[Fanfiction] After Dark, おまけ
[A/N] I was thinking if I should make this Chapter 16, but doing that will totally derail the timeline. Omake is probably the right term.
7:53 PM. Three months prior.
Shi Ryuuki walks along the hallway, towards the large sitting room of their house. He received a mail earlier that morning, one that he didn’t expect. It was from his elder brother.
At first, the mere reality of receiving mail from him struck him as amusing, but Ryuuki knew that his brother didn’t have much of a choice. He was always glued to his work, that e-mail was probably the best way he knew how to reach him. He barely sends SMS. He doesn’t have time to text. He just thought of these things and eliminated the factor that he and his brother still lived under the same roof. Just under the roof of a ridiculously large mansion.
He flips his mobile open and flips it close again. He’s waiting for a call. Or text. Or a combination of both. Tonight is important for reasons other than his brother calling for him.
He opens the enormous door, which reveals the sitting room. He looks around. The fireplace is lit, and there are a number of chairs that are arranged in a circle, but nobody is around. He comes in, and shuts the door. The large Arcadia door is slid open. He walks briskly towards it, and finds himself outside the room. He is now fronting a garden, but he is separated from it by white balustrades surrounding him. At the very center stands a tall figure.
“Seien-aniue!”
The figure from the other side turns. Shi Seien’s face lifts slowly as he sees his younger brother arriving. “Ryuuki.”
Ryuuki comes to him fast, until they are beside each other. He smiles at his elder brother widely.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome back.” Seien says, in a voice that is hushed yet loud enough for the both of them to hear. He lifts his hand and ruffles Ryuuki’s hair gently. “How have you been? How’s school?”
“Fine. School’s great.” Ryuuki shuts an eye, in half-resistance to his brother’s gesture. “Got an A in Political Science preliminaries. I studied hard like heck for that.”
Seien nods. “That’s good.” He smiles faintly, and removes his hand from Ryuuki’s head.
“How about you, Aniue?”
“I’m tired.” He answers. “So tired. Maybe, too tired.”
“You should rest, then.” Ryuuki tells him. “Are those old geezers giving you a hard time?”
“Not just them. Pretty much everybody and everything.” Seien replies exhaustedly. “Except you, of course.”
Ryuuki chuckles. “I’m sorry I don’t get to see you often.”
“It’s all right. You must be busy.”
“Um … not really. I thought you were too busy.”
“Oh. Well. I am. But, it’s not like you’re not welcome.”
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“That’s silly, Ryuuki. Since when did you do that?”
Ryuuki laughs a bit, and Seien smiles at him in return.
“If that’s the case, I’ll come by whenever I’m free.” Ryuuki says. He flips his mobile open, and closes it again. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”
“That’s no problem at all.” His brother answers.
“Great!”
“Listen, Ryuuki …” Seien slowly turns his head away from him. The look on his face is of sheer exhaustion. His eyes are devoid of light.
“I … may be sleeping for a while.”
Ryuuki raises his eyebrows. “Oh. All right.” He shrugs. “That’s understandable, with you being tired and all.”
Seien nods slightly. “Yes, but … I think it may be for a while.”
“Don’t worry about it, Aniue. You deserve a break. You’ve been working nonstop. I can’t even remember the last time you took a vacation.”
“We did, about a year and a half ago, I think.” Seien turns to him. “The both of us. We went to Okinawa.”
“That was a business trip.” Ryuuki corrects him. “And I wanted to tag along. I’m talking about a real vacation, one where you didn’t have to bring your persocom and mobile along. We never had one of those. Not in a long time.”
Seien ponders on this for a while. “You’re right.” He says finally. “I guess, I haven’t had one in a while.”
“You deserve some rest.” Ryuuki encourages him. “Sleep for the whole day. If they come looking for you, I’ll just tell them to get lost.”
“Even Chichiue?”
“Why not?”
“I have yet to see you stand up to him.”
“Well, this may be that golden opportunity.” Ryuuki smiles mischievously.
Seien laughs softly, then he falters into silence. “You … will watch over me, won’t you? While I sleep?”
Ryuuki blinks, trying to find an answer to the question. “Hmm … probably not. I don’t want to wake you up.”
“I don’t think you’ll be able to.”
“Yeah, you may be right. You’re too dead tired.”
Seien smiles faintly. He then turns to Ryuuki and puts a hand on his face, resting his fingers softly.
“I know … you’ll understand. You’re the only one who will understand.”
Ryuuki nods, but the weight of Seien’s words do not come upon him until much later.
“I haven’t hugged you in a while.”
Ryuuki frowns visibly. “I’m too old for that.” He protests. “We’re too old for that.”
“Let me have one, for old times’ sake.”
He scowls for a while, then sighs. “All right then.” He slowly brings his arms around his brother’s waist and rests his head on his shoulder. The thought of doing this strikes him as awkward as first, but it becomes the most natural thing when he does it. Seien places his hand on Ryuuki’s head, stroking him gently.
“I really missed you.” Ryuuki says, snuggling his head in his brother’s shoulder, making himself comfortable. “Isn’t that weird? We live in the same house, after all.”
