"Jin-chan? Wake up, sleepyhead. Your daddy's here."
" Mmmm… Uh, ba. " Pudgy hands wiped clumsily at tired eyes, little Jin Fujioka letting out a really big yawn. And no surprise; it was almost four in the morning!
Maaya Inoue smiled softly as the little girl slowly woke up. Jin was so cute! When her neighbors had asked if she could babysit their daughter at the last minute sometime yesterday afternoon, she hadn't been able to refuse. And besides, Jin was a sweet child. Babysitting the little cutie wasn't even hard to do, and it only made Maaya more excited about starting a family of her own...
When the little girl's big brown eyes opened fully, she offered a happy smile and babbled nonsense, reaching out for her father who had just caught her attention. Ranka rushed over and scooped Jin up out of the temporary bassinet, hugging his daughter close.
"Were you a good girl for Inoue-san?"
" Bababababaa… " Jin grabbed the tip of her father's nose, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. The man merely grinned wider before turning back to his neighbor.
"Thank you so much for this. I'll be back later today to get the bassinet."
"It was no trouble, Fujioka-san! Jin's a delight!"
"Isn't she though?" Ranka poked at the girl's belly, making her laugh a little before it morphed into another yawn. Suddenly tired, Jin snuggled her face into her father's chest, probably about to fall back asleep. The action was so cute, Ranka felt like his heart might explode. Even at four o'clock in the morning, this was turning out to be a perfect day.
Cheeks beginning to hurt from how big his grin was, Ranka nodded once more to his neighbor before he walked out of the apartment. He got a few steps away before a soft voice called out behind him, "Happy birthday, Jin-chan!"
In the darkness of the early morning, Ranka couldn't see his daughter from her spot against his chest, but did feel her shift a little at the sound of her name. He kissed her brow and whispered his own happy birthday. He'd have to see if the hospital allowed for birthday cakes in their rooms. There was no way he was going to let his daughter experience her first birthday without an actual cake to celebrate!
The train ride to the hospital was quiet and smooth. A few random train-goers cooed over the sleeping girl with her father, but Ranka was too excited and nervous to pay them much attention. He hadn't gotten a single phone call in the half hour he'd been away, but it was still nerve-wracking to leave his wife all alone at the hospital for such a long time. As for the excitement part…
Walking through the whitewashed halls of the fourth floor, Ranka gently woke his daughter once again. She whined a little, but still blinked her cute eyes up at her father in expectation. It was times like these that the man really appreciated being gifted with such a perfect child. Even at just one year old, he could tell Jin would be an amazing person. And that wasn't just because she was his daughter! She was a really pleasant child to be around. Rarely cranky, rhythm oriented, and fairly advanced for such a young age. There was a certain intelligence that shone in her eyes when people spoke to her. Enough so that her father was one of the few family members who still used 'baby-talk' when they doted over her.
The little girl let out another big yawn just as her father opened up one of the many doors in the hallway. The room was quiet and softly lit, the gentle sound of a heartbeat monitor in the corner almost lulling Jin back to sleep.
The two walked closer to where Jin's mother was resting on the hospital bed. The moment she saw her, the little girl babbled a little more and held out her arms. But then she noticed her mom was already holding something else. She blinked a little, curiosity for what was in the bundle of fabric taking over.
Kotoko, noticing how Jin was watching the blankets in her arms, smiled softly and shifted her grip to turn the cloth around.
Instantly, Jin's eyes were glued to the small face peeking out from between her mother's arms. She went still, entranced. A nod passed between her parents before her father softly sat down on the bed, close to her mother's shoulder. Jin was seated in an upright position in her father's lap, eyes still fixed on the small human next to her.
" Jin? Meet your little sister. Haruhi. "
Being only one year old, the whispered words didn't really mean all that much to her. But the seriousness of her mother's tone did. She continued to stare until Haruhi started to shift. Slowly, the baby blinked it's eyes open, and Jin gasped. Ranka couldn't help but join in, seeing his second daughter's eyes for the first time as well. They were big and brown and soft, just like Jin's.
The two girls continued to stare at each other for a long time before Jin hesitantly reached forward. From within the bundle, there was a slight movement before Haruhi began sniffling. Her big sister withdrew, hurt reflecting in her eyes.
Thankfully, her father could tell what the real problem was. With a slightly trembling hand, he reached over and untucked a small section of the blanket swaddling his second daughter. Haruhi's tiny arm reached out, her eyes still stuck on her big sister. Slowly, so she wouldn't scare her, Jin reached back.
Haruhi didn't hesitate to wrap her fingers around Jin's, and the bigger girl gasped aloud once again. For once, her hand wasn't completely wrapped up in one that was far too big. The hand now resting in hers was actually just a little bit smaller, something she'd never experienced before.
