●・○・●・○・●
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT,
world record

-

༇ HANA rings a doorbell the fourth time that day.

This time, she's not sure what to expect. Either way, they're most definitely going to be angry.

Arisu and Usagi were angry, too. Hana could see it in their eyes. But they're obviously aware they have no right to be that angry at someone who's not their daughter, so they covered it up, unlike Baya. Chishiya, so far, has shown mixed signals, although Hana predicts he'll be no fun once she gets back home.

Kuina is the one who opens the door. She does it in a fast way, almost as if she's excited. Maybe she'd been waiting for a package.

Her jaw drops. "Hana!" She gasps.

Hana tries to smile, "Hi," but the shame crawls back up her neck, so horribly that it makes her shrink.

"I- woah." Kuina presses a hand to her forehead. "This is... surprising. Ann! Aguni!" She yells. "Come here!"

The girl's eyes widen at the mention of their names. Nervously bouncing from foot to foot, she watches Ann and Aguni walk steadily towards the door- until they see Hana. Both of them freeze, their expressions a mix of their usual face and shock.

Then, "What are you doing here?" Snarls Ann. She doesn't bother trying to hide what Hana thinks is disgust.

"I... I came back," Hana mumbles. "And I want to talk to you all about the past and about my mistakes. It was-"

"-incredibly wrong," Ann interrupts. Aguni marches forward alongside her, his jaw so tense that Hana is afraid it'll break, and that he'll also break her jaw after that. "What were you thinking? Abandoning your parents like that? We thought you were dead!"

"Dead?" Hana repeats.

"Yes, dead!" Kuina suddenly joins in. "Your father literally flew to Australia three times to find you, but there was no sign of you! If Nozomi would've pulled that on us..."

Horror washes over Hana. "He... he went to Australia?"

"Were you hiding from him?" Aguni urges.

"N-no," Hana stammers. "Seika and I- we moved from our university dorms to a real apartment after a while!"

"And where is Seika now? You know, you should thank your parents. They didn't tell Seika's parents about any of this, just to give you time and peace to figure everything out on your own," Kuina says harshly.

"Seika and I broke up," Hana admits quietly. There's a long pause, in which she blinks back tears. "Kaoru is here, right?" Her voice barely registers above the ringing in her own ears.

Kuina's knuckles are white where she's gripping her elbows. Ann's cold scowl in her expression is undisturbed. Aguni doesn't move at all.

She swallows hard. "Please. I just want to see him. I-" her voice breaks, "I just want to tell him I'm sorry."

"Now you're sorry. Is it because you broke up with Seika and no longer had a place to be in Australia?"

But Kuina turns, calling over her shoulder. "Kaoru! You need to come down."

Muffled over the wood flooring above them, footsteps move. The hallway creaks slightly, a familiar sound, the same rhythm as when they were kids sneaking around during sleepovers.

He appears at the top of the stairs slowly, one hand gripping the banister. His hair is longer than she remembers, no longer the tidy parted cut he used to keep when they were younger. His face is leaner. His body taller. He wears a white button down shirt, sleeves rolled up, collar slightly crooked, as if he just returned from giving a lecture.

When his eyes meet hers, it's like someone plugged a thousand volts straight into her chest.

For a fraction of a second, his face changes. His jaw slackens slightly, and his eyes widen. His hand twitches at his side. In that second, she sees her brother.

But then he looks away. Not even down at his feet. Not up at the ceiling. Through her, like she isn't there at all.

Kaoru begins descending down the stairs deliberately, not sparing her another glance.

"Kaoru," she peeps, a desperate sort of plea. "Kaoru, please. I'm back. I'm- I'm sorry. Can we please talk about it?"

He reaches the last step. Doesn't even glance her way. His shoulder brushes hers lightly as he passes her in the doorway.

She turns, reaching toward him instinctively. "Please-"

Kaoru walks down the path, crosses the street, and vanishes inside their house

Hana's outstretched hand falls to her side. "I..." she stammers, panicked as she turns to look at the others. "He didn't talk- will he ever talk to me again?"

"Would you?"

Hana flinches.

"After what you did? After what you didn't do? He waited for years. You ignored him for years. Don't cry when he ignores you for one day."

"I know. I know I messed up. But I didn't know about the-"

"Exactly. You didn't know because you weren't here. And now you think you can show up and say sorry and we'll all just melt for you?"

"No!" Hana gasps. "I'm not asking that! I know I don't deserve anything-"

"You're right. You don't."

"I didn't mean to-"

"And what about your parents? Did you think about them even once? Every time the doorbell rang, your mom used to bolt to the door like her legs would fall off if she didn't. Those journals your dad reads every night? They turned into picture albums. He would always be looking at them. They loved you more than anything, and you gave them nothing."

"I know!" Hana pleads. "I know I did. I didn't plan on being gone for so long! I- I wanted to take distance for a year, maybe two, but the third year flew by, then Seika and I broke up in my last year, and I grew so sad that I barely got out of my house for two years! I-"

"So you came back when things started to get bad? You expected us to welcome you with open arms and forgive you immediately?"

Hana's mouth opens, but nothing comes out. She wants to say she had reasons. That the years away weren't filled with happiness but with fear and regret, and that she tried, truly tried, but kept failing every time she thought of returning home. But what do reasons matter to the people you've already broken?

Tears spill from her eyes. "I want to fix it," she says. "Please. I'll do anything."

"Start by leaving. Don't come to our house. Not until you've properly talked to your parents. You don't understand what they, and we, went through, and the things we've done for you, only for you to leave us like we're the villains here. So don't come back."

