Entrusted (a Hidashi fic)

Chapter #1

On the way home, I take the long way. It's the time of year that the cherry blossoms begin to fall and a bit of a chill nips through your jacket. A few petals get caught on my shoulders and in my hair, which blows behind me. I readjust my footing on the old MoPed, hitting the brakes and turning to park it at the gate to the graveyard, which is kept clean and nice, the hedges neatly trimmed and the gate free of rust.

I pull my helmet over my head and clip it to the handle bars of the moped, which I lock with a thin chain that I loop around one of the metal rods of the front gate, kicking the stand down to keep it from falling over. I snap the black hairband from around my wrist and tie my overgrown hair into a short, spikey ponytail. I swing the pastic bag filled wth good-smelling food over my shoulder, and push open the gate's swinging doors with the palm of my hand.

I pass many other shrines before I stop at Tadashi's, sitting down cross-legged in front of his picture and fighting with the food, trying to get the carry-out containers out without spilling everything. I manage to poke myself with a plastic fork wrapped in plastic, but I get everything situated. Food in front of Tadashi's shrine, a meal on my lap, a napkin on my knee, and even soy sauce on the side.

"I got your favorite." I say aloud, pointing at his nabe with my fork. I can almost see him, tilting his head, smiling, saying something stupid like, "For little ol' me?" Batting his eyelashes like an idiot. I smile, taking a sip of my carbonated juice. "Happy Birthday Nerd." I snort before lighting the candles around his picture frame and finishing my food before cleaning up, putting the trash and the few grains of rice left over into the plastic bag it had come from. "Has Aunt Cass already stopped by?" I ask, brushing off my jeans and sitting back on my haunches. "Did she tell you about how she's worried about me?" I chuckle. "Or about Haruhiko-san?" I run a hand over my hair and sigh. "I found out that we aren't related today." I pause. "You were adopted, since mom and dad didn't think they could have kids. But then... they had me. It was a lucky shot I guess." I'm about to laugh, but it dies in my throat. "Y'know, it'd be helpful if you could talk back." Of course, his picture just smiles. I swallow hard, a sudden lump forming in my throat. I press two fingers to my lips and then to his picture frame. "Later." I choke out, grabbing the fast food bag to throw out on my way back to Tadashi's old Moped. I'm not sure how much the groundskeeper appreciates my leaving food on Tadashi's shrine. But to be honest, I don't care much.

~

As I park in the garage of the Lucky Cat Cafe, I use the palm of my hand to aggresively wipe away tears that have made cold tracks on my cheeks without permision to do so. I hang the helmet haphazardly on the handlebars and cross through the cafe, grabbing a cream-filled donut on my way upstairs. Halfway up, old fifty's music drifts to my ears. I cringe. Haruhiko's a fan of all things vintage. Says it reminds him of the stuff his grandparents used to listen to. I unlock the door and let myself inside, peeking around the corner to see Aunt Cass smiling as her fiance spins her around in the small living room.

I smile. Aunt Cass met Haruhiko about a year and a half ago. He's a business man, and at the time, he was offering to buy the cafe from Aunt Cass. She said something like, "No way buster." And apparently, he'd fallen for her. I couldn't blame him. As good as Aunt Cass was, someone was bound to notice how wonderful she was.

Aunt Cass must've noticed me standing creepily in the doorway because she calls,

"Hiro! Come join us! We have pizza!" I blink out of my fog. "Um, I think I'm going to head upstairs and. . . um, get some sleep."

"C'mon eighteen-year-old!" Haruhiko cheerfully joins. "It's Tadashi's birthday! This sould be a time to celebrate!" Yes, Haruhiko might've known Tadashi because he was wasabi's uncle, and yes, he might have actually cared for him but, no, he was not allowed to act as if he had spent even one birthday dinner with Tadashi and no, he was not allowed to boss me around when I was upset!