Jin smiled, " Ahh...daaba! "
At her sister's babbling, Haruhi giggles in that cute, adorable babyish way. Her sister mimics her, continuing to spout out nonsense so her sister would keep laughing.
Just behind them, the sisters were unaware of the tears rushing down their parent's faces. Kotoko looked up at her husband, a watery smile on her lips, "Well… I don't think we'll have to worry about them not getting along."
"Fujioka-san!" Pausing with one foot on the bottom step leading up to his apartment, Ranka turned around. Of course, as soon as he saw Hisoka Adachi walking closer, his feet were both planted on the cement.
"Hi! Oh, how have you been? I haven't seen you in forever!"
The older man laughed in response, "Not surprising considering you have two little girls in the house. And I've been just fine. Business is booming downtown, I'll probably have to hire some more hands around the shop if it keeps up! But how about you? How're Jin and Haruhi?"
Ranka squealed, clutching the grocery bags close, "Oh, they're just little angels! Jin doesn't let her little sister out of her sight!"
"I'm not surprised," Hisoka shook his head, well aware of the Fujioka's antics, "I see the two of them playing around the complex all the time. And wasn't her first word 'Haru'?"
"It was." The brunette pouted, "I'm still not sure whether I should be more upset about that…"
His colleague laughed again, "Well, I should probably head home, now. And you should probably deliver those groceries. It was nice to see you again, Fujioka-san!"
"You too, Adachi-san!"
With a reinvigorated pep to his step, Ranka bounded up the steps to his own apartment. He enjoyed talking with his neighbors, or at least the ones who didn't avoid his dress-wearing self like the plague, and considering his conversations with them always seemed to involve talking about his little girls it was never a burden to exchange a few words with the cohabitors of his complex.
"I'm hoooome~ " Hip-checking the door shut, Ranka was immediately gifted with the sight of his wife's smile. Kotoko was currently washing the dishes from lunch, her hands softly scrubbing at the ring of broth left around the inside of a bowl.
"Welcome home, dear!"
"What's with that smile?"
Almost immediately, Kotoko's expression turned mischievous. It was a look that prompted fear in the court rooms of Bunkyo, but only hinted at lovely surprises when seen at home. "I never could hide anything from you." Turning back to the sink full of bubbly water, she tacked on in almost total nonchalance, "Haruhi said her first word while you were out."
The bags in her husband's hands immediately fell to the floor, "She did? And I MISSED it!? What did she say?"
"Daddy!" At that moment, little Jin bounded out of the living room, a huge grin on her chubby face and hair swinging side to side, "Daddy! Daddy! Haru said 'Nēchan'! Haru said ' Nēchan ' ! "
Ranka blinked, then looked over at Kotoko. She nodded, a proud 'Mommy' smile on her face. For a moment, the man couldn't think of what to say. So, not only had 'Haru' been Jin's first word, but now her little sister was already calling her 'Nēchan'? His daughters were far closer to each other than he had anticipated.
He took one glance at Jin's face. There was a light pink tinge on her cheeks, her big brown eyes sparkling as she waited for her father to respond. She looked so happy...
Heart efficiently melted, he scooped the little girl up into his arms, "Well then, since you two are so important to each other, you have to promise me one thing, alright?"
Jin nodded, an abnormal amount of understanding in her returning gaze. Absentmindedly, Ranka mourned the fact that his eldest had, once again, ripped out the cute pigtails he'd put her hair up into earlier. They never did seem to stay in for long.
"You have to promise me that you'll always look after Haruhi, okay? No matter what. You're the only big sister she has."
Another curt nod, "I promise , Daddy." Jin's face was set so seriously, Ranka couldn't help but worry he had just made a mistake. If Jin really took his words to heart-
"Nē… Nē… Nē-cha! Nē- cha! "
Jin began squirming in her father's grip, spinning around and kicking her legs, "Comin', Haru! Nēchan is comin'!" The moment her duck socks touched the kitchen floor she was running back into the living room. And all the while, her parents could still hear Haruhi stumbling through the word 'Nēchan'.
"Oh… that's precious! "
"Isn't it though?"
Pencil lead softly scratched across the paper in Jin's lap. Shifting a little within the blanket cocoon she'd wrapped around herself, the brunette lifted her head to peer out of the living room. From her spot on the chair, she could just barely see her Daddy's left shoulder as he washed dishes. He'd been quiet for a long time, and it made her worry.
Though, she'd also been quiet.
Looking back down at her math homework, Jin's pencil hesitated over the paper. She was tempted to ask Daddy when Mommy would get to leave the hospital, but she didn't dare. The last time someone had asked him that question, she'd been woken up in the middle of the night by her Daddy's crying.