Hana wishes to have a serious talk with them as well, but instead, she nods. "Okay. Tell Nozomi I missed her. And, eh, may I ask when Kaede will be returning? Arisu said he's at his university, but-"

"He returns Friday evening." And then the door closes in front of her.

●・○・●・○・●

All five of them sit at the kitchen table: Baya, Chishiya, Kaoru, Hana, and Sakiko. Chishiya sits at the head, straight up with a determined expression. On one side of the table, Baya and Sakiko sit next to each other. Across from them sits Hana, who's folding a paper crane, and Kaoru sits diagonally from them, as he purposely left an empty chair between him and Hana.

"I would like you to sit closer," Chishiya tells Kaoru, motioning at the empty chair.

"I won't."

An audible sigh from Chishiya. "Alright, then." His eyes trail over his family. "We're here to talk about everything that happened, and to explain each point of view. Anyone who leaves this table before we're finished will be doing every task in this household for the next two months."

Baya lightly clears her throat. "Are you sure Koko should hear all this?"

"Yes. We wouldn't want any," he eyes Hana, "events to repeat. She deserves to know the truth and is mature enough to understand." A short pause. "First of all, Hana, you're not getting away with this through a talk. I expect you to pay me back at least one third of the money that I gave you six years ago. That would make about nine million yen. It's a shame you didn't even graduate."

Hana nods, head down.

"Well, for starters, I would like you to explain how exactly you found out about our pasts, how it made you feel, and why that made you disappear for six years."

Her bottom lip immediately starts shaking. "One night, Seika and I were just hanging out, when we saw Kaede climb out of the window. We decided to follow him and ended up at that illegal boxing club. We lost each other in the crowd. I met this girl. I told her I know Kaede. She insisted her parents know Kaede's parents, then she asked about mine, so I introduced myself, and she recognized the name. She immediately knew Mom's name when I mentioned 'Chishiya'. She said she knows you very well. Then she insisted on telling me a 'secret'."

"Which was? And who was the girl?"

"She told me that Mom used to work at the black market, that she killed her father, and that Dad also killed three men from the black market after they attacked Mom and I. One of those three men felt like a father for her as well. She was basically saying you both killed her fathers."

"Her father?" Baya repeats. "Who?"

"She said her name was Hotoke Niragi. After that, I wanted to know more. I picked a random name from the list of survivors and called them, but the responder said Oki Yaba has been dead for a long time. They kept the phone number due to the business he was running. They did offer to give me some papers he left behind, so I took those."

"We read those after you left them behind for Kaoru," Chishiya confims. "And, Hana, did you perhaps also read about what kind of man Niragi was, or did you ignore that part?" He looks at Baya's now entirely pale face and places his hand on top of hers.

"I was... puzzled," Hana confesses. "Hotoke told me she loved her father and that Mom killed him for no reason. I saw no reason for her to lie at first. But the papers indeed told me about the things Suguru Niragi did, and I wasn't sure what was the truth, what was a lie, or if it was a mix."

"At the black market, a lot of people would take fake names. It's likely that Hotoke took Niragi's name as a cover," Baya mumbles below her breath, hands trembling. "Assuming she was... unwillingly born, at least."

Sakiko blinks. "I'm confused."

"Suguru Niragi was a rapist and a narcissist," Chishiya explains calmly. "Do you know what that means?"

She nods.

"Your mother lived with him for a while and never heard him talk about his children, so we're assuming Hotoke's mother got raped and didn't get rid of the baby. Now, Hotoke obviously lied to Hana about loving her father. She never knew him. However, I believe she wasn't lying about seeing the other man from the black market as a father. After I killed him because he wanted to hurt your mother and Hana, Hotoke must've wanted revenge on us. And she did: she managed to make Hana abandon us."

"Why would Mom live with him? Or did she not know?"

"I've told you minor things about the Borderlands. One of those things is that after the first one, we all forgot each other, including your mother and Niragi. They moved in with each other without knowing about the past."

"But Oki Yaba's papers said that they already knew each other. Niragi got bullied by some guys from the black market and Mom was a bystander."

"Yes. That's why he... picked on your mother. He also wanted revenge. He wanted to show her he was no longer powerless and that he was 'better' than his bullies. Maybe the reason why he wanted to move in with her, too. Same mindset as in the Borderlands."

"That's disgusting," Hana whispers.

"Yes," Chishiya agrees. "Moving on. The things in the papers were true, but Oki Yaba mostly wrote down the bad things, and he exaggerated a lot."

"How did he even know about all that? He was viewing everything like he looked in every person's head."

"He was one of the Jokers. Or rather, part of the system. Every single game maker, face card, or joker could've given him information. He's just the one who wrote it down."

"Why did he write it down in the first place?" Hana wonders.

"I'm guessing an oversight of everything, but also information he could use for the plan he and another Joker had."

"Oh, I read about that," Hana responds. "They wanted you to no longer have a reason to leave the Borderlands, because you were the linchpin, right? So first, they wanted to make you helpless by locking you up, except Mom saved you, so they started manipulating Mom into leaving you. They knew the only reason you'd want to go back to the real world was to be with Mom. Without her, you had no reason to leave. And if you didn't leave, the Borderlands wouldn't fall apart."

"Exactly." Baya nods.

"So... why did Hana leave for so long?" Sakiko asks. "Because Mom killed a horrible man, worked at the black market, and because Dad killed people who threatened his wife and daughter?"