“I did too.” His brother’s breath fans on his head. “And you’re right, it is weird.” Seien presses his cheek on Ryuuki’s head. “I told you in my mail we should move to a smaller house. Maybe, just the both of us.”
“Will Chichiue allow us?”
“Probably.” Seien answers softly. “Maybe, it won’t really matter.”
Ryuuki closes his eyes, as if, in a effort to let everything around him fade away to center on this moment. The security of being in Seien’s arms seems to be something he constantly longs for. The fundamental feeling of being protected and loved can never be shaken, even in adulthood.
He wants to remain here. He doesn’t want to let go.
Until his mobile suddenly rings.
He raises his head, looks at Seien, then reaches for his phone in his jeans. He flips it open. “Hello, oh yeah, hi … it’s out? For real? Oh, that’s great! Can I go there? … Yeah … yeah … that’s amazing! I’ll be on my way now. Yeah. You’d better get there fast! I’m sure there will be a long line waiting by the time we get there. Okay. I’ll see you.” He ends the call, then turns to Seien.
“That was my contact from the Heki zaibatsu. They just released a new game and they’re releasing it in an Internet café downtown. They’re allowing me first dibs!” He exclaims.
“Oh, I see.” Seien nods. “That’s the game you were---“
“It’s the one that I’ve been waiting for nearly a year now, and it’s finally out!” Ryuuki gushes with delight. “I really have to go. There’s definitely a long line there by now.I have to get going.” He places his phone back into his pocket, then looks at his brother.
“I’ll see you, Aniue.”
Seien closes his eyes, then reaches his hand towards Ryuuki’s head. He scoops him gently, bringing him near, and kisses his forehead.
“Goodbye, Ryuuki.”
A small frown appears on Ryuuki’s face, one that isn’t seen by his elder brother. He doesn’t understand why Seien uses that word when they will surely see each other next day, or the day after that. The situation doesn’t warrant a goodbye.
“I’ll be seeing you.” He says emphatically, as he draws away. It is meant to assure himself and his brother, but we know from foresight that this is in vain. He looks at his brother from top to bottom. He is dressed very much in the usual corporate fashion - the purple tie that he still wore in perfect condition is the only color that stands out in his dreary black and white fashion. There seems to be nothing wrong. He is perfectly fine.
Ryuuki smiles at him for the last time and walks away, then starts into a run as he makes his exit.
After he sees the doors to the sitting room close, Seien rubs his face with his palm. He feels the exhaustion coming, seeping into every fiber of his being. The migraine is throbbing in his head. He knows he has to lie down.
He is simply tired of everything.
7:53 PM. Three months prior.
Shi Ryuuki walks along the hallway, towards the large sitting room of their house. He received a mail earlier that morning, one that he didn’t expect. It was from his elder brother.
At first, the mere reality of receiving mail from him struck him as amusing, but Ryuuki knew that his brother didn’t have much of a choice. He was always glued to his work, that e-mail was probably the best way he knew how to reach him. He barely sends SMS. He doesn’t have time to text. He just thought of these things and eliminated the factor that he and his brother still lived under the same roof. Just under the roof of a ridiculously large mansion.
He flips his mobile open and flips it close again. He’s waiting for a call. Or text. Or a combination of both. Tonight is important for reasons other than his brother calling for him.
He opens the enormous door, which reveals the sitting room. He looks around. The fireplace is lit, and there are a number of chairs that are arranged in a circle, but nobody is around. He comes in, and shuts the door. The large Arcadia door is slid open. He walks briskly towards it, and finds himself outside the room. He is now fronting a garden, but he is separated from it by white balustrades surrounding him. At the very center stands a tall figure.
“Seien-aniue!”
The figure from the other side turns. Shi Seien’s face lifts slowly as he sees his younger brother arriving. “Ryuuki.”
Ryuuki comes to him fast, until they are beside each other. He smiles at his elder brother widely.
“I’m home.”
“Welcome back.” Seien says, in a voice that is hushed yet loud enough for the both of them to hear. He lifts his hand and ruffles Ryuuki’s hair gently. “How have you been? How’s school?”
“Fine. School’s great.” Ryuuki shuts an eye, in half-resistance to his brother’s gesture. “Got an A in Political Science preliminaries. I studied hard like heck for that.”
Seien nods. “That’s good.” He smiles faintly, and removes his hand from Ryuuki’s head.
“How about you, Aniue?”
“I’m tired.” He answers. “So tired. Maybe, too tired.”
“You should rest, then.” Ryuuki tells him. “Are those old geezers giving you a hard time?”
“Not just them. Pretty much everybody and everything.” Seien replies exhaustedly. “Except you, of course.”
Ryuuki chuckles. “I’m sorry I don’t get to see you often.”
“It’s all right. You must be busy.”
“Um … not really. I thought you were too busy.”
“Oh. Well. I am. But, it’s not like you’re not welcome.”
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“That’s silly, Ryuuki. Since when did you do that?”
Ryuuki laughs a bit, and Seien smiles at him in return.