She still didn't understand fully what was going on. All she remembered was her Mommy's hand had been really warm right before she'd fallen in the middle of the grocery store. And now she was at the hospital. Jin didn't like the hospital. It felt sad.
"Nēchan?"
Jin's head whipped up again. Staring at her from the edge of the couch was Haruhi. Her baby sister took one look at her face and started climbing up onto the cushion with her.
Unfortunately for Jin, Haruhi was using the blanket to climb. The soft fabric pulled away from the brunette's left side and she hastily shoved her newly revealed hand back into the retreating cover. Instantly, she winced. The back of her hand was still a little tender after her last piano lesson.
Jin didn't know what to do. She didn't purposefully disobey Noa-sensei! But she liked playing the piano… and she liked to play it fast. She had learned to not complain when Noa-sensei told her to practice the same song two weeks in a row. She'd learned to play with "proper" technique, even if that meant ignoring the book's instructions she had memorized and copy Noa-sensei instead, though it felt weird with her hands. But the one thing she couldn't seem to stop doing was picking up tempo.
She had tried to explain, without whining, that the nursery rhymes she was playing were supposed to be faster, but Noa-sensei always got out the ruler when she tried to speed up...
Tugging the blanket further over the back of her reddened hand, without accidentally making Haruhi slip off the couch in the process, Jin tried to ignore the stinging she felt across the back of it. She shouldn't complain. Noa-sensei told her that a lot too. Stop complaining all the time! You're lucky I'm even teaching you at such a low price!
And besides, the ruler had broken in half today. So, even though they had half an hour left in their session, Noa-sensei had told her to go home.
Except, she didn't go home. Not right away. As there was no where else for her to practice, Jin liked to sneak down the hallway of the high school music hall after every session. The nice janitor, Itami-san, would always unlock the big concert hall just for her, where a beautiful grand piano awaited. And that was the big reason she didn't complain to Daddy about mean Noa-sensei. If she didn't have lessons, she wouldn't get to play anymore at all! And she liked playing her songs for Itami-san. He'd sit in the first row and be her one-man audience member, giving her a standing ovation whenever she deemed her concert 'over'.
"Nēchan, whatcha' doin'?" Haruhi partially collapsed herself against her older sister's side, ever-curious eyes raking up and down the paper in Jin's lap. Almost immediately, Jin felt better.
Settling a little more comfortably against Haruhi, she smiled brightly down at her, "Math homework. Want me to teach you?"
Haru nodded her head eagerly. She loved it when her onēchan taught her what she'd learned in school. Being a grade ahead just made her feel closer to her idol, as Nēchan was also teaching herself math a year above her classmates.
"See these numbers, Haru?" The smaller girl nodded. She knew what numbers were. "This problem says 'three plus four'. 'Plus' means we add them together, okay? Hold up three fingers, Haru."
Doing as she was told, Haruhi lifted her pointer, middle, and ring finger, proudly holding them out for her sister to see. With a cute giggle, Jin lifted her left hand and did the same, only she added her pinkie as well. Four.
She made sure to keep the red back of her hand facing away from her sister.
"Now, to add, we count all of the fingers together." Jin touched her left pointer finger with her right one, "Count with me, Haru."
Haruhi nodded once again, "Okay, Nēchan."
Together, the girls began to count, "One, two, three-" Haruhi paused, her forehead creasing a little as she tried to remember the next number. Jin paused as well, brown eyes casually waiting for her sister to think about it. She knew better than to try and give Haruhi the answer. It wouldn't help her sister learn at all and just hurt Haru's feelings.
"...four… five… six, seven!"
Haruhi giggled and almost clapped her hands, but stopped when she remembered she was supposed to be holding up 'three' for her Nēchan. Of course, Jin just smiled and giggled along. "See, Haru? We got seven! That means that three…" she gently shook Haruhi's three fingers, "plus four…" she gently shook her four fingers, "equals seven!" And she pressed her raised pinkie up next to Haruhi's ring finger, showing all seven fingers side by side.
"Wow…" Haruhi's eyes were wide, as if her sister had shown her the wonders of the universe, rather than how three plus four equals seven.
"Wanna do another one?"
Ranka smiled softly from the opening between the living room and kitchen. His hands gently rubbed a soft red towel between them, absorbing as much of the dish water from his skin as it could. It was a small smile he gave his two daughters, but a genuine one nonetheless, which was more than he could say for this past week.
Not wanting to interrupt their sibling moment, he hung back and just observed. Haruhi was quickly catching on to the whole 'adding' thing, and was now asking what the 'half-plus' symbol was. Jin said it was a minus sign, and started talking about subtracting. It was the simple amazement in Haruhi's eyes, and the unbound pride in Jin's when her sister helped solve a problem, that gave Ranka's heart the lift it so desperately needed. In this moment, he could believe that everything was going to be okay. The sun would rise tomorrow. The birds would sing. And his daughters would remain just as inseparable and loving of each other as they always had been.
