Kaze wasn't able to properly process it. No doubt. He was in the future.
How? He didn't know. He had no god damn clue. He didn't think it was possible. But this was the only explanation. The confusion made his head hurt, and when he was frustrated and confused; He got angry.
Except right now he couldn't get angry. Not with an older Sayuri leaned over him in complete worry.
If this was any other situation, he would just tell Sayuri bluntly what was going on. This situation was too weird not to. But she was already looking at him like he was crazy. How was he supposed to make her believe that he was a Kaze from years and years into the past?
"Okay this is enough, we are going to the doctors." Sayuri about had her fill and grabbed Kaze by the wrist.
Kaze quickly withdrew his hand away from her. No. That was the worst thing that could happen. Hospitals will ask him even more questions he is supposed to know. And it's not like possible time travel can be a diagnosis.
Kaze didn't know how long he could keep up the act of not knowing anything and trying to act normal, and he wasn't exactly sure why either. The biggest reason probably was that he didn't feel safe at the moment. Like sure he knew these people, but not really. It's like suddenly he was thrown onto a battlefield to defend himself.
And when Kaze doesn't feel safe, he isn't as likely to reveal anything or openly talk. He didn't know why he was here and how he got here. He wasn't about to spill his guts unknowingly.
"I'm okay." He told her. "I just need to get home."
That's what he needed. Some alone time. Some time by himself to truly wrap himself around this situation and some time to figure out how the fuck he was supposed to get out of here. He couldn't waste time with questions he didn't know the answer to, or people he knew but also didn't know.
Sayuri glared at him before letting out a big sigh, almost as if she had given up. Just more evidence that this had to be the future. Usually, it would take her a lot more to stand down on a stance when she was worried.
"At least let me walk you home okay?" She asked, but he knew it was really an order. Didn't matter how old Sayuri was in this world, her word would still be law no matter what. And Kaze was not about to test the theory with her this time.
He slowly nodded and let her be as she gathered up her stuff behind the desk. She put a bag over her shoulders and tucked a few things away before offering to help him up out of the chair. Kaze ignored the hand and simply got up himself, trying to further prove his point that he was okay, and didn't need the help.
As they began to walk out of the castle, Kaze couldn't help but ponder himself more questions. Questions that made his head hurt even more than it already did. When did Sayuri and Jackson get married? When did they have kids? How old were they? Are they healthy? Did Yuka really marry that idiot? Is she queen now? How's everyone else? How is mom doing right now? And the rest of the clan?
He slowly started to ponder his own questions. What is this Kaze like? What does his life look like? Is he the head of the clan? What is he doing now?
It's not exactly like he could just ask her that. He had to be the best future him for the time being till he figured a few things out himself. Like if this was really the fucking future, and if there was any way of proving that so.
Either way, he couldn't let the silence continue. He cleared his throat and did his own investigating through small casual questions.
"So... How are you and the redhead doing?' he asked in a low voice to hide his anger. He hadn't the time to even process they were dating, much less they were now married. He needed to control his anger about it.
Sayuri raised a brow but looked forward as they made it down the hill. "We're great. And come on Kaze the least you can do is call him his name." She huffs out as she lets out a deep sigh.
"The kids are hard, but Jackson a good dad. Scratch that, he's the best. He always comes back from work knowing exactly what to do. And on days that he is home he juggles the kids and all his paperwork single-handedly. Despite this being my second kid and me being home 24/7, I feel like I'm still messing up a whole lot." She sighed.
It was hard enough for Kaze to imagine Sayuri with kids, much less be faced with the ultimate fact that she already had kids, and she now had a new family to look after. It was hard not to be disheartened about it. It seemed like yesterday that she had left the clan to live at the castle. And now he had a niece and nephew. And Sayuri was venting really parenting problems to him. It was hard to swallow.
But even with this Sayuri seeming like a stranger, even if she didn't talk like normal or had all these differences to her. It still hurt to see her so caught up in these feelings about messing up as a parent.
"You're a good mom." Kaze had the nerve to finally speak up in regards to it. The fact was he didn't have any proof. He didn't know this Sayuri and for all, he knew she could be the worst mom on the planet. But he knew no matter what, no matter what Sayuri grew what to be or what she did. She'd be a good mom no matter what. He believe that deep into his heart, as much as he hated to see her having kids right now.
