The Untold Origins of The Port Mafia

♂ The Other Brother ♂

~ 6 weeks before the end of The Great War ~

Tachihara Shunzen never wanted to kill mindlessly, only fight for his nation and the ideals he believes in. Chief Medic Mori sparing him feels like a miracle. He owes the Chief Medic and Yosano-san his life. If he ever sees them again he'll do something nice for them.

When he steps off the boat back into the port of his home city it feels like coming home from outer space. He kisses the ground, not caring about the stares he gets. He has a family and a 4-year-old brother to get home to.

He hops in the first taxi cab he finds, not minding the expensive price for the distance from the port to the house in the city neighbourhood.

-

He hurries up the drive when he hears screaming.

"Why can't you be a good boy like your brother? What are you here for, just to be a hooligan? Why couldn't it have been him and not you, huh? Why don't you just die?"

Not bothering to knock, he enters the house to find his mother screaming at his younger brother, Michizou, the young boy sniffling back tears.

He jumps in front of his brother just as his mother raises her hand. "Mum? What are you talking about? What did he do?"

She sees him, her eyes widening but she can't stop and the hand crashes against her eldest's face. Having felt much worse, he doesn't flinch.

"Shunzen? You're alive! Oh, thank god! We thought you had died, I-"

He cuts her off, angry, disappointed. "Were you really going to hit a 4-year-old? Why?"

" . . . I–"

"And telling him to just die? Apologise!"

Michizou cowers. He's used to his parents yelling, but not his brother, even if it is in his defence.

"I'm sorry! We thought you were dead! Your last letter was like goodbye . . . and here you are, just fine." The apology is insincere and she's changing the subject.

"That's no excuse!" Shunzen turns to his brother, his face softening, "What did you, Michi?"

Michizou knows his brother wouldn't hurt him. "I got dirt on the floor." He says it with defiance, his big toddler eyes as narrow as they'll go, chin tilted up. Michizou can't bring himself to be sorry. He's gotten so tired of hearing about his perfect brother when he just wants him to actually be here that he's stopped caring about behaving.

Shunzen turns back to his mother, "Dirt? All that for a little dirt?"

Their mother has nothing to say for herself.

Shunzen picks up Michizou and takes him to the bathroom to wipe the mud off his clothes and face.

"Does Mum do that a lot?" he asks, trying to be casual as he takes a gentle cloth over his brother's face.

Michizou nods. "Dad, too. We thought you died."

It's a fair assumption. Given that he was so desperate to be home, the last letter almost sounded like a suicide note and then he didn't get time to write anymore

"No, I'm just fine, and I'm here now. So you don't have to worry about anything okay."

Michizou hugs his brother tightly, ignoring the pain it causes his bruises. He's too happy to have his brother back. Maybe now that he's here Mummy won't be mad all the time?

-

Shunzen sees his brother's bruises when he gets him ready for bed, not trusting his mother or father to be with the boy.

Fingerprint-shaped bruises on his arms from being grabbed, and various other purplish-yellow marks on his back.

After Michizou is safe in bed, Shunzen confronts his parents. He's never been one for making a big scene but he's furious.

"You know I always suspected that maybe he wasn't the favourite, but I never thought you'd do something like this. Is there a reason you've been beating up on him or do you just enjoy it?"

"Shunzen, dear, you misunderstand. He's such a rascal, always misbehaving, nothing like you at all. He'll probably end up a garbage collector or in jail if we don't beat it out of him now"

"He's four. I think sending him to bed early without dinner would do the job." Shunzen walks off, stopping the argument there so his parents don't suspect a thing.

-

They have no idea that anything is amiss when Shunzen wakes his brother. They're ignorant when he packs suitcases with their clothes, toothbrushes and Michizou's few baby books. They haven't a clue when the car starts.

"What are we doing?" Michizou asks

"We're leaving."

"Where?"

"I don't know yet, but anywhere away from here?"

"Away from Mummy and Daddy?"

"Yes. They're not going to stop hitting you. I know you might still love them, but we can't stay. You'll understand better when you're older. For now, you just have to trust me. Can you do that?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay." Shunzen smiles as he turns out of the neighbourhood.

Michizou kicks his feet excitedly, holding as carefully as he can onto his brother's old piggy bank which now contains all the cash that was in the house. Shunzen doesn't relish the thought of stealing but there wasn't much and his parents can do fine on their own.

By the time the sun rises the two boys are out of the city.

Shunzen doesn't know where he's going but it needs to be as far as he can get while still staying in civilization. He's heard of good, easily affordable universities in a city called Yokohama, so he'll start there.

(A/N: I know such a young child probably can't speak that well but I didn't feel like writing baby talk so here you go.)