Somehow, with Jin and Haruhi, things never seemed to be as bad as they were.
Jin couldn't stop shaking.
Oh, how she wanted to, but nothing was working.
The seven year old tried to call upon that firm strength she had used when she'd told her Dad that she didn't want to continue taking piano lessons from Noa-sensei. Or when she'd been forced to swallow her own feelings to gently coax Haruhi out from underneath the coffee table and sing a lullaby, covering up the sounds of rolling thunder. But nothing was working.
Her left hand clenched tighter around air, where there would usually be a slightly smaller hand to grip back. But right now Jin's grounding method was at a doctor's appointment, getting an upset tummy looked at. Dad seemed to be taking her and Haru to the doctor's a lot now.
Swallowing harshly, the little girl managed to take a few steps forward and knock on the huge doors looming above her. She felt like her tummy had dropped all the way to her toes as a responding squeak answered, the doors swinging open for her.
A man was waiting for her on the other side, though he looked confused when he saw it was only her. In his hands was a tiny pile of papers. Ones Jin recognized.
Quickly, she bowed to the man, "H-hello."
"Hello, there." His eyes squinted slightly, like he had a puzzle piece in his hand and was trying to decide the most likely place it would fit, "Are you," he glanced down at the paper, "Fujioka-san?"
"Yes, sir."
"Hm."
The girl repressed the urge to start rocking onto her heels, shakily pushing her red-framed glasses further up along her nose.
"Where are your parents, Fujioka-san?"
"Um, Dad's with Haru at the doctor's."
"And your mother?"
Jin suddenly became very interested in her shoes, voice going flat as she answered, "Mommy's in Heaven, sir."
The man shifted, his light brown eyes flicking to the side, "Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, sir. It happened last year. Can we continue without my dad?"
Though he still looked embarrassed, the man shook his head, "I'm terribly sorry, Fujioka-san, but we need to speak with whoever filled out your forms to make our final decision."
"I filled the forms out."
There was a slight pause, during which Jin looked back up at the man. His eyes were playing ping-pong with her and the papers in his hands. For another few moments, nothing was said. Then the man crouched down to her level and gestured for Jin to come closer. She shuffled forward, hand shaking a little as he offered her a pen from his pocket and the back of the bottom paper.
Not really knowing what he wanted her to write, she just signed her name.
The man held up the first paper to compare the two signatures. At first, his brows are furrowed. Then his eyes widen. He looked down at the girl, who offered the pen back.
Clearing his throat, the man reclaimed his pen and straightened up, "Well, then. Fujioka-san… if you could follow me this way."
The two walked along a wide cement sidewalk. Big buildings surrounded them on all sides, Jin watching with large, curious eyes as men clad in karategi rushed in and out of the many doorways. A surge of shyness swept over the seven year old every time someone's eyes passed over her only to snap back in confusion or interest. She couldn't help but note that she had yet to see a single woman. Or child.
Thankfully, they reached the central dojo quickly. Shoes were changed, and before Jin knew it she was standing before the head of the Haninozuka dojo. The man was undoubtedly the largest and meanest looking person she'd even met, with large muscles and wild brown hair all over his face. The only thing that kept her from backing out then and there was the sight of the two boys at the man's side. They actually looked to be around her age!
One was blond and very short. He was probably younger than she was, but his big brown eyes had that same intelligence that Haru had. The other was taller, with short black hair and piercing grey eyes. Probably older than her, and he looked really serious.
They exchanged a glance with each other before refocusing on her.
"Greetings, Fujioka-san." Haninozuka-san boomed out before swiveling his scary gaze to the man who had lead Jin there, "Joshuyo-san… where are this girl's parents?"
"Apologies, Haninozuka-sensei, but neither of her parents could be here and… she filled out the forms herself. Her father signed at the bottom, but the rest was filled out by her hand."
All three boys standing in front of her stared at Jin in surprise.
"Is that so? That is… interesting. Well, Fujioka-san, I suppose we can get started then." Haninozuka-san gestured to the boys on his left, "This is Mitsukuni Haninozuka, my eldest son, and Takashi Morinozuka, my eldest nephew. Considering you are only a year younger than these two, I have asked for them to stand in and assist with the proceedings. Does that make you uncomfortable at all?"
Despite the shocking news that the small blond was actually older than her, Jin shook her head, "No, Haninozuka-san." She gave the two boys a small smile and a little wave. It actually made her feel a little better knowing she wasn't the only child in the whole dojo. Mitsukuni smiled back and returned the wave. Takashi only gave her a small smile, but it was a very nice one. His eyes softened.