A sudden wave of anger hits Hana. She throws her hands in the air. "Because Dad set Mom up with Niragi! He betrayed her, Usagi, and Arisu! He knew they would get either killed or raped, or maybe even both! Did he care? No. He was selfish. And yes, he killed those men to protect Mom and I, but I was six when that happened! That means he was a murdered while he already had two kids. That's not okay."

Sakiko's eyebrows furrow at her father. "Oh."

"Also," Hana jumps in, "before he betrayed Mom, they made a deal. Dad wanted the cards, Mom wanted to kill Niragi, so they teamed up. However, Dad told Mom she should just keep watch. Mom insisted on having a bigger role, to which Dad responded that she should go distract Niragi if she wants to have a purpose. Is that not quite literally telling her to dive into bed with him?"

"Why did Yaba know about that?" Baya mutters.

"Game makers like Asahi and Momoka surrounded us, as well as Mira and Kuzuryu. They probably overheard," Chishiya explains.

Sakiko's gaze sharpens. "Would you mind elaborating on why you did that to Mom?"

"There is nothing to elaborate on. I admit I was a selfish and cynical, and every day, I regret what I did to her."

"You're still cynical," Sakiko mumbles.

"But," Baya jumps in, "although an apology will never make up for what he did, his actions did and still do. He took a bullet for me, performed an hour-long surgery on me while he was still bleeding from that bullet, dissolved Niragi's body with Ann's help, and a lot more."

Almost, she mentions the abortion. Almost. But she can't. They've sworn they'd never tell anyone. For some reason, it feels like the worst crime they've committed, even though it was one of the most valid ones.

"So... that's why Hana left. You both killed a few people and Dad set Mom up for rape. At least, according to some papers written by a dead man. She didn't even know if it was the truth," Sakiko says dryly. "Applause, Hana."

"You say Dad is cynical, but so are you!" Hana points a finger at Sakiko. "You have no idea what it was like! I left when you were six, and Mom and Dad must've told you they did bad things that made me leave, so at least you knew something! I thought they were kind and safe and amazing, only to find out they've been hiding these... these dirty secrets from me for eighteen years! And Dad explained a lot more about the Borderlands to Kaoru than he did to me! Now you're being just as cynical and strange. How could I not be afraid of my own father, knowing he once set my own mother up for rape and didn't give a shit? How could I not be weirded out, finding out that the men who almost killed Mom and I that day were just her old colleagues? That Mom didn't just kill Niragi, but also countless of sick people! I don't care that she didn't directly kill them: it was wrong! She stole organs and she ate people, too!"

A silence.

"Well," Chishiya finally says. "Now we know your point of view, which I understand. I understood it, sort of, until you turned that 'I need space for a year' into six years, gave up on your university, ran away with my money, and then came back when you ran out of money and happiness. Also, you could've come up to us first, asked for the truth, communicated, and then decide whether or not to abandon us for six years. Not to mention that you also blocked your own brother and Nozomi, even though they never did anything."

"And Kaede," Sakiko adds.

Chishiya mumbles something that really sounds like 'keep him blocked'.

"And you lied to Seika," Baya goes on.

"Yeah, where is Seika? And why was I not able to find you when I flew to Australia?"

"She and I broke up two years ago," Hana mumbles. "I fell into some kind of... cycle for the next two years. It took me a long time to gather courage to come back. So no, I did not return just when things started getting bad. Things had been bad for two years." A pause. "Seika texted me that she would fly back to Japan and maybe see me in the future. And you couldn't find me because we moved from the student dorms to a real apartment. And I didn't graduate because I was doing so bad."

As a tear runs down her cheek, Baya grabs Hana hand, rubbing it with her thumb. "To me, it doesn't feel like you came back just because things were bad, baby," she whispers. "I'm so glad you returned. The only thing I'm truly upset about is that you never even tried to communicate with us. Not before leaving, and not during your stay in Australia."

Hana nods. "And I regret it. I really do, Mom. I swear."

"I believe you." Baya smiles lightly. "For now, I'd love to just move on and rebuild our family. We've all made mistakes and we'll keep making them. But if we can promise each other to just communicate, everything will be alright."

Chishiya coughs. "Right, Kaoru?"

Kaoru mumbles something.

"Louder, please."

"Yes," he mutters.

"Why don't you share your point of view? Now that the rest of us have talked about it?"

"I agree with you all and I understand why Hana left. But I will never forgive her for blocking and neglecting me, then expecting me to embrace her with a smile the second she returns. She ruined it all. She ruined my entire-"

"Hey," Baya warns. "You can explain yourself without being harsh."

"She wasn't there. Ever. She wasn't there on my birthdays, she wasn't there when I graduated, she wasn't there for anything. She never sent a 'happy birthday' text to anyone. She missed Sakiko's entire childhood and ruined the joy I found in life." Kaoru swallows hard. His voice shakes. "I waited. I waited years for a text. One message. A photo. A meme. Anything. I would've taken a thumbs up emoji over the silence you gave me."

He sucks in a breath, his composure slipping by the second. "I looked up to you, Hana. You were my best friend before anything else. You made me believe in big things. You told me you'd conquer the world and drag me with you. I told everyone I knew, 'My sister's gonna change everything.' I defended you even after you disappeared. I told people you needed time. I told Mom and Dad you were figuring stuff out and that you'd come back stronger than ever. But you didn't come back. You vanished. I would check your socials even though you blocked me, hoping for a post. I even tried to email you. Do you know how humiliating it is to email your sister like she's a stranger?"

