REBORN! (A Haikyuu! Fan Fiction)

Chapter 6: Living with the Salty King

I stayed in the cold pond water for a few minutes, willing my energetic buddy to go down soon. Well, considering how much BL Manga/Manhwa/Manhua I've read in my past life, I knew the dangers of this light saber and it shall remain tucked in the darkest corner of my trousers.

After I dried myself off and changed clothes (and doing some meditations to avoid any more unforseen accidents), I rejoined Tsukki and Akiteru who waited for me in the hallway.

"Sorry for the wait! I just needed to cool down." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. We headed off to return to the main room.

Meanwhile...

"I can't believe you let him stay in the hospital for that long! Knowing Shigeo, he must have felt suffocated." Rei Tsukishima mused.

"He had already staged multiple escapes." Cairo huffed in reply. "That boy is a headache. I tell him to sit still, and he runs around the hallways. I tell him to come to me in times of danger, and he... would rather die than ask for my help." The man grumbled spiteful as he recalled receiving a call from Tsukishima Kei, that fateful night his only brother chose to end his life.

"You're no good either, Cairo. I know you care for your brother, but that doesn't mean you can lock him up and keep him inside that hospital." Rei admonished as the man in front of her brooded.

"... I can't help it. He's the only family I have left and I can't—"

"At this rate, that boy may as well cut you off from his life as soon as he is capable of doing so. Do you want that?" Cairo flinched.

"No... But, I—"

"No 'but's! Just imagine what you've put him through with your overprotectiveness getting out of hand. You almost lost him once; do you really want to make the same mistake twice?"

Cairo Koyama was a distinguished man, a man born to dabble in medicine. And it was only thanks to his work that he was able to revive his brother from the dead. He thought, as he watched his brother's eyes flutter open, that he needed to do whatever it was to protect Shigeo from ever going through something like that again.

Indeed, he was blinded by fear of losing his brother once more. That heart-wretching feeling of watching his brother on his operating table. And the fact that Shigeo's memories refused to return only deepened Cairo's worries.

"You're right." Cairo relented. "I have been too controlling with Shigeo's treatment. But I'm scared, Rei-san. I don't want his memories to resurface."

"Oh, Cairo..."

"Ever since our parents died in that car accident, Shigeo stopped talking altogether. Now, it's as if he's back to that time when he was a kid—stubborn and a real headache, but still free from his trauma. I don't want him to recall anything that hurt him. And it scares me that if I let him outside, his memories may be triggered."

Seeing the tall man crumble in front of her like a hopeless child, Rei Tsukishima couldn't help but feel pity. Before she knew it, she was hugging the big man in front of her.

"Cairo, you know you can't protect him from everything. I get what you're afraid of, but that doesn't mean we stop trying. You have to let go, dear. You have to let your brother find his own path and battle his own demons. You're not meant to take on his burden. That's what it means to be a parent."

"... Thank you, Rei-san. I don't know what I'd do without you and your family."

"Nonsense! I'm glad that you finally see reason. Now, regarding his schooling, I have a few propositions."

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"And that's why you'll be living together with Kei before the new school term starts!"