"You marked in your papers than you want to specialize in karate?"
Jin nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Hm. Well, as it is, Mitsukuni is also specializing in karate. If you were to be accepted into the dojo, you two would be spending a great deal of time together." The man's eyes narrowed a little before he looked down at his son, "Mitsukuni? Lead Fujioka-san through a few basic motions. Nothing that requires stretching, of course."
"Yes, father."
Despite the almost hollow way Mitsukuni responded to his dad, he was still smiling at Jin as he approached her. Joshuyo-san frantically retreated to the edge of the room, probably awaiting further instructions, but Jin did not miss the slightly fearful way he regarded the small boy approaching her. Why was that?
"What's your first name?"
Jin blinked before smiling a little wider, "Jin."
"Okay, Jin-chan. Shift your right foot back, like mine, and watch carefully." Mitsukuni situated himself on Jin's right side, a few steps in front of her so she could imitate his moves. Of course, this way he couldn't see the girl, but knew that he didn't need to. Right now, it was his father who needed to assess Jin's promise.
Jin licked her lower lip as she did her best to copy Mitsukuni. Punch left. Right. Fists at the hips. Left. Right. Hips. Block left. Block right. Punch. Punch. Kick!
The blond was going really slow, taking a short pause in between each movement to let Jin copy before continuing on. Though he couldn't see how well or poorly she was doing, Takashi's eyes were widened a little. It tempted him to take just a quick peek.
"That's enough."
Immediately, Mitsukuni stopped all motion, bringing his hands behind his back and facing his father respectably. Jin mirrored his movements once again, and he couldn't help but hope she'd get in. He liked her. She was nice and cute and really smart. And, unlike the boys in his and Takashi's class, she didn't look at him in fear or overwhelming expectation.
Interestingly enough, his father was looking at Jin almost like he was impressed.
"Fujioka-san, I just have a few more questions for you before I make my final decision. Joshuyo-san. Mitsukuni. Takashi. You are free to go."
Joshuyo-san was quick to follow his sensei's orders, but the other boys were hesitant. Jin suddenly looked very small and vulnerable, standing alone in front of Mitsukuni's father. Still, not daring to defy a direct order, they slipped through the doorway that lead further into the dojo.
Then pressed their ears against the other side to listen in.
Jin was nervous again. When she'd been following Mitsukuni's movements (she had to think of some sort of nickname for him… Mitsukuni was just too long) she had forgotten about everything else in her life. Her mean classmates. Her mother. It had been nice. And Mitsukuni and Takashi (yeah, he'd need a nickname, too) had been the first kids around her age who didn't treat her like she was glass about to shatter. Or like she had some sort of a disease. She wanted to hang out with them some more…
Haninozuka-san knelt down in front of her, "Please," he gestured to the floor she was standing on.
The little girl knelt. He could tell she was nervous. But only because she was young and he had many years picking up the signs of said emotion. This girl was a curiosity.
"Why do you want to join my dojo?"
Jin took in a deep breath, trying her best to not fiddle with her clothes too much, "I… I need something to do. The counselor said it would be good for me. But, I also wanna keep Haru safe."
"Who is Haru?"
"Oh… my little sister, sir. With Mommy gone… and Dad working a lot… it's my job to keep Haru safe, now."
"You're here to learn how to protect your little sister," Haninozuka-san summed up. Once again, this little brown-haired brown-eyed girl had shocked him. He had already seen for his own eyes how quick of a learner she was, following his son's movements with incredible accuracy. And now… such a grown-up view of the world. Such a big job she had given herself. So much life and sadness and strength in this little package.
"Have you thought of the costs? You'll have less time to spend with your friends or other after school activities. And the dojo will not be responsible for your grades in school. You will be required to travel here each and every day to train, and put in everything you have."
Jin looked him in the eye, a passionate fire burning within them as she responded curtly, "I don't have any friends left, sir. I have no interest in the after-school activities my school provides, and I am ranked first in my class. I can do this, sir."
Against his will, Haninozuka-san smiled gently. Something he hadn't done in a long time. He stood up once again, prompting Jin to copy.
"Please, call me Haninozuka-sensei."
The girl's eyes sparkled as they exchanged a bow.
"Welcome to the Haninozuka Dojo."
"What are you doing?"
Jin jumped in her seat, hands splaying across the tabletop as she came back to earth. Looking up, see saw Beni Arai watching her with a confused look in his eye. Blushing deeply, the girl was suddenly terrified.
She had only officially met the boy about a month ago. She had been pouring over a German book in the library when he'd walked up to her, asking about how she could be so advanced in a third language when he was only just starting his second. It had been pure luck, in her eyes, that he hadn't already known her as 'Weird Girl', or else he wouldn't have even bothered coming up to her in the first place. Of course, he heard it not even a day later, but it had been too late.
