Hakusho: Parenthood

Chapter 17: D stands for Development: Finale

July 27, 2013

Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival

The streets of Tokyo were filled to the brim with people, some in yukata or kimonos, or some dressed in everyday clothes. Excited chatter bounced off each other. Several getas clicked and clunked against the ground as people wandered around, either heading to food stalls, game booths and mask stalls, or the nearby temple. Passing through the bustling crowd were the cool-headed Minamino family: Shizuru was dressed in casual, if somewhat formal, attire consisting of beige slacks, a white loose-fitting collar shirt, and brown tennis shoes. Kurama dressed in similar attire which consisted of a blue and white checkered collar shirt tucked into black slacks, and black dress shoes. Hibiki walked in between his parents dressed in a jade green yukata with a white obi, geta and socks, and coke-bottle glasses along with unkempt hair that purposely gave him a "dorky" appearance to prevent himself from getting unwanted attention like his parents.

Shizuru shoved her hands into her pants' pockets and peered at her son. The preteen was currently eating his second Choco Banana and was carrying a bag of cotton candy and another bag filled with taiyaki, and this wasn't even counting the other sweets Hibiki blew his allowance on. That's a lot of freaking junk food. Judging by his pursed lips and raised eyebrows, Kurama had the same thought. They shared a look. Shizuru blew out a puff of smoke from her cigarette and lightly tapped her son's temple to catch his attention.

"If you keep shoving that crap down your throat you're going to end up regretting it later." Shizuru said.

"...Health advice isn't as credible when it comes from a frequent smoker." Hibiki said before shoving the rest of the Choco Banana into his mouth as an act of defiance.

"Well, he's not wrong." Kurama pointed out with a growing smile of amusement.

"Yeah, whatever you smartasses." Shizuru pulled her son into a headlock and roughly rubbed her knuckles against his scalp. "This is for talking back. As your mother I can be as hypocritical as I want."

"I call hacks. Hacks." Hibiki squirmed and grunted as he tried to break out of his mother's hold. "Father, I am in need of assistance." Seeing that his father wasn't even considering helping him, instead taking delight from his suffering, his body went limp as he reluctantly accepted his punishment. He guessed it wasn't that bad. This was the closest to a head pat he was going to get from her.

"Yo! Shizuru, Kurama, Hibiki! Over here!"

Spotting Kazuma erratically waving from his spot behind the crowd, dressed in a sky blue yukata full of koi fish and dragon designs and a black obi, the trio hurried up to him. Yukina and Ayako came into view as they got closer; the ice maiden was currently fixing the bow of her daughter's obi. Both were dressed up for the occasion also. Yukina was dressed in a kimono similar to her old one but with golden wave designs on the fabric and a darker red obi. Ayako was dressed in a burgundy kimono covered mostly with colorful floral designs and a golden-yellow obi, and her usually loose hair was in a high bun with some artificial flowers attached. Side-by-side, the differences between mother and daughter were prevalent. Despite growing in height after reaching a hundred, Yukina was still quite petite compared to everyone else in the group, even her daughter was taller by a few inches. Ayako's shoulders were slightly more broader, and her face—which was still quite cute—appeared androgynous depending on the angle you stared at it from.

"He~ey, Kazu and my adorable ice munchkins." Shizuru waved with her free hand while her other arm was still wrapped nice and snug around her son's neck. Yukina gingerly smiled at her sister-in-law and Ayako grinned like her father.

"It's a pleasure catching up with you. I was starting to get concerned that we would end up getting lost in this crowd. Especially since—" Kurama not-so-discreetly peered at his son and his abundance of sweets. "—we had been sidetracked for a moment or two."