Tears stream freely down his face now. "You left me to be the only older sibling. You left me to pick up your pieces and smile for Mom when she cried at night. You left me to make excuses for you to Sakiko, who didn't understand why the sister she drew pictures for never responded."

He pauses to catch a breath, but it comes out as a choke. He wipes his face with the back of his hand, even though the tears keep falling faster than he can stop them. "I stopped doing the things that made me happy. I poured everything I had into making sure Sakiko didn't feel like something was missing. But there was something missing. It was you. And now you walk through the door like we're supposed to go back to normal."

He looks at her then, and his entire expression crumples. "I missed you every single day," he sobs. "I missed you so bad I started hating you just to feel something else."

Baya has her hand over her mouth, eyes wet, but Kaoru keeps going. "I was so proud to be your brother," he cries. "And you made me feel like I didn't exist."

For a long moment, the room is silent but for Kaoru's sobs.

Then, quietly, Hana moves toward him and wraps her arms around his middle. He doesn't pull away. He just sinks into it, face buried in her hair, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Chishiya stares at the floor, unreadable but tense.

"I'm sorry," Hana's also sobbing now. "I missed you, Kaoru! I swear I did! Every day, I wondered how you were doing. I thought about you even more on your birthdays! And I have no excuses for blocking you. I barely even know why I did it. I just... I wanted space. Too much space, I know. I swear I regret it. I want to make it up with you. You don't have to forgive me, but please just- just don't give up on me."

He hugs her even tighter. "I won't. But don't ever leave me hanging again. Never, okay?"

"Never," she promises.

Together, they sob into each other's shoulders, and Baya is eventually crying into her own hands while Sakiko gives her father a questioning look. He replies with a simple shrug.

●・○・●・○・●

"You should definitely wait in his room!" Souta suggests that Friday. "He'll have a heart attack, but it'll be worth it!"

"I think it's better to tell Kaede that Hana has returned," Usagi says softly. "We don't know how he'll react when he sees her once he comes back tonight."

"No, no, we should definitely give him a heart attack. Everyone got a heart attack! Why does Kaede not have to have a heart attack?" Arisu insists. "But maybe hiding her in his room is indeed too much."

"She could wait outside," Miyu says. "Just outside the porch. It'll be a private moment, yet not too private."

Kaoru, sitting next to them, grins faintly. "I feel like he'll either beat her up or... or kiss her, or something. No in between."

Hana scoffs, even though she's terrified. The way everyone (apart from her father) talks about Kaede now makes it feel like he's grown into this scary man. She can't imagine him like that.

She's been back for about two days now. Wednesday, they had that talk at night. She spent the next day walking around the city with Kaoru. They caught up. Not only does he have a bachelor's degree, but also a master's degree. Both degrees took a total of six years to earn.

It will take him another four years to earn a doctorate, then he needs at least a year of training before he can apply as a real toxicologist.

It all shocks Hana. He's working insanely hard for this. Not only studying so much, but also spending more than a decade on it.

Nozomi appears to be studying fashion, and Hana is well aware that Kaede already graduated from that martial arts university and is now helping others at the university, fighting a lot in legal boxing rings, and debating whether he wants to become a fight choreographer for movies, or a real instructor at universities. Arisu even mentioned he wants to join the military, but everyone except for Aguni and Chishiya is against that.

And Hana's over here fleeing from her family, only to fail some simple social work course. It makes her feel horrible. She doesn't want to be a housewife like her mother, but neither does she want to spend ten years studying. Maybe she'll also go to the University of Tokyo and study education and social work again.

Or maybe she should find a job to pay her father nine million yen before he's a grandpa.

She sighs. "I'll just wait at the porch for Kaede."

"He's usually home around seven," Usagi announces. "Got two hours left to prepare."

"Did he change much?" She asks carefully. "You all talk about him differently now."

"Hmm," she hums. "No, not a lot. He's just as kind and gentle, just less awkward and a little more direct. Physically, he just has more muscles and his hair is different. That's all, really."

Hana nods. "Alright."

●・○・●・○・●

Yet she expects the worst.

He'll be angry. Really angry. He'll probably yell. Maybe worse. He's trained to break people down to the ground. She's bracing for him to unleash everything her brother didn't. She deserves it. She's sure of that.

She can see him coming in the far distance, walking with a big sports bag slung over his shoulder. He hasn't really grown taller compared to last time she saw him, but that's biologically accurate. She can't actively see the muscles Usagi was talking about, but that's probably because he's wearing wider pants and a sweater- not that she's looking for it.

Her palms are sweaty despite the cool breeze of the evening, and her heart hammers so loudly in her chest that she wonders if it might shake the groynd beneath her. The sky glows orange behind Kaede as he walks down the street, unaware and peaceful.

She feels anything but that.

He's twenty-three and walking with his head down, earbuds in, a dark grey sweater draped over his frame. The hair that used to be light and slightly wavy from the sun and the way he styled it is now jet black, medium length, and has a layered texture: at the front, it falls slightly past his ears and frames just around his face, while at the back, it reaches his neck. But it suits him. His jawline is sharp, more angular now, and when he shifts the weight of his bag onto his other shoulder, the movement is smooth.

He's different and yet not.

Hana presses her fingers into the wood of the porch railing and tries not to cry. Her knees weaken. She takes a shaky breath and looks down at her shoes. She's not ready. She shouldn't be here. This is stupid. Her mind is racing with apologies. I'm sorry I left. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I'm sorry I made you all worry. I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I failed. I'm sorry I thought I deserved to come back.