Sayuri looked at him and gained a small smile. "Ya. Jackson won't let me forget that either." She sighs. "And it's hard to not believe you guys when I come home and Aita comes running to me in a big hug. And Sirius, even though he can't speak yet, has this HUGE smile on his face when we meet eyes."
She seemed... so at peace when she told him this. As if sharing her deepest treasures with him. And at that moment Kaze was sure it was. A treasure. So weird to meet a Sayuri who already had her world enthralled in such pleasures. In such a deep love that young Kaze has yet to even grasp the concept of.
The walk wasn't a lot surprisingly. It was quite calm and nice. They headed towards the Hino clan but not the exact region he thought they would go to.
"You feeling better?" Sayuri asked him after a bit of calm silence.
Kaze was shaken out of his thoughts but followed them with a slow nod. "I think I just need some rest. I have a bad headache and it's making it hard to think." He said with a half-lie. He did have a big headache, but all the thinking is what was causing it.
"Rex should be there, right? I mean the reason he didn't come today is that he wanted alone time with Kiki. I'm sure they'll nurse you back to health." Sayuri chuckled a bit into her hand as she walked.
This was a shell shock. Kaze was so wrapped up in Sayuri's and yuka's future, he hadn't the time to try and think of anything else. Like rex or the Hino clan or even himself mostly. It took practically everything to not abandon his act for the sake of answers to that statement.
Why was rex as his house with a woman named Kiki? I mean Rex barely knew Kaze in his time, it was weird to think they were still friends, after all, this time, much less have him staying in his house. What made Rex be at his house for alone time with this random girl was quite strange. Something he wished he could ask more about but stayed quiet.
Who was Kiki? After seeing both Sayuri and Yuka end up marrying their boyfriends with kids, and introduction of a new woman was quite strange to hear about, and of course disheartening. It's not like Kaze suddenly had hope that he would be with Rex. That's not something that was even on his radar. He didn't even think they would still be friends. But it was quite sad to hear that Rex didn't even end up with May. He thought they'd be together and happy. He hadn't the thought that Rex would have fallen in love with someone completely different altogether. Someone Kaze didn't even know right now, but would later know enough to allow them to have a date in his own house.
The thought they were still friends was nice but was simmered into a disgusting feeling. He had only recently figured out this crush for rex, only for it so soon to be crushed. Kaze knew it probably wouldn't work out, but he didn't think he'd be met with undeniable proof that he should stop trying altogether. So quickly did he have this fire poured out. He tried not to get upset about it but found it hard.
He was so ready for alone time at home that he wasn't prepared to meet a future rex. But it's not like he could argue with it. That would be suspicious and only lead him farther away from his goal of needing alone time to process things.
He'd just have to go through it, ask rex to leave his place, or just be left alone for a little bit. He would just have to scope the area for more information. He had no other choice than to keep on trucking forward through these people until he got peace. But he doubt he'd get peace in this foreign place.
As they approached what seemed like their destination, Kaze could realize why this was his place. It was still pretty close to the clan, but also a bit towards the capital. It was strange, Kaze couldn't figure how he ended up getting a house away from the clan. He just always imagined he'd stay there forever. Typically clan members only moved into their own place when they started a family. But coming from what Sayuri was saying, it didn't really sound like Kaze had a family right now.
Kaze immediately recognized which house was his. He didn't know why. He just felt it. It wasn't big. Not very small but was the picture-perfect definition of "homey." There was a chimney on the top, and a slanted-down roof, meaning it was only one story. It just seemed... warm.
Sayuri seemed confident as she went to the door, standing before it and looking back in Kaze's direction before leaning forward.
She knocked up against the door, stepping back next to Kaze again. You could hear some rustling going on inside the house as a Hollar came towards the back.
"Coming!" Came a strange and yet so familiar voice.
It sent a chill down Kaze's spine and his heart raced a mile a minute. Shit, he really wasn't prepared for this. But it's not like he could simply walk away. He took a long deep breath.
There was the sound of clicks by the door, presumably from the locks going off the door, and the heavy set door being swung open in front of them.
Sure enough, it was him. Rex Landcaster. Unlike the others, he did look like he aged a cent. He just looked... different.
