Warning: Serious descriptions of dysfunctional family. I've always insinuated how bad the situation of Jūnisakura family is, but this chapter is even less subtle so this may cause discomfort when read between the lines.
January 3rd 2006
The main Jūnisakura estate is lively for the first time in aeons, as preparation for two events' celebration from the day prior is finally complete. The whole household is now packed inside one hall, reveling in delight as the banquet begins.
Even when their celebration centers around the two descendant of the head, both are excluded from the banquet of adults.
Tsumi patters down dark corridors, lingering in front of the hall, sliver of light spills out behind closed doors, as well as music and laughter. He tries to push the doors open, but they feel stuck in their tracks, he feels isolated even if their distance is paper-thin.
"Young master?" Looking up, Tsumi sees Kabaya, a tray of flasks and dishes of alcohol in her arms: "Off to bed now, you're too weak for pulling all-nighters."
When Tsumi pulls at the hem of her kimono, she places the tray by the door before allowing the toddler to drag her along in confusion, but slowly she understands when overwhelming rackets from the hall fades and wails gradually drift clearer through the air. Oh, she slides open the doors Tsumi could not open, hurriedly strides toward the crib in the room.
Soon the wailing stops, the newborn now gurgling in Kabaya's arms, Tsumi looks up from beside her leg, craning his neck trying to catch a peek of the source of horrendous howling and shrieking that has been stressing him minutes prior.
"Ah, master and madam haven't let you meet her yet..." Kabaya crouches down, bringing the tiny bundle to Tsumi's eye level: "Here's your little sister, young master, you two share the same birthday by the way, isn't that sweet?"
Inside the bundle is... something, wrinkly and curled up, all enveloped in a layer of pale peachy skin, glowing red with a purplish hue, even though her eyelids are squished shut, orbs still seem visible through the light skin as filmy as ricepaper... Naked mole rat?
Tsumi leans in, closely scanning over the infant when tears begin rolling out in beads.
Only two years old, expressing emotion is still a foreign concept, the boy conveys his adoration and fondness for the little one through weeping.
In the distance, speeches are made while family members toast.
They toast the eldest son, yesterday is marked his arduous survival into second year of age. Infant mortality rate within the Jūnisakura clan is high, with their children genetically messed up straight on the starting line.
They toast also the arrival of the second daughter yesterday, the opposite gender of the eldest son, the recent introduction in the intertwisted mess of Jūnisakura family tree, a long record of people entwined with together in a ravel which maintain a peculiar fixed narrowness no matter how much the layout of the tree is expanded.
Now the next generation after for the Jūnisakura clan is currently secure.
It is said babies remember more than one thinks. Tsumi always remember those statements of toast, from behind those hall doors, engraved in his mind.
"Spacing out again? What are you thinking about?" Megumi nudges the male looking lost in thought.
"Remembered some things, made me hurl a little in my mouth."
"Ew." Nobara's face scrunches up: "What were you remembering? No wait, I don't wanna know."
"Yes." Tsumi chuckles, face nary a smile: "You don't wanna know."
YOU ARE READING
Please, leave a stain on this vast emptiness
Fanfic"My reason for entering Jujutsu Tech? It is of my parents' recommendation, but if my real reason is needed... Promise this conversation would not find its way back to the ears of the Jūnisakura family." Losing his little sister Jūnisakura Komen mean...