They only talked in the library after school, of course. Mostly, the two did homework with the barest trace of conversation, but that was more than enough for Jin. She had no one else, after all.
Just today, she'd been forced to skip her lunch. All because of that stupid assembly! With the school schedule adjusted just a little for the day, Jin had been given two choices. Go to lunch and risk having her food dumped all over her in front of her little sister, or skip it. Since the first option would've resulted in Haruhi running over to Jin to help her, which would open up the door for the bullies at school to set Haruhi in their sights, Jin had chosen the path of lesser evil.
But it would seem the universe just wasn't on her side today.
Every day, Beni Arai would sit across from her in the library and do his math homework. And every day, always between three and four, he would excuse himself to use the restroom, leaving his books out and trusting that no one would approach Jin other than the kind librarian or a teacher should one pass by.
Except today he had finished sooner than usual. He had just recently decided that his dirty-blond hair looked much better when it wasn't up in pointy spikes, so today he didn't have to redo them up after a long day of school.
Meaning he had caught Jin red-handed.
His math homework and notes were turned around in front of her, a random page in a notebook of her own covered with math of her own. Answers to his homework.
Jin fleetingly wondered if this is what a panic attack felt like.
Of course, she hadn't expected this arrangement to last for long. Sooner or later , she had always reminded herself. Sooner or later he's going to learn whatever it is the other kids don't like about me, and he won't want to spend time with me anymore. Or he'll start to bully me, too. It's not a matter of 'if', but of 'when'. Will it happen 'sooner' or 'later'?
Maybe this was it, then. Maybe they didn't like that she was smarter than they were. After all, this started out when her mom had died. And from then on, she was seen as an outsider. Different. She didn't have a mother, and she was a different person because of it. So, with them already thinking she was weird, and having her ace all of her tests… her weirdness and her intelligence somehow got connected in the middle of it all.
Well, if all of this was because they couldn't accept the fact that Jin was smart-
"I'm correcting your math homework. All of your answers are wrong."
Beni continued to stare at the girl. Deciding to ignore the impending blowout, Jin looked back at the boy's homework, "You wrote that eight times seven is sixty-four, but it's actually fifty-six. And right here you wrote that nine times six is forty-five, but I think that's just a writing error."
The blond was still just staring at her. Oh… how she wished that she didn't have to take the train from her school to get to the Haninozuka dojo in time for her lessons. Things would've been so much easier if she could've been allowed to go home after school every day, spend some time with Haruhi, and then go hang out with Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai. But no. The universe had to be stupid and make her stay after school every day, meet a nice boy, and then have her ruin it by doing his math homework every day because she got so bored doing her own and-
"That's amazing."
She hesitated, "What?"
"You can do my math homework? We just learned multiplication tables today , how can you already do it? I mean, your neighbor is a translator so I sort of understand how you mastered English so quickly and got tricks to learn another language… but you never mentioned the math thing!"
The blond quickly took a seat next to the girl, going over her answers while she gaped at him, "I… I don't… I just like math."
"Do you think you can help me? I hate math so much, I can never understand my teacher!" Jin was completely floored. Beni was smiling at her, still going on about how cool it was that she liked math and could do stuff above her grade.
Hesitantly, she smiled back, "Sure… um, what do you need help with?"
As the eight year old girl and nine year old boy started going over multiplication tables, a group of three girls watched them from behind a nearby bookcase. They glared daggers at the girl, while one of them was also sneaking a glance or two at the cute boy as well.
Oh, no. This would not do at all.
" I can feel your halo!
Halo!
I can feel your halo!
Halo~
Ooo~ "
Jin's head slowly bobbed in time with the music echoing around her bedroom, her eyes fixated on the white sheet of paper on her desk. A blooming flower stared back up at her, outlined in grey pencil lead. After a few more seconds of staring, the girl's head stopped bobbing and leaned in close to the sketch again, her right hand coming back up to add in another shadow to separate one petal from another.
She leaned back again, looking between the sketch and the sakura she had picked up off the ground. The cherry blossom was resting by her mug full of pencils, providing an inspiration in the midst of Jin's most recent block.
Unfortunately, it did nothing to block out the day she'd had. Just another one to pile on top of the three years worth that she had in her bank of bad days. The triplets had gone another step forward in their torment, dumping three entire pails of turkey gravy they had stolen from the school's kitchen on top of Jin's head.
Of course, the dean of the school, the triplet's adoring aunt, hadn't said a word about it. After all, the triplets had been smart enough to wait until the end of the school day and not do it in front of anyone who would speak up in Jin's defense.