He hasn't noticed her yet. She watches him pull out one earbud as he reaches into his pocket for keys.

Then once, he glances up, and freezes mid-step.

Hana doesn't breathe.

The duffel bag slides off his shoulder and hits the ground with a soft thump. His mouth opens just barely. His face floods with confusion and disbelief.

And out of nowhere, he's sprinting. Faster than she thought possible. His legs eat up the distance between them in seconds. The gravel cracks beneath his shoes. Hana flinches on instinct, afraid he might hit or tackle her.

But instead, he throws himself into her arms.

Or more accurately, he throws her into his: his arms wrap around her waist and he lifts her completely off the ground as if she weighs nothing. Her feet dangle in the air. Her breath leaves her lungs. Her brain can't catch up.

She doesn't even get the chance to react before he laughs. It bursts out of him. He spins once, with her still in his arms, and when he sets her down again, his hands don't leave her waist. "Are you real?" he asks. "Is this a dream? Are you real?"

Hana stares at him. His face is flushed, eyebrows drawn upward, mouth open in disbelief. His eyes are wet.

"I..." she tries, but her throat catches. "I'm real."

Kaede breathes in shakily and brings one hand up to touch her cheek. "You're really here," he whispers. "You're-" He breaks off. Then hugs her again. Tighter. "You're here."

Hana stands still, arms limp at her sides. Her chest is on fire. "I'm sorry," she whispers against his shoulder, voice small. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't care," he says. "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care-"

"But I left. I didn't even say goodbye-"

Kaede pulls back just enough to look into her eyes again. "Are you back for good?" he asks quietly.

"Maybe not in Tokyo for good, but I'm back with you guys for good," she replies. "I promise."

They stand there like that, half-hugging, half-staring. As if they've just come home from school, and they're still teenagers and everything is still possible. As if she never left.

"You changed," she eventually notes. "I mean, obviously. And in a good way, too. You look different but also not."

"You look... the same, but older, but... in the best way possible," he responds.

Hana smiles. "Yeah. That's what I meant for you."

He hugs her again. This time, she doesn't hesitate to hug him back so tightly that they're both literally panting when they let go.

And then Souta and Miyu storm out of the house to join their hug, screaming enough to make the whole city aware. "We're going to the beach tomorrow!"

●・○・●・○・●

That beach day starts innocently enough.

Sakiko, Miyu, and Souta are immediately in the water. Nozomi is judging everyone's swim clothes. Aguni keeps on being forced to hold Souta upside down in the water. Kuina and Ann are lounging on long chairs with drinks in their hands. Hana, who is still tense around everyone but seems to have been accepted back in the group, is handing out drinks and candy to be extra sweet. Kaoru is discussing weird facts about the sea and sand with his father. Usagi and Baya are trying to give everyone sunscreen.

"You, too?" Baya holds the bottle in front of Kaede.

Who is sitting perfectly still in the burning son, with a sweater still on, and no intentions of removing it.

"No, thank you."

"It's like, a thousand degrees. Come on. Go swim," Heiya and Arisu encourage.

Kaede hesitates.

"You'll overheat," Usagi adds helpfully. "Take it off and get in the water. You're twenty-three, not ninety."

Kaede swallows. "I... um... don't feel comfortable removing my sweater. You know, 'cause of..." he trails off, nodding towards his wrist.

Usagi takes a pair of wrist bands from her bag. "Do you want these? And, not to make you feel worse, but most of us know about your struggles, and the ones that don't won't even bat an eye. You don't have to be ashamed or worried, honey."

"Eh..." His face becomes abnormally red. "I'll... think about it."

Hana mingles her way between Ann and Kuina. "Have you used sunscreen yet?"

"Always." Kuina makes a sound with her tongue.

"Okay. Let me know if-"

"You don't have to act like a server to get our forgiveness," Ann says lazily. "Things will slowly get back to normal, Hana. As you notice, things are already going well."

She nods. "Yes, yes. I know. Thank you."

Arisu raises his voice. "Okay, Kaede, you're going to roast in that sweater."

"I'm fine," Kaede assures, but the redness in his cheeks is no longer from embarrassment, and visible beads of sweat are dripping down his face.

"I'm just going to say it," Heiya states. "Nobody gives a shit about your scars because we all know about them. For some reason, no one can keep more than two secrets from everyone else in this group. So before you faint, just get in the water."

"Yeah," Hana agrees, sitting up, doing her best to sound casual. Ann's right. If she acts normal, things will go back to normal, too. "That's true."

It looks like Kaede gains more confidence from Hana's words, but then it takes him yet another five minutes to say, "Fine." He pulls the sweater off.

The moment stretches out longer than anyone expects.

Arisu actually drops everything he's holding.

Chishiya raises one eyebrow, deadpan. "Ah," he says mildly.

"Holy shit," Arisu blurts, because there are so many tattoos and they are everywhere. "When did he... how did he- what?"

"Oh. My. God!" Baya squeals, jumping to her feet. "Kaede! You're covered! These are gorgeous! Look at this brushstroke, oh my! It's beautiful!"

It starts at the collarbone. Tangled fine-line flowers twist around the bone, tattooed so delicately that it looks elegant. Along his left ribs, is a gentle swirl. On the right, a cherry blossom branch moves from just below his armpit down toward his hip, so subtle that the flowers almost vanish when the light shifts. Some petals are falling, others just beginning to bloom. On his sternum, there are spikes and lines that make it look like an opening to a ravine. Every tattoo flows into the next, too many to be able to tell where one tattoo ends and where the other one begins.

