mother and sister are very upset, a fact made obvious by their perfectly synchronized chastising of me.
“Akira!”
Driving has always helped to clear my mind of things, and lucky for me, there’s plenty of road to use around here. Unlucky for me, is that I have to rely on this imported hunk of junk. Whatever, the important thing is that Lilly and I have a place and time to talk in private… even if I had to drag her with me.
“I don’t understand why you’re so upset, Akira, much less how you could say something so hurtful to Mother, especially when she’s expecting!”
“Can’t you see what they’re doing, Lilly? It’s obvious the old man just wants another kid so he can groom them to be the perfect little heir. Face it, they just want to replace us; we’re ‘defective’”.
“I think, Akira, you are being very unfair and are making baseless assumptions about-”
“BASELESS?! They fucking ABANDONED us, Lilly! We had to make do by ourselves for six years and suddenly-SHIT!”
I’m completely derailed by the road hump I just sped through. The impact causes us to bounce in our seats, which makes Lilly hit her head on the roof of the car, her yelp being almost as loud as the harsh, metallic thud that comes from the bottom of the car. Goddamn it, that’s gonna leave a mark. German piece of shit!
“Fuck, I HATE this car! I miss my Evo…”
Lilly rubs her head and, trying as hard as she can to maintain her composure, continues.
“The car is not responsible for your distress, Akira, and getting us killed in a fit of road rage will solve nothing.”
Deep breaths. Deeeeeep breaths, Akira…
“Lilly…” I sigh deeply in an attempt to calm myself. As angry as I am right now, she’s right that it won’t solve anything.
“It’s… just not right. Six years of minimal contact, and suddenly we’re supposed to crawl back to them like nothing ever happened. Oh, and by the way, here’s your new brother or sister, better accept our summons, or we’ll raise them by ourselves, and they’ll end up just like Hideaki!”
“You can’t possibly believe… well…”
“There, see? You know I’m right. They’re using the pregnancy as leverage, I just know it. It’s fucked!”
“You don’t seriously think-”
“I’ve had to deal with the old man’s bullshit for longer than you’ve been alive; do NOT underestimate his capacity for underhanded tactics, Lilly.”
At this, Lilly takes in, then lets out a deep breath, her hands clasped tighter than I’ve ever seen.
“Do not speak to me in that tone of voice. I will not tolerate it from you.”
… oh, shit, I may have overdone it a little. Lilly was never a rowdy or rebellious child, which makes these moments of ire all the rarer… and a little scary. Heh… Hell hath no fury like a Satou scorned.
“Alright, fine, sorry. Just… keep in mind that things are rarely so straightforward with our parents. I’d like to think that this pregnancy is a wake-up call for them, but… it’s gonna take time for me, for us, to go back to the way things used to be.”
“That’s perfectly understandable, and I agree. I just ask that you give it some thought after you’ve calmed down, as I will.”
“Alright, Lils. Deal.”
“Whatever the circumstances, we have an important decision to make, not only for ourselves, but also for our family. Thankfully, we have the time to process things and come to a decision… unmarred by immediate emotional responses.”
“Yeah, I guess. The old man said something along those lines, too. We’d better not take too long, though. Something tells me they expect an answer by the end of the trimester. Let’s just try to focus on why we’re here, for now.”
“Quite right; it will do Aunt Socha no good to see us distressed… and God help us if Aunt Mayoi catches on and the news reaches Shizune…”
“Hah!”
With nothing else to vent about, I drive us back to the house, much calmer and level-headed than before. I can’t remember the last time the ‘Scottish fury’ took over like that, but I’m glad I was able to hide it from the folks… mostly. Better think up an apology to the old man, just in case.
“You worry too much, Lils. I’m sure she’ll be fine,” I say to my worried sister. Today is Hanako’s birthday, and she has a history of closing herself off, to an unhealthy degree, during this time.
“I hope you’re right. Perhaps I should phone Hisao, just in case. What time is it in Japan right now?”
“Uh…” I check my watch for a second, then do a quick calculation in my head, which is interrupted by the sound of the house’s phone ringing. Jesus, that thing is loud, we’re in another room and can hear it clearly in here! It even makes Lilly jump a little, which is admittedly a little funny. It stops when Mom picks it up.
“Good morning. This is Karla Satou. May I help you?” There’s a pause before she speaks again. When she does, it’s in… Japanese?
“Ah, you must be one of Lilly’s friends from school, correct?”
“It’s so nice of her to find someone so polite! Lilly, dear, it’s for you!”
A look of surprise crosses her face before she stands up and makes her way to the other room, which gets her a playful scolding from Mom. Jeez, she’s capable of walking, you know…
After a few minutes on the phone, Lilly comes back, looking even more distressed than before. She all but throws herself on the couch with a deep exhale.
“A pence for your thoughts?”
“I didn’t ‘worry too much’; I was right on the money, it seems.”
“Damn… so, what, then? Hisao to the rescue?”
This gets a giggle out of my exhausted sister. I should be thankful that jet lag doesn’t bother me anywhere near as much as it does here, but jeez, we’re closer to noon than morning and she’s barely even awake!
“Quite the opposite. He agreed that it would be best to give Hanako some space for the time being, but that he’d make sure she was eating, at least.”
“Probably for the best. On the bright side, now he’s got a chance to show her how much he cares about her without us getting in the way.”
At this, Lilly turns in my direction and smiles, and even though she can’t see it, I return it.
“You noticed it, too?”
“You’d have to be a total lunkhead not to notice. He’s got a thing for her, even if he hasn’t realized it yet.”
“Does that make him a ‘lunkhead’, then?”