It had been all Jin could do to not cry. Or go ballistic on the girls with 'Haninozuka' magic. But she wouldn't dare, because there would be no doubt as to who would be kicked out of school if she did. Instead she had run as fast as she could to the Haninozuka dojo, completely ignoring the buses and trains. Thankfully, her bag had been spared the humiliation, giving her a fresh uniform to change into once she got there.
Of course, she had taken a quick shower before practice started. Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai had held her when she cried afterwards. Honey offered to ask his dad to say something to the school, but Jin refused. She was already feeling a little better just knowing that she had friends who supported and liked her. Though the bullying was ripping her apart on the inside, she could battle against it with all the good in her life.
She had Haruhi. And Dad. And Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai, Chika, Satoshi, Beni, Arai, and all the kids she babysits and tutors in their complex. Last week she'd managed to trick Eiko, her cousin, that she was terrible at ice skating. Her school was holding a volunteer day at the animal shelter just a few minutes away from her home in the coming month, and she was actually very excited about it. Her new glasses were in, a nice, sleek black frame to replace the red that had been the source of so much teasing.
Her life was good.
She was fine.
She-
Her arm slipped forward and a long line of pencil lead sliced her pretty picture in half.
"WAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAA!"
Out of nowhere, Jin began crying hysterically. It just hit her. All of the emotions she had been struggling to repress came flooding out. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried. It was like there was this hot iron being seared against her chest, constricting her torso to try pushing out the tears and screams faster than she was capable of.
By the time Ranka was flying into her bedroom, Jin had run out of air and had regressed to breathless bursts of crying. Her father scooped the eleven year old into his arms as best as he could before carrying her to her bed. Haruhi was instantly at her side, tears in her own eyes as she watched her big sister, her hero, break down.
That knowledge only served to make Jin cry harder, her voice cracking every so often as her vocal chords were abused.
" Nēchan… "
Jin made a strangled gasp before going ridged. Her body was curled in on itself, face buried in her father's shoulder as she shook. Fresh tears were still trickling down her face. The ones that weren't absorbed into her father's pink blouse dripped off her chin and onto her pant leg. A strong hand pet her back soothingly. It made her tired, but she couldn't find the strength to actually sleep.
In the real world, far away from the brunette's fragile state, Ranka listened with an open mouth and broken heart as Haruhi recounted the daily horrors Jin had been forced to face day in and day out at their school. Her old piano teacher's constant physical and mental abuse. The triplet's unprecedented reign of terror over her sister. The Dean who refused to listen to complaints against her angelic nieces. And the refusal of help from any of their peers. No one even bothered to bring a teacher into the situation, and since Jin kept Haruhi at a distance at school, there was no one there to defend her.
Ranka stared down at his little girl. Drained. Beaten down. Ridiculed. She was shaking still, holding onto him like she had the day she was born.
" Oh… my poor, strong baby, " he kissed the top of her head before pulling her closer, " What has the world done to you? "
Haruhi shifts closer until she was able to wrap her arms around Jin's middle, resting her face against her big sister's shoulder, and crying with her.
Vivaldi's 'Winter' danced in the air of the Bunkamura Orchard Hall. The piano solo was precise and heartfelt, a magnificent ending to the three hour recital of Ouran Academy's Classical Music club... with a special guest for the finale. Over 2,000 audience members watched in wonder as the public school girl their children had mentioned poured her heart and soul out into the piece. It was easily understood why she had chosen 'The Four Seasons' as her piece.
Jin Fujioka's heart was racing as she flipped her collection of music sheets to the very end of the booklet. She was hardly looking at them, mostly using the pages as a way to pace herself. It was a huge surprise to the girl that her hands were steady enough to play still. After all, the right side of her body felt like it was on fire, considering all of the eyes that were glued to her form, and she had been playing the piece for almost twenty straight minutes.
Breathe… Just breathe, Jin-san. Kagome-sensei's voice hummed in her ear, almost as if he were still standing beside her.
And just like that, she was back in her rehearsal room, no one to see her save her teacher. Kagome-sensei, the music teacher for Ouran Academy, a prestigious school near her home, smiling with pride as her lithe and practiced fingers danced over the keys.
The final notes faded into the silence and Jin was almost caught unawares. Was she really done already? Shyly, the girl withdrew her fingertips from the keys, and looked away from the instrument.
Uproarious applause.
With a shaky smile, Jin managed to stand and bow to her audience. They were also on their feet, clapping and smiling at the girl's reaction to the praise. She peeked to her left and saw Kagome-sensei crying behind the curtain, though she wasn't sure if it was because of her performance or because he knew it would be her last.
