Dead Eyes: a Hitoshi Shinsou Fanfic

Chapter 62 [The Messy Room]

It was finally discharge day. After several days of therapy and rehabilitation, they were going to let me out.

Of course, I would still have to come in three times a week, something which Hitoshi's family offered to do. I was extremely thankful for their hospitality, as going back home wouldn't work too well for me. They didn't live too far from the hospital, and it would allow me to stay within the general area of UA so that I could still have homework delivered to me.

It was going to be perfect.

Hitoshi and all of his family came to help get all my stuff, which basically consisted of my backpack and the tatters of my costume.

By then, I was used to using crutches, but they still wheeled me out to the van.

The crisp air hit me right in the face, sending a shiver down my back. I was wearing some of his cousin's clothes. They were much too tight on me, mostly because of my large muscle mass. All my clothes were back at the dorms, and no one had thought to bring me any.

The male nurse who had been checking on me throughout my stay wheeled me out, all of the Shinso's following. Hitoshi was holding my crutches.

He gave me a soft smile as he gave me his hand, helping me to my feet. I took the crutches from him, thanked the nurse, and went to the van.

They lived close, so the drive was easy. They lived in a nice area with big houses. Of course, they needed a big house since they all lived together. Most of their family members were old enough to work, so they probably pooled their money and were able to afford it.

We pulled up in the driveway of a large, somewhat shabby house. There was a nice flower garden out front and several trees scattered around the yard. The chipped siding was a dark gray, and their door was dark green. There were bikes, toys, and a play set in the yard.

Hitoshi came with us to bring me to their house, and was going to stay until the next morning. He would have to go back to school.

I couldn't lie to myself. I was nervous to be with his family for a long time. Especially if it was without him.

I was helped out of the car by his father. My crutches handed to me, I followed Hitoshi to the front door. He put his hand on the handle, then turned to face me. "You're gonna want to watch your step."

"Huh?"

He opened the door, revealing what seemed like a daycare. At least five kids were running around, and scattered around the floor were all sorts of toys, puzzles, board games, and play costumes. An exasperated-looking woman with buzz-cut purple hair stood among them, holding a toy wand. A pair of fairy wings were on her back, clearly too small for her body.

"Hey, Aunt Tae! So they left you home with all the kids?" Hitoshi laughed. 

"Don't give me that. You were one of these little monsters not long ago." She took off the wings and put the wand down, pulling him into a hug. "Missed you. How's UA?"

"It's been great. I wish I could visit more often though."

There was a certain softness about Hitoshi when he was around his family members. As he was swarmed by all the kids in the room, he rubbed their heads, lifted them up, answered their questions, and asked about their lives. His mother walked up next to me, a big smile on her face.

"These are all of his cousins. As you can see, we kind of have a preschool here."

"Do you all live together?"

"No, not all of us. The only people who live in this house is me, my husband, my parents, and my sister and her family. However they usually spend most of their time here."

"Wow. No wonder you need such a large house!"

"Heh, yeah. We bought this house with that in mind. We're a close family. My goal was to be able to have everyone stay here at once, even if it's cramped. Fifteen years of working on the house later, we've managed to accomplish that."

"That's so cool. At my house, It's just my parents and me. I've never met my cousins. I've met my grandparents but a few times. This is just so different than my family."

"Well, I hope it doesn't overwhelm you. Come on, I'll take you to where you'll be staying."

She picked up my bags and slowly led me through the house. The house had a neat charm to it. There were pictures everywhere. Pictures of dogs, people, and drawings the kids made. I passed by a picture of a pale kid with fluffy hair. I stopped in my tracks, staring at the image. All of the Shinso's looked alike, but I could tell it was Hitoshi. He was much less tired-looking then, but he still had his natural eyebags. His hair was messy, even more so than it was now. He had a big grin, a front tooth missing. He was holding a plastic shovel, sitting in the sand. It looked like he was trying to build a sandcastle, but it was falling apart. He looked to be about 5.

Mrs. Shinso stopped, looking back at me. When she realized what I was looking at, she smiled. "That was a nice day."

"He looks so...rested."

She laughed. "Yes, yes...He was such a good kid." We continued walking. "He always loved the beach."

We reached a door that had a "No Trespassing" sign on it. 

"Haruyo, I need to warn you about your roommate. She is the only person who has enough room for you on the first floor. We didn't want to make you walk up stairs. She's, well...She's a teenager. Just like you. Only, there's one thing-"

"Mom, I can hear you!" A voice from behind the door said. 

"This is Hitoshi's sister. Yoshiko. Fourteen years old, and she's going through a lot right now. Come on."

She opened the door, revealing a cluttered, dark room with a bunk bed in the corner. 

"Yoshiko, I told you to tidy up!" She scolded. A lump from the top bunk groaned and threw a pillow at her. She sat up straight. 

A young girl with light purple hair glared at us. Her hair was a mess, sticking up in several different directions. She was still in her pajamas, despite it being nearly noon. "I was never asked if she could stay in my room. It was just, 'Oh, Yoshiko, your darling perfect brother Hitoshi's girlfriend has a little booboo! We're adopting her, so you get the privilege to let her stay in your room! Yayyyy!'"

"Excuse me, Haruyo," She apologized. She put down my bags, and called Yoshiko down and out into the hallway.

I could hear them arguing. I felt dreadfully awkward. I would have preferred to stay on the couch. I knew what it was like to be 14, and I wouldn't want to be around myself as a 14-year-old girl. I tried to ignore their conversation as I looked around the room.

It was clear that whatever she was going through was new. Behind all of the laundry and trash scattered everywhere, I could see the traces of a preteen with lots of interests. There were teen idol posters plastered everywhere, the walls were painted pink, and there was all sorts of makeup and nail polishes. 

I recognized this. She was going through something. I had been through the same thing. My room, back home, used to be a light blue color. I kept it clean throughout my entire childhood, as my parents expected. Even through my brother's death, I managed to keep it clean. But as soon as I got into middle school, it all changed. My daily cleanings changed into weekly cleanings. Those turned into monthly. That turned into never. 

My parents disapproved. They talked badly about me. But they didn't understand. I couldn't clean. My body wouldn't allow it. I would come home from school, flop into bed, and fall asleep. When I was awake, all I could do was stare into my phone and scroll through social media endlessly. My mom would come in, do her little thing with the criticisms, and leave. 

Yes, I recognized her room immediately. She seemed like a brat. But it seemed so familiar. I remember always being so angry and sad for no reason. I remember snapping at my parents for even looking at me. When I finally overcame that time, I did feel bad. But I always wished that there had been someone to understand. I made the decision then and there, as I was standing in that room, to be understanding. To not get offended. It was the very least I could do.