“If that’s the case, I’ll come by whenever I’m free.” Ryuuki says. He flips his mobile open, and closes it again. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”
“That’s no problem at all.” His brother answers.
“Great!”
“Listen, Ryuuki …” Seien slowly turns his head away from him. The look on his face is of sheer exhaustion. His eyes are devoid of light.
“I … may be sleeping for a while.”
Ryuuki raises his eyebrows. “Oh. All right.” He shrugs. “That’s understandable, with you being tired and all.”
Seien nods slightly. “Yes, but … I think it may be for a while.”
“Don’t worry about it, Aniue. You deserve a break. You’ve been working nonstop. I can’t even remember the last time you took a vacation.”
“We did, about a year and a half ago, I think.” Seien turns to him. “The both of us. We went to Okinawa.”
“That was a business trip.” Ryuuki corrects him. “And I wanted to tag along. I’m talking about a real vacation, one where you didn’t have to bring your persocom and mobile along. We never had one of those. Not in a long time.”
Seien ponders on this for a while. “You’re right.” He says finally. “I guess, I haven’t had one in a while.”
“You deserve some rest.” Ryuuki encourages him. “Sleep for the whole day. If they come looking for you, I’ll just tell them to get lost.”
“Even Chichiue?”
“Why not?”
“I have yet to see you stand up to him.”
“Well, this may be that golden opportunity.” Ryuuki smiles mischievously.
Seien laughs softly, then he falters into silence. “You … will watch over me, won’t you? While I sleep?”
Ryuuki blinks, trying to find an answer to the question. “Hmm … probably not. I don’t want to wake you up.”
“I don’t think you’ll be able to.”
“Yeah, you may be right. You’re too dead tired.”
Seien smiles faintly. He then turns to Ryuuki and puts a hand on his face, resting his fingers softly.
“I know … you’ll understand. You’re the only one who will understand.”
Ryuuki nods, but the weight of Seien’s words do not come upon him until much later.
“I haven’t hugged you in a while.”
Ryuuki frowns visibly. “I’m too old for that.” He protests. “We’re too old for that.”
“Let me have one, for old times’ sake.”
He scowls for a while, then sighs. “All right then.” He slowly brings his arms around his brother’s waist and rests his head on his shoulder. The thought of doing this strikes him as awkward as first, but it becomes the most natural thing when he does it. Seien places his hand on Ryuuki’s head, stroking him gently.
“I really missed you.” Ryuuki says, snuggling his head in his brother’s shoulder, making himself comfortable. “Isn’t that weird? We live in the same house, after all.”
“I did too.” His brother’s breath fans on his head. “And you’re right, it is weird.” Seien presses his cheek on Ryuuki’s head. “I told you in my mail we should move to a smaller house. Maybe, just the both of us.”
“Will Chichiue allow us?”
“Probably.” Seien answers softly. “Maybe, it won’t really matter.”
Ryuuki closes his eyes, as if, in a effort to let everything around him fade away to center on this moment. The security of being in Seien’s arms seems to be something he constantly longs for. The fundamental feeling of being protected and loved can never be shaken, even in adulthood.
He wants to remain here. He doesn’t want to let go.
Until his mobile suddenly rings.
He raises his head, looks at Seien, then reaches for his phone in his jeans. He flips it open. “Hello, oh yeah, hi … it’s out? For real? Oh, that’s great! Can I go there? … Yeah … yeah … that’s amazing! I’ll be on my way now. Yeah. You’d better get there fast! I’m sure there will be a long line waiting by the time we get there. Okay. I’ll see you.” He ends the call, then turns to Seien.
“That was my contact from the Heki zaibatsu. They just released a new game and they’re releasing it in an Internet café downtown. They’re allowing me first dibs!” He exclaims.
“Oh, I see.” Seien nods. “That’s the game you were---“
“It’s the one that I’ve been waiting for nearly a year now, and it’s finally out!” Ryuuki gushes with delight. “I really have to go. There’s definitely a long line there by now.I have to get going.” He places his phone back into his pocket, then looks at his brother.
“I’ll see you, Aniue.”
Seien closes his eyes, then reaches his hand towards Ryuuki’s head. He scoops him gently, bringing him near, and kisses his forehead.
“Goodbye, Ryuuki.”
A small frown appears on Ryuuki’s face, one that isn’t seen by his elder brother. He doesn’t understand why Seien uses that word when they will surely see each other next day, or the day after that. The situation doesn’t warrant a goodbye.
“I’ll be seeing you.” He says emphatically, as he draws away. It is meant to assure himself and his brother, but we know from foresight that this is in vain. He looks at his brother from top to bottom. He is dressed very much in the usual corporate fashion - the purple tie that he still wore in perfect condition is the only color that stands out in his dreary black and white fashion. There seems to be nothing wrong. He is perfectly fine.
Ryuuki smiles at him for the last time and walks away, then starts into a run as he makes his exit.
After he sees the doors to the sitting room close, Seien rubs his face with his palm. He feels the exhaustion coming, seeping into every fiber of his being. The migraine is throbbing in his head. He knows he has to lie down.
He is simply tired of everything.