She wasn't going to pursue music as her career, to the devastation of her favorite teacher. No, she was going to go into something math related, she was sure of it. Making music and art was amazing, she loved tutoring the kids in her apartment complex, and putting in hours at the Hōmusuītohōmu Animal Shelter was a great use of her time, but her true passion was math. All she had to do now was be strong enough to keep pursuing it.
Out in the crowd, Jin could just barely make out a few faces. Her father and sister were in the front row, standing between the four Arai's and Misuzu-chi, her pseudo-uncle. They were cheering her on the loudest. After giving them a big smile, the brunette then looked out a little further and noticed another familiar four heads of hair. Honey-senpai was on Mori-senpai's back so he could see her over the crowd. Their brothers, Chika and Satoshi were at their sides, applauding with everyone else. Jin couldn't help but grin wider, glad that they had come.
She recalled not even a week ago when she had turned down an arranged marriage between herself and Honey-senpai. It had been a shock, to say the least. Who still did arranged marriages? But also, she had worried that Honey would be upset that she didn't want to marry him. She didn't want to hurt his feelings if he loved her, and they'd talked about it a little before she made her decision clear to Haninozuka-sensei. Honey had told her he didn't see her in a romantic light either, but until this moment she hadn't been sure.
A warm wet feeling tickles her lower eyelids. Taking in a quick breath, she blinks a few times to get rid of it. Having her contacts slip out at the end of her final recital would just be embarrassing.
"You've got everything you need, right?"
"Yeah."
"Do you need to double check?"
"My bag's already being loaded on the plane, Dad."
Ranka nodded, wringing his hands together, "Right... I knew that. I'm just... just..." he suddenly started bawling, jumping forward and hugging his daughter close. Jin went willingly, smiling through her own silent tears as her father hugged her to death. Pushing herself up onto her toes, the brunette was able to rest her chin on her father's shoulder, a testament to her steadily increasing height.
For another few seconds, the two continued to hug in the middle of the airport. A clock overseeing the lobby where the Fujioka family stood in read 2:24am, obvious in the dark circles underneath the eyes of everyone rushing around the tile. Even Haruhi Fujioka had to stifle a huge yawn as she waited for her turn to say goodbye to her big sister.
With a great sniffle, Ranka pulled away from his eldest daughter, cupping her face with a hand. Jin smiled softly, "I'll be back before you know it, Dad." Not trusting himself to speak, Ranka merely nodded and withdrew, taking out a tissue to dab at the corner of his eyes as Haruhi went to take his place.
The girls hugged tightly, the smaller of the two almost being lifted off her feet entirely. Haruhi tried to tell herself not to cry, but it wasn't working. Hot tears were still starting to spill over onto her cheeks, wetting Jin's t-shirt sleeve.
" I'll miss you too, Haru. I'll call you every day, alright? "
" Alright. "
Pulling away a little, Jin swiped the pad of her thumb across her sister's cheek, stemming the tears, "Hey, don't cry, Haru. I'm not leaving forever."
"It feels like it."
A soft sigh escaped the taller girl, "I know. But think about it. In less than a year, I'll be back. We'll be students in that fancy Ouran Academy place with all of those rich, silver-spoon jerks," Haruhi snorted softly at that, "And taking on the world together. Sound fair?"
"Yeah..."
Smiling a little wider, Jin picked up her backpack and shouldered it. Pulling a ticket out of her pocket, she re-read the boarding time.
"I have to go."
Haruhi nodded, taking a small step backwards to join her father. Jin gave them both a brave smile, before locking eyes with her little sister.
Less than a year.
The short haired girl smiled. Less than a year.
Turning around, Jin walked off to the gate. Her family watched as her form grew smaller and smaller… until she disappeared into the crowd.
A little less than three months from turning seventeen, it was like Jin Fujioka's life couldn't get any better.
Who would've thought?
Getting into a prestigious school with her baby sister, both with scholarships that proved every day that they were intelligent and worth something? That alone was phenomenal after her horrific elementary and middle school years. Then add on her group of both old and new friends, whom she got to see every day in the perfect balance between her education and hobbies, and it was like she was in Heaven.
And then give her a solid relationship with a really great guy who looked at her like she was composed or starlight...
Whenever she thought about it she became overwhelmed with giggling.
Her talents were being recognized, and her intelligence was undisputed. She was loved in every sense of the word. At the shelter she was respected and trusted. At home she was loved and treasured. The drawings she created of the hosts sold out 24 hours after she completed them. Kyoya and Haruhi sat in after hours to listen to her play the piano from time to time. Chika had asked her to come into the middle school's karate club every week or so to bring a fresh look to the group.
Some days Jin wasn't sure if she was actually living in the real world or if she was stuck in a coma-induced fantasy.
But right now, fantasy or not, she was about to rip Ritsu Kasanoda's head off.