"I always suspected something was off," Chishiya says.

"Kaede."

He straightens. "Yes, Mom?"

"These tattoos." Her eyes narrow. "They're not new."

"No."

"They didn't appear overnight."

"No, ma'am."

She inhales sharply. "So when, exactly, did you feel it was appropriate to tell your mother that you were slowly turning into a walking gallery?"

There's a moment where even Kaoru goes still, holding a crab in one hand.

Kaede rubs the back of his neck. "I... didn't think it was... not appropriate?"

Usagi stares.

Arisu is still gaping.

Baya is openly taking photos.

Chishiya hums, expectant.

Kaede awkwardly stands there, sweat trickling down his chest as everyone continues staring at him in a stunned silence.

Except for Baya. "Look at these lines! Look at this detail!" she gasps, crouching low to inspect the side of his ribs. "Who did this? I want their number immediately. This brush technique is insane."

Kaede opens his mouth to answer but doesn't get the chance.

"Don't distract him," Usagi says, arms crossed. "We are not done here."

Chishiya lets out a small breath through his nose. "Huh."

"You knew?" Usagi asks.

"I suspected," Chishiya replies smoothly. "He always flinched when Kaoru hugged him too tightly. You can see the edges of the ink under thin shirts. And he started refusing to go swimming around the same time he turned nineteen." He shrugs. "Wasn't hard to guess. But I figured his tattoos were just badly drawn or weird quotes."

Kaede scowls. "Why do you assume the worst?"

"Enough," Usagi snaps. "Kaede, why didn't you tell us? You're twenty-three. You can make your own decisions, sure. But you've been hiding this. For years, apparently."

"I just... I don't know. I got the first one when I was nineteen, and I thought, 'Okay, this'll be my new secret thing since everyone found out about my favorite boxing club that I'm no longer allowed to visit.' But then it looked weird on its own. So I added another one. And then I started designing them. And now I have... uh..."

"A mural," Chishiya offers, barely hiding the amusement behind his expression.

"Yeah," Kaede says, scratching the back of his head again. "That."

"A mural," Usagi repeats, in complete disbelief. "You've been building a mural and didn't mention it?"

"I didn't think you'd like it."

Baya pipes up again, "I like it. I love it. I'm commissioning you to design my first one. He's walking art!"

"I'm going to walk into the ocean," Kaede mutters.

"You're going to get sunstroke first," Usagi says, dragging him toward the shadow. "Put some sunscreen on now. And after that, we're going to have a very long conversation. Possibly over dinner. Possibly with raised voices."

"Can we have sushi?" Baya asks brightly.

"No, we're not rewarding him for lying for four years!"

As Kaede sheepishly sits beside Hana, who's been suspiciously quiet, he leans over and whispers, "Is it bad that I feel like they're all more mad about the tattoos than the time you disappeared for six years?"

Hana exhales, amused. "It's a close race."

"I was really going to pass out," he mumbles.

"I know," she says, handing him a bottle of water. "You looked like an octopus."

"Interesting description."

They chuckle, then for a while, neither of them speak. The sea fills the silence. The soft shouts of the others drift in and out.

Kaede glances sideways at her. "They'll calm down eventually, right?"

"Oh, for sure," she says. "In about ten years."

"Great."

"On the plus side..." She reaches over and lightly taps one of the tattoos on his forearm. A cluster of small forget-me-nots hidden in another swirl. "They really are beautiful."

He goes still at her touch. "Thanks."

"Did you design them all?"

"Like half. I'm not that good of a drawer."

"Do you still write poetry?" She teases, though she also means it as a genuine question.

He scoffs lightly. "Yeah."

"Then you must be a pro by now. Can I read it?"

His cheeks catch a blush. "No. I'll write you something for your birthday. You can read that."

"But that takes nearly another year!"

"Exactly." He shrugs.

Hana leans back on her hands, face tipped toward the sky. Their shoulders bump gently.

"Soooo...." Kaede slowly starts.

With a chuckle, Hana looks at him. "What?"

"You and Seika. Are you still, like, a thing?"

"We broke up. It's been over a year since that happened. Haven't seen her a lot since, but I'm pretty sure she's back home. I'll probably see her when my parents go visit," Hana explains.

"Ah." Kaede nods. "Sorry to hear that."

She shrugs. "I lied to her. It was deserved and... necessary, maybe. You know, when you date someone, it's obvious you see a future with them, right? You imagine your partner on your wedding day, or with kids, or dying together when you're all wrinkly and old. With Seika, as much as I loved her... I didn't see that kind of future. I never actively thought of it when we were dating, but I realized it afterwards."

"Do you think it's because it simply didn't match? Or because she's a girl? Not in a strange way! I mean, more like, do you think-"

Before he can embarrass himself more, Hana interrupts, "A little bit of both. We did match, but not for a lifetime. And I don't really know about the whole girl and boy thing. If I fall in love, I fall in love, right?"

"Right. Makes sense," he agrees.

Later that night, once they get home, everyone splits off. Bags are unloaded. Towels hang across balconies. Someone mentions after-sun. Kaoru's trying to convince Chishiya to let him keep the crab he snuck home.

Somewhere in the chaos, Kaede notices Hana sitting quietly on the low stone wall that divides their houses. She's staring up at the stars.

"Hana?"

She turns. "Hey."

"You're not going in?"

She shrugs. "I have trouble getting used to my bedroom again. It brings back memories, and I don't know if I like those."

A pause. "Want to come up?" he asks, jerking his chin toward his house.