We share a hearty laugh at that. Hisao’s a good kid from what I’ve seen and what Lilly’s told me, so I hope things work out between him and Hanako. That is assuming he nuts up and goes for it. We’ll see.
For now, we have our own things to worry about. One thing’s for sure; our lives are changing. Whether that’s for better or for worse, only time will tell.
PoV: Hisao
“That’s… wow, that’s a lot to take in, Lilly,” is all I can manage to say. What else could I say? Lilly’s just dropped the mother of all bombshells on us; not only have her parents summoned her to live in Scotland with them, but she’s also already accepted.
“Why didn’t you tell us sooner? You’re leaving in a week!” That probably came out a lot harsher than I intended, for which I’m quick to apologize.
“I understand your frustration, and I deeply apologize for keeping it from you for so long. I just… didn’t know how to tell you. I suppose, as well, that I wanted some more time to think it through. I wanted to be sure of my decision before telling you.”
I’m not going to bring up the contradiction in her logic. She didn’t know how to tell us, yet wanted more time to think, even though she had already made her choice a while ago? There’s no point in arguing, it would only make this situation all the more depressing.
I run my hand through my hair, still trying to process all of this. Glancing over at Hanako, she has her hands balled into fists and her gaze cast downward. I do my best to reassure her by rubbing her back a little, but she barely reacts.
“W-what about s-school? C-can you just leave… like that?”
Her voice is audible enough for us to hear, but way lower than her usual tone. I feel an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu; it reminds me of how she acted when I met her.
“My family has already made the arrangements; the process of transferring will not affect my academic standing nor delay my studies. My new school has also been informed of my condition, and we’ve been assured there will be no problems.”
So, everything had already been decided a good while ago, huh? She did everything she had to do… except tell us. I can’t say that I’m not a little bit… irked by her secrecy. We’ve grown close over the past months, enough that I could say she’s like the sister I never had, so it stings a bit that she’d keep this a secret.
Then there’s Hanako. I can’t imagine how much this is affecting her, considering that they’ve been a unit for years. Hana’s made amazing progress in the time that I’ve known her, but this is still going to be a major adjustment for her. To withhold this information, something she knows will cause no small amount of distress in her, seems… I don’t even know what to call it.
I should try to change the subject to something more lighthearted, if nothing else, to end this conversation on a relatively positive note.
“Will you join us for Tanabata?” I ask, though it’s a rhetorical question. I know she leaves on Friday the 10th and Tanabata’s the Tuesday of that week, but I don’t know if she’ll have the time, or even the courtesy at this point, to spend at least one last holiday with us.
“I will do all that I can to finish the necessary arrangements for my move before then. I would very much like to join you.”
Well, it’s better than a ‘no.’ I hope, more for Hanako’s sake than for mine, that she can make it. I know it would absolutely crush her if this was the last time she saw her best friend before leaving the country… possibly even forever.
I glance over at my girlfriend, who has only moved a little. A slight nod, which for a moment, I forgot that Lilly can’t acknowledge. Maybe I should take the reins, just for a moment…
“Then we hope to see you on Tuesday… right, Hanako?”
She hardly glances up but manages to force a few words out.
“Y-yes. T-Tuesday… for Tanabata.”
“As will I. Well, I believe it’s best if I retire for the night,” she says as she stands up. Making her way to Hanako’s door, she turns around and bows at us, though it’s deeper than what you’d give your friends. It’s almost like… she’s apologizing.
“Goodnight, Hanako, Hisao. Rest well.”
“You, too, Lilly.”
“’N-night…”
And with that, Lilly leaves, closing the door behind her. For my part, I’m still processing everything she’s told us. It almost seems surreal or too crazy to be true. I’m half expecting that the walls of this room will fall, and it will all be revealed to be part of some idiotic game show. It doesn’t happen. This is real. Our best friend is leaving in less than a week and we may never see her again. I’m so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t register when Hanako got up to lock her door and hit the light switch.
I look up at her, though she hasn’t turned to face me. If it weren’t for the fact that Hanako is my girlfriend, I would be pretty terrified of this long and dark-haired girl standing ominously in this lightless room. It reminds me of a horror movie, which given the news we just received, we may as well be in.
As my eyes adjust to the darkened room , Hanako finally turns around and walks toward me, stopping just in front of me and looking directly into my eyes. Her mouth is slightly ajar, and she appears to be panting. There’s no way she’s thinking of-
Hanako pounces on me, her forceful movements are so surprising that I can barely react in time. She’s kissing me with a passion and desperation I’ve never felt from her before. Normally, I would be all for it, but there’s something that just feels… wrong about this.
She leans harder into me, and I fall back on the bed. For a brief moment, our lips part, and that’s when I see it. Tears. They’re welled up in her eyes and some have already traced their way down her cheeks. She moves in again, hoping to suffocate me with her lustful affection before I can do anything. No… no. I have to stop this. Not like this.
“Ha… Hanako?” I push myself up a bit, but she remains straddling me. I put my hands on her cheeks and look deeply into her eyes, the question need not be asked. Seconds later, the dam bursts; her composure shatters and she begins sobbing, tears streaking freely down her face. Between shallow breaths, she quietly pleads with me.
“Hi-Hisao… p-please… don’t leave me… P-promise me you won’t leave me, too…”
Fighting back my own tears, I carefully nestle her head on my chest and hold her close, gently stroking the back of her head with one hand while the other caresses her back. I hope the words that leave my lips are as comforting to her as they were to me.
“I’m here, Hanako… always.”
1 I have no clue how accurate Google is at this 3,000-year-old language. It’s supposed to say, “Good morning, girls!”
2 Developments by dewelar
3 Akira Pseudo-Route by Thanatos02
Bonuses/Scraps
Author's Notes
