insouciant || ON HIATUS

ℂℍ𝔸ℙ𝕋𝔼ℝ 𝟙

Mamoru blinked at the small house that stood in front of them. Maiko let out a stuttered gasp of awe at the red-roofed house.

"This is your new home," Claire smiled, shifting her purse on her shoulder. "If you're amazed at the outside, wait until you see the inside."

She ushered the kids inside, chattering quietly with their grandmother. Maiko darted inside, lost in her excitement while Mamoru entered slowly, trying to remember all his rules.

As soon as he entered the house, he noticed a little step that separated the spot between the door and the rest of the house. "Maiko."

Maiko came to a stop and came back to Mamoru, eyes blinking owlishly at him. "Take your shoes off here," he instructed, looking to Claire for confirmation.

When she nodded, a little surprised at how well he picked up Japanese culture, Maiko and Mamoru removed their shoes and placed them neatly on the metal rack. Claire handed them two pairs of slippers, one blue and one pink.

Mamoru and Maiko slipped them on quietly. Maiko was letting out excited peeping noises, her face round with eager curiosity.

"Go ahead and explore," Claire urged, realizing Mamoru was waiting for a command to allow him and his sister to explore their new home. She felt a flicker of white-hot anger at her brother, seeing how his own son waited for commands like a dog.

For a moment, she reminded herself fnot to show any negative emotions, lest the boy think it was directed at him. Instead, she told herself to speak slower so he wouldn't be lost when translating. "Grandma and I will be talking in the kitchen, alright? Have a look around."

Mamoru nodded hesitantly and took off at a slower pace than Maiko, who was already exploring the bathroom.

The house wasn't particularly grand or flashy in any way. It was actually rather plain, especially on the outside since there weren't any flora.

But somehow, it was more of a home than the eggshell walls and the pristine mahogany floors back in America. There was no grand piano in the corner with a stiff teacher waiting for him. To his hidden amusement, the bathroom sink was an absolute mess with cosmetics and various clothing articles.

Maiko let out a strangled gasp and instantly, Mamoru was at her side. He realized there wasn't any danger and that she was so in awe of her room, her eyes were practically sparkling.

It was a plain room, but there seemed to be a pastel theme going on. Maiko touched the bed reverently. "It's so soft," she whispered, dragging her fingers along the pink bedspread. "Where's your room, Moru?"

Mamoru backed out of her room and looked at the door beside hers, which held a nametag.

Mamoru Shirai.

He touched paper that held his name in kanji. For a moment, he hesitated, trying to visualize his room. All he could think of was the bare bedroom in America, devoid of belongings that always seemed to fit with other kids.

Mamoru opened the door and for a moment, his heart stopped. The most prominent color was a eggshell white which covered the walls and the ceiling.

But his eyes caught a hold of the pastel blue bed and the same shade that covered a portion of the wall. Like Maiko, his room held a window which was currently letting through the afternoon sun.

"Wow!" Maiko slipped past him and twirled in the middle of his room, amazed. "It's...amazing!"

His keen ears picked up footsteps, Claire's he deducted, coming closer. "How do you like your rooms?"

He looked up at the woman and noticed a spec of pink paint on her forearm, which he could see now that she rolled her blazer up.

She painted the rooms herself.

The snowy-haired boy struggled to put an appreciative emotion in his voice. "They're wonderful, Claire-san. Thank you very much," he thanked, bowing slightly.

Mamoru grimaced when he realized it didn't sound appreciative enough so he bowed lower, noticing Maiko was following his actions.

Claire waved her hand before realizing it wouldn't do anything. She placed both hands on his shoulders and raised him. "Don't ever bow to me for something like this." Her voice cracked slightly as she said, "Y-You should've had this back in America."

He didn't understand why she was so emotional over two rooms, though he appreciated her physical labor over the rooms. "It's very nice," he insisted, nudging Maiko to stand up straight. "We truly appreciate your efforts."

"Mamoru-kun." Claire shook her head in disbelief. How could an 11 year old be so articulated? He acted like he was in his teens, not a prepubescent child. She struggled to get the right words. "I'm going to try my best to give you the world. You and Maiko deserve so much..." she sucked in a breath, trying to finish right, "and I'm going to do everything I can so you two are happy."

She gaped at Mamoru, shocked at the tiny tear that rolled down his cheek. "Did I say something wrong??"

Mamoru sniffed and wiped away the tears. He didn't shed any more as he looked at Claire with the most heartbreaking look she'd ever seen. "Thank you," he said enunciated in English. He switched back to Japanese, "We can't thank you enough for this."

Claire brought them in for a group hug, chest tight. She couldn't have kids herself, so having Mamoru and Maiko with her felt like a newfound opening. She would change their lives for the better.

"Ah." Claire extracted herself from the twins and slipped her hand in a pocket. "Mom told me you both hated silence, so I got you this."

She brought out two iPods and a pair of earbuds. "I already pre-downloaded some music for you, but you can also add some more on your own time."

Maiko oohed and aahed over the rose pink color, eyeing the play button already.

Claire suddenly realized Mamoru wasn't listening anymore. His hand had curled around the iPod with such a look of awe, it stunned her.

As far as she met him, she'd never seen him look so amazed.