Hana hesitates for the tiniest second, then nods. "Okay."

It's cooler inside. The windows are cracked open. Kaede's room smells faintly of cologne and something like pencils. His desk is a mess of pens and notebooks, but his bed is neatly made.

Hana sits down on the edge of it while Kaede tosses his sweater onto a chair and rummages for something more comfortable to wear.

"Wait," she says before he can cover his torso again. "Can I take a closer look? I never expected you to have tattoos, and I'm curious about what kind of things you went for. Do they have deep meanings?"

"Not really. I just think they're beautiful to look at it, but something beautiful doesn't always mean it's also beautiful on the inside. I kind of got these tattoos to feel... more. So... they might be beautiful, but that doesn't mean the reason I got them is beautiful."

"That's poetic," Hana comments. "They do have a deep meaning."

Kaede sits up, his beck resting against the wall as Hana scoots closer, carefully expecting the tattoos. So close that he can feel her breath on his bare skin and that it makes him shudder, even after all these years.

Kaede believes he'll never actually stop liking Hana. Just when he thought he almost got over her, she reappeared, and he got smitten again.

At some point, Kaede stretches, arms raised overhead, enough to allow a peek at the ink just beneath the waistband of his sweatpants. Hana sees it out of the corner of her eye and pauses.

"You got another one," she points out.

Kaede drops his arms immediately. "Nope."

"Liar."

"It's not a big deal."

"That means it definitely is." She leans over, trying to get another look.

Kaede shifts away slightly. "It's... personal."

"Oh, come on." She props herself up on her elbows. "I was literally inspecting all the others with my hands one second ago!"

He's silent.

"...Is it bad?"

"No."

"Then why won't you let me see it?"

Kaede mutters something under his breath.

She tilts her head. "What?"

"It's kind of in a... specific place."

She raises an eyebrow. "Define specific."

"Low."

"How low?"

"...Like, low."

Her face flushes. But it only makes her more determined. "Okay. Now I have to see it."

Kaede groans and flops backward, covering his face. There's a long silence. Then, cautiously, he lifts his waistband just enough to reveal it: it's low on his pelvic bone, visible next to his v-line. Maybe the size of a coin. Inked in delicate lines: a paper crane.

But it's not just any crane. It's folded in a very specific way with one wing dipped.

Her mouth goes dry. "You did not."

Kaede pulls his waistband back up and avoids her eyes. "It's subtle."

"That is not subtle."

He dares to glance up. "It's abstract if you don't know what you're looking at."

She just stares. "You literally have my paper crane tattooed next to your-"

"It's art."

"It's a dedication!"

Kaede shrugs, but his cheeks are pink.

"It's kind of weird."

"Yeah, but it felt right."

There's a long pause. Neither of them moves. Hana is still staring. Kaede's arms are folded defensively across his stomach.

Then Hana flops back beside him on the bed. "Oh my God, Kaede. You have a me tattoo."

"It's a crane. A bird. It doesn't have your face."

She peeks at him through her fingers. "It's my crane. My dumb little habit. The wing is bowing, dude."

"Well, it was charming."

"Oh no."

He turns his head to look at her. "Oh no what?"

"I'm gonna have to rethink my whole life."

"That seems like an overreaction."

"You have my fidget permanently inked near your..." she waves vaguely toward his lower body, face burning, "your... ugh, area."

Kaede snorts. "Area?"

"Shut up. You know what I mean."

"I do. I just wanted to hear you say it."

"Not happening."

He grins. "You sure? You're already lying on my bed, talking about my tattoos and my area. This feels like progress."

She throws a pillow at his face. "You got sassier."

He dodges, the grin not leaving his lips.

"Okay but seriously," Hana says, rolling onto her side to face him, hair falling across her cheek, "why there?"

"It felt private. Like... I didn't want to share it with anyone. It's not for the world. It's for me. And maybe you. But mostly me."

She stares at him. "Do you have any idea how intimate that is?"

"I mean, I do now."

"Kaede."

"I didn't think you'd see it!"

There's a beat.

Then they both laugh, the tension cracking open. "It's not weird. I mean... maybe a little. But not in a bad way."

He hums. "I didn't want it to be about impressing you. It wasn't for attention. It was... just something I held onto when you were gone."

Her chest tightens just a little.

He adds, with a smirk, "Also, it's conveniently close enough to my 'area' that I now get to make you wildly uncomfortable every time you remember it exists."

She hits him with the pillow again. "You were doing so well."

"I'm still doing well."

"You were being sweet."

"I'm still sweet."

"Mm. Debatable." A pause. "Do you think you'll get more tattoos?"

"Definitely."

"Any ideas?"

"Maybe something on my back next."

"Big wings?"

"No. Too common."

"Barbed wire across your shoulder blades?"

"You trying to make me look like a criminal?"

She grins. "No, like... sexy trauma."

"Ah, of course. How could I forget the appeal of 'sexy trauma.'"

She bumps his knee lightly. "Don't worry. Secret's safe with me. Does nobody else know?"

"Nobody," he confirms.

However, a few minutes later, when Hana is distracted, he pulls out his phone.

Shindou

She saw it
And
Idk
I think I'm turning into you
She said I'm sassy now

Saw what
Your potential?
That rightfully only shows when you're 'like me'

No, the tattoo
She was like, impressed and weirded out at the same time

Yeah, cuz that spot quite literally indicates you expected her to see it during ykyk

Shut up
That's not what I meant with the placement
I just didn't want anyone to see

I told you you should've gotten it on your ass

Okay bye
If I'm dead tomorrow, it's cuz her father found out
Apparently we're going swimming and barbecuing at their house

That tattoo is LOW dude, they're not gonna see it unless your swim shorts fall off

Idk
Her father is scarily observant
Come with me

Not a chance homo

Aw ilysm ml <3

wtf

●・○・●・○・●

"Oh, eh, hi, Shush."

