My alarm rang at 4 o'clock sharp. Usually it wouldn't have taken me this long to jump out of the cozy bed, but we had been working extra hard lately. Not to mention, I did an extreme workout routine just a day prior. My arms and legs were sore from the over-exertion.
I rolled around under the sheet and did some morning stretches before leaping out of bed. The steamy shower depuffed my face and made me feel less bloated, but it did nothing for my sleepiness.
I dried and styled my hair before changing into the outfit that Hiro had specified. I had the embroidered Yukata coat hanging on my closet handle. The tidy stitching of my name confidently outshine its modest background.
The beautiful yet subtle phoenix embroidery still had me in awe. I watched my reflection staring back at me in the dresser mirror. Something about my hair felt off.
Then I remembered the old photograph in the living room. Amongst the many group pictures, one black & white portrait in particular stood out to me. It was a wedding picture. Hiro's parents were at the center of the frame; wearing a full traditional wedding ensemble.
They looked way different then, but they still hold a lot of resemblance to their younger selves. The less formally dressed couple by their sides were in a simpler get-up.
The lady next to Hiro's dad was the only woman with her hair half down whilst every other female in a photograph had theirs fully in a bun. It gave me a nostalgic feeling of how my adoptive mom used to tie my hair for school during the first 12 years of my life. I decided to pay homage to my childhood memory and took a picture of it to send to my mom.
Mom:
You look great sweetie! I have not seen you in that hairdo in years. You're gonna make me cry! Look at how much you've grown. I'll show it to your dad once he wakes up.
-Love, Mom.
Ren:
Aww! Thx mom. Btw, do u remember where I put that jade hair pin that u used to make me wear for my birthday? And why r u up so early?
Mom:
I don't recall packing it in the boxes for you to bring to university. I'll look for it this weekend. I always wake up this early. My tomato plants need some love. Oh, and we planted a new apple tree near our lotus pond. I told your dad that it looked tacky, but he disagreed. Let us know what you think on your next visit. Don't make us wait any longer! We miss you!
-Mom.
She sent me a blurry pic of our family dog next to the tree.
Ren:
Hahaha, ok. I'll see if I can visit during my winter break. I miss u too <3 (Don't sign ur name aftr evry text, I know it's u)
I moved on with my routine as she left me on read. I put on my sports shoes, combed my hair one last time, adjusted the clip, and pocketed my phone in my jeans. Makoto had been waiting outside my door to escort me to the living room where the brothers had gathered with their personal twists to the outfit.
Makoto stood by the lady of the house. He had on a forest green coat with deep brown undergarments. I had never seen him in anything other than his black and white butler uniform. It was a fresh change of pace.
The scary neurotic lady had her hair a traditional bun with a gold floral headpiece that matched her kimono. She had a white cotton undergarment and wooden slippers. She looked elegant and menacing; complete with her pale makeup and blood-colored tulip lips.
As her eyes scanned me from head to toe, a feeling of terror grew in my chest. She kept on eyeing my hair bitterly. I wondered if my attempt had offended her in a way, but I was too cowardly to ask. The butler ushered her into the family car designated for the parents' use and drove away; leaving me with the three adult babies.
They spent the past five minutes arguing on who got to drive the Cadillac. They did three rounds of Rochambeau to decide who would drive to and from the family ancestral house. Tadashi won and complacently lead us to the car.
Kenji sat on the passenger seat as Hiro and I cramped at the backseat. The oldest child wore a royal blue cotton Haori with his name embroidered with silver threads. His hair was slicked back with few longer strands dangling down the sides; unlike his usual pompadour hairstyle. It made his face look more youthful and livelier. He looked uncomfortable in the customary costume.
Tadashi, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life dressing up in his canvas grey coat. This was a great excuse for him to flaunt his fashion sense. His maroon locks were in a samurai bun with his fringe framing his sharp jawline.
He wore a thin light grey undershirt that was tucked into his high-waisted baggy suit-pants with a tied-up fabric belt. To top it all off, he accessorized with some steel chains, platinum wristwatch, and shiny black formal shoes.
"You're overdressed, as usual," Hiro complained.
"On the contrary, you're severely basic," Tadashi skidded the car; causing his brother's head to collide with the car window.
"Hey! Watch it!" he rubbed his head.
"Can you at least part your hair properly?"
"Grandfather's not going to see it anyway."
"Yeah, but I'm forced to be seen next to you looking like that," the older brother passed him a tiny comb.
"Ugh," he growled.
Hiro's ruby red Haori bled its hue onto his dark coppery hair. The hems of his coat were lined with gold stitches, as was his name. His undershirt, pleated pants, and leather sports shoes were of the same shade of black. Unlike his fashionable brother who preferred a slight contrast in the intensity of textures and colors of his garments, my friend had the talent of perfectly matching black clothes to blend them together into one cohesive void.