/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>44550038

I walked back home as I nursed my nose. A broken nose was the last thing I needed, but my focus on the recent developments made the pain less noticeable. If mother was going to make an effort to bring us back to her then things would be a lot more difficult. While even she would know better to beat us and drag us off to the shrine, her trying to force herself back into our lives would definitely cause issues. I was always worried about dad. He had made great process, but if she got her claws back into him it would all be for nothing. I resolved to think about all this difficult stuff later as I entered my home. First things first, patching myself up. I head over to the cabinet where we keep the medical supplies and brought them out. Dad spotted me. “Hana, are you alright? Your nose is bleeding” he said as he stepped towards me to get a better look.

I felt a twinge of guilt as I considered lying to him. What if he still had a piece of himself that wanted to go back to her? Would he sneak off to see her? But I pushed those thoughts away. I saw how much he improved over all the time we spent here. To think it all could be undone so easily would be an insult to him. He deserved the truth “I ran into mom. I might have mouthed off to her, so she hit me. She’ll be around more, you know” I pause a bit, here was the real test of what Dad was made of “She said she wanted to see you again”


“That’s like her. I should have known. Come on, let me help you with that nose” Dad held up out hands and I handed him over the box. I sat down at the table and he took the seat next to be, setting the box on the table. “It doesn’t seem broken, so that’s good. Let me just clean it up for you” He rummaged around for a rag and started to clean the blood off of me. Satisfied that there was no more bleeding, he cleaned the cut with a bit of alcohol. “Seems like she only broke the skin, so you should be good to go”


“Thanks dad” I said, as I rubbed my nose. The silence that followed was almost suffocating. I knew I couldn’t just leave it at that. There was an obvious question to ask, even if it would come off insulting. I breathed in “Are you going to see here? Even if it’s just to check in on her?” I turned away. I could only hope he wasn’t upset for me seeming to lack faith in him.



“No” he said as he packed away the supplies and slid the box away. “I’ve had some time away from her to think about things, and I know things aren’t going to work out as they are” Even if this was the answer I hoped for, I’m still shocked by it. Just a few months ago he would never have said those words. It’s a good thing I was looking away as it gave me time to compose myself before I turned towards him. “I had just gotten used to everything over the years. It seemed like the only life I could have. I guess it was when I realized I was coming home and finding that I could relax and not worry about every little thing that it just hit me, you know?” he tapped his fingers on the table. “Not having to make sure everything was done right, not worrying about suddenly angering someone. I just forgot how it felt.”

There are so many things I want to say. That he’s making the right choice. That I’ll help him in any way I can. How it was awful he felt like that for so long. That he deserved a much better life then the one he left. But only one word left my lips. “Dad….”

A slight smile formed on his face as he continued. “It’s funny, I never realized how isolated I was until now. Just you, me, Aunn, and Reimu. Everyone else just drifted away so long ago when her behavior started. They only came around for business and even then tried to keep things brief. I only left the shrine to pick up supplies, never to really enjoy myself. I could never imagine how much had changed. Do you know Kosuzu? She’s running the Suzunaan now and she got married a few years back. Two kids. Nobody even told me. I’ve been trying to catch up on what I missed, so I think I prefer leaving like this”

He sat back, down with his explanation. He sighed contently. He must have been mulling this over for a while. So this was it. He had finally made up his mind to distance himself from her. I wouldn’t have to worry about mother browbeating him into returning and focus on other matters, like my training and finding a way to get mother to leave. But one thing at a time. Dad just said something interesting, the implication that she wasn’t always like this. I always wondered why they got together when I learned of her true nature, and this was my way of finding out. It was good as a time as any to figure things out. If it could happen to me....No. I push those thoughts out of my head and ask him.

“Dad, what was she like before I was born?”