Genius Inc Otome Oneshots

Packing Up - Soul of Yokai

The shoji door slid open. The three figures all holding large baskets saw the desolate house. Vases were broken, the table was flipped upside down and decorations laid on the floor, not set up neatly in any way. 

"I guess he didn't have a good time coping with it all..." Yukio sighed. 

"Of course he wouldn't, Yukio." Hayato grumbled, "You can't expect him to take news like his own girl kis-" 

"Enough." Karasu interjected, "Let's just get this over with." 

The Tengu walked forward with his basket and began picking up the pieces of the broken vase and putting it in his basket. The Oni and Yukiotoko soon followed his lead and began picking up items - ruined or not - and placing them in their baskets. 

The dark-haired Tengu held a cast-iron kettle in his hands. He traced his fingers around the lid as his eyes glanced solemnly at the teapot. 

'We used to spend dinner with each other often despite living in different houses... I'd bring food over and he'd boil some water and make tea for us to drink with our meals...' Karasu thought. 

Karasu choked down his feelings and thoughts and put the teapot in his basket and continued his task. 

The three men placed various items and belongings in their baskets and they soon all finished with the living room and they soon moved onto the next places. Hayato went to the irori while Karasu and Yukio went to Sakuya's room. 

Karasu folded up blankets and Sakuya's clothes and Yukio packed away Sakuya's belongings. While Yukio was going through Sakuya's possessions, he saw something. 

A photo containing Karasu, Sakuya, Nami and him, all standing joyfully with bright smiles on a sunny day.

Yukio stared at the photo with bittersweetness. They were all so cheerful. But now, that happiness no longer existed. Nami died. Sakuya became filled with rage, hate and bloodlust. So many things changed in such a short amount of time and so suddenly as well. How long would it take before they returned to a happiness like this? Would they ever be able to recover from this pain? They lost Sakuya, someone who was a loving older brother, a supportive friend and a great leader. He was a pillar of strength for a lot of people. And Nami... She hurt Sakuya and Karasu but... She used to be good, kind and caring... That felt genuine as well... It felt like she truly wanted to spend time with them. But she changed unexpectedly... And so drastically...

Yukio soon felt prickling in his eyes. He swept away his very few tears with a finger.

"What are you standing there for?" Karasu sternly asked, "This house isn't going to pack away itself."

"Sorry... I was just..." Yukio sniffled, "I was just getting all emotional..." 

Karasu sighed, "I know this is hard but we have to..." 

Karasu soon eyed the photo in Yukio's hands. 

"Why are you holding that?" Karasu hissed. 

"Well, I just found it and I started thinking-" Yukio whispered. 

"Stop thinking then and throw it out." Karasu stated. 

"Throw it out?" Yukio quavered. 

"Of course. With... her... in the photo, what's the point in keeping it?" Karasu replied, "We can't tear her out of the photo because then Sakuya would be torn away. Although, I guess we could get ink and paint over her."

"No!" Yukio blurted. 

"Excuse me?" Karasu grunted. 

"I... I don't want to take her out of the photo." Yukio protested. 

"Why?" Karasu growled, "She didn't love Sakuya for himself despite Sakuya loving that human for herself. He loved her and she hurt him in return. You understand what she did right?" 

"But... She also made him happy, didn't she?" Yukio uttered, "You can't deny that Sakuya was happier with her, can you?" 

"Even so we shouldn't remember that... that monster." Karasu grumbled, "She kissed me! She kissed me despite being a couple with Sakuya! She hurt Sakuya! She hurt me! You know what she did!" 

"I know what she did but-" Yukio murmured. 

"Then give me the photograph." Karasu demanded. 

"No, I won't!" Yukio snapped, "Everything that happened came out of nowhere! Nami became a completely different person in such a short amount of time! I want to remember the Nami that was warm and kind-hearted! Not the one that betrayed us and left us in pain!" 

"Do you not care about what happened to Sakuya?!" Karasu shouted. 

"Of course I care!" Yukio responded, "But I-" 

"No, you don't!" Karasu yelled, "You pretend like nothing happened! If you actually cared about Sakuya then you would stop caring about that human! She betrayed my brother... She betrayed.. me..." 

Karasu soon burst into tears and sat on the ground, wiping them. 

Hayato burst through the door and saw Karasu sobbing on the floor and he immediately went to him. 

"Yukio, what the hell did you do?!" Hayato roared, "I heard Karasu yelling!" 

"I- I was just talking about Nami-" Yukio stammered. 

"Why the hell would you?!" Hayato interrupted, "You know that she's a sensitive subject!" 

"But I-" The Yukiotoko croaked.

"Shove it." Hayato scowled, "Go to some other part of the house and pack up stuff there." 

"I..." Yukio soon took a deep breath, "Alright..." 

Yukio picked up his basket and put the photo in his clothes and soon walked away into another room.