"Kaede."

Kaede, who's just taking a break from swimming and taking a drink from the fridge, looks at Chishiya, who looks like he's been waiting for Kaede to be alone.

He's staring.

Kaede follows the line of his gaze.

Once he realizes, he shifts quickly. "It's not what you think-"

Chishiya lifts a hand to stop him. "Oh, I think it is."

"How do you even..."

"Yesterday, when you first revealed your tattoos, your eyes kept flicking to your waistband to make sure it wasn't falling or something, and today I happened to get a look for just a fraction of a second after you climbed out of my swimming pool."

"It's just a tattoo-" Kaede starts, trying to sound casual. "It's not even that big. Barely anyone sees it-"

"Except for whoever happens to be between your legs?"

Kaede's face flushes. "That's not-! I didn't get it for that!"

Chishiya takes a step forward. Just one. It's enough. Kaede backs toward the counter.

As if he could not knock Chishiya down with one pinky.

"It's meaningful," he tries again. "I didn't write her name or anything- just something symbolic. It's a paper crane. It's subtle."

"Subtle. You tattooed my daughter's signature origami on your pelvic bone while she was gone for six years. Subtle is not the word I'd use."

Kaede holds his ground, barely. "I wouldn't do anything to disrespect her-"

"Oh, but branding her personal symbol on your skin where your waistband ends?"

"I didn't think anyone would see it! It was supposed to be private. Between me and-"

"Her?" Chishiya snaps. "You're not even dating her."

Kaede blinks, guilt flashing across his face. "I know," he says. "I know we're not. But she's... important to me."

Something flickers in Chishiya's eyes. He steps past Kaede, opens the kitchen drawer near the stove.

Kaede's voice turns desperate. "Wait, wait- what are you doing?"

Chishiya doesn't answer. His hand finds a lighter. He flips it open. A soft flick, then a quiet whoosh. Blue flame.

Kaede stares in horror. "You're not serious."

Chishiya turns slowly, lighter burning in one hand.

He takes a full step back. "You're going to burn it off?!"

"If that's what it takes to remind you there are lines-literal ones-you do not cross."

Kaede bolts, tripping over the edge of the mat as he scrambles toward the back door. He flings it open, half-dressed, panic in his lungs. "DAD-!!"

Arisu, who's halfway through a conversation with Baya, looks up just in time for his son to dive behind him.

"What the- Kaede?!"

"HE'S TRYING TO BURN ME-"

Chishiya walks calmly through the door a moment later.

Kuina lets out a slow whistle. "Oh boy."

Arisu looks from Kaede to Chishiya, then slowly pinches the bridge of his nose. "What did you do?"

"He's got a lighter! He said he's going to brand it off! Or burn it off! Or both! I don't know! He's unwell!"

"It's localized cauterization," Chishiya says. "Completely sterile. Technically, I'm doing him a favor. Tattoo removal is expensive."

"No one asked you to help," Kaede shrieks, practically hanging off Arisu's back like a koala.

"What did he do?" Usagi asks.

"He's mad about a tattoo!" Kaede yells.

Kaede immediately panics. "Don't tell her where it is!"

"It's right above his kae-dick," Chishiya says.

Kuina bolts upright. "I'm sorry, what?!"

"It's above it! High hip! High hip! It's a respectful location!" Kaede grabs his father's arm. "Dad, please. He's out of his mind."

Arisu gives him a long, tired look. "I'm kind of still processing."

"It's artistic!" Kaede pleads. "It's subtle!"

Chishiya steps closer. "It's the size of a coin. So is it."

"You walked into that one," Baya says, entirely too entertained.

Kaede bolts again, sprinting across the yard.

Chishiya, of course, doesn't chase. He just walks and arrives at the grill. Kaede is crouched behind it, hands up in surrender.

"Okay," Kaede gasps. "New plan. You give me five minutes. I'll laser it off. Just put the flame away!"

"That's enough trauma for one afternoon!" Usagi warns. "Chishiya, put the fire away. Kaede, get out from under the grill and show some respect."

Kaede slowly emerges. "I'm sorry," he mumbles to no one in particular.

Chishiya puts the lighter in his pocket. "You will be. If I ever find out she sees that tattoo."

"She won't!" Kaede says quickly. "I mean, not anymore, sort of-" He stops. Freezes.

Chishiya stares at him.

Kaede swallows.

"Kaede."

"I-"

"She's already seen it?"

Kaede makes a sound.

Chishiya's hand returns to his pocket.

●・○・●・○・●

🂱 A/N: sorry if this is fast-paced once again!! But I didn't feel like focusing an entire chapter on how awkward things are between Hana and her family, so I decided to make things go back to 'normal' decently fast with a few awkward moments here and there, lol. I hope you don't mind !!

Also, Hana and Kaede's relationship might seem like it's moving fast, but as far as I've planned, it'll be a pretty slow burn (it already is), so yeahhh. This beginning is just more full of tension due to the tattoo and all

Also I was rereading a few parts of Sweven and Baya kept complaining about the first name thing and Chishiya was like "oh yeah, yeah, I agree, it sounds so weird, oh you're so right" like no dude, we know you were praying for her to call you by your first name every night, stop lying