STRANGERS AGAIN [k. kazuha]

006

the kamisato clan only expected the best. you've known this for a long time.

you were 12 years old when you went to your big sister's fencing competition, marveling at how she could so easily strike down her opponents with the use of her natural grace and dignity.

"en garde! prêtes? allez!" you recall the judge shouting, and ayaka lunged towards her opponent where they had a brief clashing of swords before she successfully tapped the tip of her thin blade onto the opponent's chest.

your mother sat beside you on the stands, arms crossed and eyes sharp and analytical as always as she examined ayaka, looking pleased by her performance.

"y/n."

"mom."

"i want you to be like her someday." she points at your big sister, having just won the semi-finals. "she's flawless, don't you want to be like her too?"

"i do." you answer quietly, 'so much.'

frowning at your timid tone, your mother purses her lips at you in disappointment before standing up from her seat to congratulate your sister on another round won.

"then act like it."

your father was an absent one, only ever showing up to the kamisato estate when your mother forced him to. you don't remember much of your father from your childhood, only his half-assed visits and the look on his face during dinner that made it clear he didn't want to be there.

you tried to reassure yourself that your father loved your family, and that he wouldn't have been treating your family to such a lavish lifestyle through his company he worked so hard on if he didn't. oh, how naive you were.

your brother on the other hand was a young adult when you were in your teens, moved out and fully independent so little did you remember of him during your childhood.

you were 13 when the treatment at home started getting to you, no longer being able to stand seeing the tauntful glimmer of the trophies in your big sister's room, your mother's obvious distaste for you, and your father and brother's absence.

you started developing a mindset where you thought overworking yourself with no rest was only necessary in the road to becoming like ayaka, so you did just that. if sacrificing your health was what you had to do to finally feel loved, then you would gladly let yourself deteriorate.

you spent countless hours at fencing lessons, sacrificed many nights of sleep for top school marks and to no avail.

your mother still didn't look at you, no matter how many trophies you won or no matter how many top marks you acquired. you would never be your kind and beautiful sister that was too perfect for even you to hate.

you recall the midnight ayaka knocked on the door to your room, immense worry in her eyes when you had opened it looking so tired.

"you should get some sleep." she whispered delicately, pulling your exhausted form in for a hug. "i worry for you, you know."

"i know.." you whispered back, glad to be able to hold the gaze of at least one person in your life.

ayaka didn't need to know this, but you starved for more— you needed more people to love you just like they loved her. she also didn't need to know that the overworking never stopped from there.

you were 14 when thoma, ayakas's friend had insisted you meet kazuha, completely convinced you would get along just fine seeing as the both of you were the very same age.

the first time his crimson eyes ever met yours, you would have chickened out and scurried away if it weren't for 16 year old thoma who stood in front of you, acting like your human shield and looking far too excited for you to meet this 'kazuha' for you to let him down.