At Yankai Headquarters, Kazu was known for his fun and playful nature. He brought warmth and laughter to the group. However, his relationship with his sister, Atama Kaku, was different. Atama, the leader of Yankai, was disciplined and serious. She was kind to everyone but often lost patience with Kazu. Their sibling bond was complicated, like a tug-of-war between love and high expectations.
One evening, the tension between them boiled over. Atama was leading a strategic meeting when Kazu interrupted with a joke. What he thought was a lighthearted moment upset Atama.
"Kazu, can you ever be serious?" she snapped, her voice sharp and her expression hard. "This work is important, and we don't have time for your games."
Kazu's smile faded, but he tried to laugh it off. "C'mon, Sis. I just wanted to lighten the mood. Everyone is always so serious."
Atama frowned deeper. "This isn't a playground, Kazu. We're fighting Yokai and protecting lives. If you can't see that, maybe you don't belong here."
The room fell silent. Her words weighed heavily in the air. Kazu's eyes dimmed, replaced by hurt. He quickly left without saying anything more.
Later that night, Unmei walked back to his dorm when he saw someone sitting alone on a balcony overlooking the city. Curious, he approached and saw it was Kazu. The usually cheerful member of Yankai sat slumped over with his head in his arms. Even from a distance, Unmei could see tears on Kazu's cheeks.
Unmei felt sad seeing Kazu like this. He had never seen him this upset, not even in the toughest battles. Unsure of what to say, he went over and sat beside him.
"Kazu?" he said softly, wanting to avoid startling him.
Kazu sniffled and wiped his eyes before giving Unmei a weak smile. "Oh, hey, Unmei. Sorry, I didn't mean to… you know, look like a mess."
Unmei shook his head. "You don't have to apologize. Everyone has tough moments."
After a moment's hesitation, Kazu sighed, his voice heavy with sadness. "It's just... Atama. She's always been the strong one, the responsible one. I thought... I thought maybe if I could make her laugh, she'd finally see that I could be more than just the 'silly little brother.' But... I guess I'm just a disappointment."
Unmei's heart ached for him. He understood what it felt like to not measure up, to try so hard to make others proud while feeling like he was constantly falling short.
"You're not a disappointment, Kazu," he said firmly. "You bring something important to this team that no one else can. You remind us to laugh and take a moment to breathe. That's not nothing; that's important."
Just then, they heard soft footsteps behind them. It was Daichi, who had been passing by when he saw the two of them on the balcony. Noticing Kazu's downcast expression, Daichi immediately understood and sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Kazu," Daichi said gently. "I don't know what happened, but whatever it is, you don't have to carry it alone."
Kazu let out a shaky breath, his emotions spilling over. "I just... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could make Atama proud. But no matter what I do, it's never enough. She's always so distant like she can't stand to be around me."
Daichi squeezed Kazu's shoulder reassuringly. "It's not about you, Kazu. Atama has a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders. Being a leader isn't easy, and sometimes people in her position build walls to keep their emotions in check. It doesn't mean she doesn't care about you."
Unmei nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I've seen the way she looks at you, Kazu. Even if she doesn't show it, I think she worries about you more than you realize."
Kazu was silent for a while, staring out over the city, his expression softening. "You guys think so?" he asked quietly.
Unmei and Daichi both nodded, their reassuring smiles easing some of Kazu's sadness.
"Thanks," Kazu said, his voice barely a whisper. "I... I just don't want to be a burden to her."
After a moment's hesitation, Kazu sighed, his voice heavy with sadness. "It's just... Atama. She's always been the strong one, the responsible one. I thought that if I could make her laugh, she'd finally see that I could be more than just the 'silly little brother.' But I guess I'm just a disappointment."
Unmei's heart ached for him. He understood what it felt like to not measure up, to try so hard to make others proud while feeling like he was constantly falling short.
"You're not a disappointment, Kazu," he said firmly. "You bring something important to this team that no one else can. You remind us to laugh and take a moment to breathe. That's not nothing; that's important."
Just then, they heard soft footsteps behind them. It was Daichi, who had been passing by when he saw the two of them on the balcony. Noticing Kazu's downcast expression, Daichi immediately understood and sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Kazu," Daichi said gently. "I don't know what happened, but whatever it is, you don't have to carry it alone."
Kazu let out a shaky breath, his emotions spilling over. "I just... I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I thought that if I tried hard enough, I could make Atama proud. But no matter what I do, it's never enough. She seems so distant like she can't stand to be around me."
Daichi squeezed Kazu's shoulder reassuringly. "It's not about you, Kazu. Atama has a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders. Being a leader isn't easy, and sometimes people in her position build walls to keep their emotions in check. It doesn't mean she doesn't care about you."
Unmei nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I've seen the way she looks at you, Kazu. Even if she doesn't show it, I think she worries about you more than you realize."
Kazu was silent for a while, staring out over the city, his expression softening. "You guys think so?" he asked quietly.
Unmei and Daichi both nodded, their reassuring smiles easing some of Kazu's sadness.
"Thanks," Kazu said, his voice barely a whisper. "I... I just don't want to be a burden to her."