Kaien gently swallowed spoonfuls of cereal, a bliss of chocolate flakes floating on a bowl of milk. He waited for the two siblings, a bowl prepared for each and placed opposite to the table. Today felt different, promising leaps and bounds that were beneficial. Within the grey coloured room—his personal favourite—he sat in contentment. Seconds turned into minutes, yet there was no sign of his tenants. He briskly strolled out the kitchen and down the hall, placing a hand in his pockets.
[25 May 2005]
He checked his phone, and searched for news on the internet. He searched a playlist of J-Pop he had come to admire—ones that transported him to new emotional dimensions. A few were available, but most of those he painstakingly memorized were not there.
*I pity this world*
The door to the garage was just up ahead, the white door a sharp contrast to the ocean blue setting of the corridor. This one he picked out of tribute to the siblings themselves. Of course they were touched, but not as much as his next renovation.
But then he raised an eyebrow. He paid attention before his ears picked up what he had to listen to.
He heard something, something that lured him out of his thoughts. It came from the door itself, or what was happening inside it.
The drums presented a simple, humble rhythm. The keyboard sang a smooth melody. Each had their own flow, out of sync with the other. In essence they were in disharmony, but Kaien did not flinch.
*I knew I smelled progress today, but this makes me feel like I should go see an olfactory doctor*
At first it was just a thought, yet in seconds it multiplied into many negative ones. They all centred around one core idea.
*Can I really push these kids to be the best they can be?*
His doubts stilled as his hand touched the doorknob, twisting it the instant he eliminated all of them.
What was hidden behind the door was the garage. A grey paint job, along with petals—some blue and some orange—painted across the walls, reminding him of a certain song.
At the centre of a wall were the intruments was the finishing touch—grey, street style letters that spelled 'High Note'—were etched on it. He was silent when he arrived, listening closely to their session.
What he thought was no progress turned out to be hiding improvement in plain sight. Naruto no longer struggled with the beat Kaien taught him. Even the kicks were incorporated.
He also saw improvements in Naruko's flow. She was able to play each note semi-perfectly. All that was left was hand eye coordination.
*At least I know a drill that can get rid of that.*
Kaien took small, deliberate steps towards a sweating Naruto. His footsteps echoed in the room, unnoticed. Only by waving his hand in front of the blonde's face did the drums stop rolling to a stop.
The female twin—noticing that the drums had ceased—looked over to Naruto.
Slow claps, ones that stalled for the sake of suspense filled the room. "You stayed true to your words. I am proud but..."
'But what?!' the siblings thought.
"I might as well finish the food while you are at it..." With those words, he saw what he didn't think was possible. His view of the world was thrown out the window.Red flashes dashed across his vision, disappearing to the corner of his eye. His hair fluttered, only for
a brief moment did they dance with the breeze. He blinked once, his eyes testifying his hidden humanity. "Shit, they already left."
From then on, he had some insight on their life's philosophy.
*Food is life!*
He had already left the garage-slash-rehearsal room and walking down the pale blue hall way. The house was breathing, only because he wasn't the only one in it. It wasn't some oppressing prison he built for himself—it was a home. Arriving at his room, the door creaked open.
Inside was an empty room, quiet like the one in his parent's residence. It was something he grew used to, and now he felt alienated if the room had unnecessary things. Any stray object silently tugs at his focus and he would have to wrestle with them until it breaks prematurely or he loses.
There was no winning scenario.
*I have to think of a song I need to sing as our debut*
All the songs he had ever heard of were numerous, creating a mental traffic of sorts.
*I can't even remember some of them.*
He then sat down on his chair, and started scribbling any song that came to mind.
...
The floor was while if not for the fact that the papers were inked. The songs kept popping up, and so did the pages. He picked all of them up, placing them in a neat stack. As if protesting, the dullsensation in his wrist soared into a sharp pain. His eyes were barely kept open, for how long was a
matter of will.
For some songs, he had to translate some words from English in order to make sense of the meaning. A lot of energy was used.
*I went too far*.
With that thought, he found himself opening a particular grey door. He was back inside the rehearsal room, but it was quiet. There was not a single presence in the room, but the instruments were nowhere to be seen. He continued walking toward the exit in a steady pace. A paved path came into view, surrounded by a sea of vibrant, green grass.
He tilted his head to the left, and the people he was looking for were resting under the warm comfort of the sun. The grass caressed their figures, but the look of content stirred something within Kaien.
It was not even hidden this time, his lips arced into a rare smile. It wasn't because of his appearance, but because of how difficult catching him in the moment was. This was just one of such instances where his mask cracked.
He sat on the grass besides them, trailing their gaze which led his eyes to the clouds. His face had long returned to a neutral expression—a default setting.
"How have things been going with you two?" Kaien asked.
Naruto's eyes narrowed, his brows descending into a scowl, "I am kinda angry at the fact that everything seems so hard!"
"I am tired of repeating the same thing. At this point, I am wondering if anything is improving." Naruko spoke before drawing a quick breath, and exhaling deeply.
"Well, Rome wasn't built in a day." Kaien added.
And after that exchange, there was nothing left to be said. Each of them observed the clouds, but their attention can be described as frozen. They weren't engrossed with the clouds, but themselves.
Kaien's thoughts revolved around his last interaction with Mei. The day before, Mei said something that plagued his mind till now.
It was just yesterday, but it felt like he hadn't seen her in a while.
[24 May 2005]
Mei was standing at the gate, bending down on one knee just enough to look Kaien straight in the eyes. Her expression softened slightly, her hands just inches away from his scalp...
But it stopped dead on its tracks.
Just then, as she retracted her arm, it was grasped tightly midway. Her eyes shot open, only to watch Kaien place her hand right where she wanted it. For the first time, she saw him revealing a calm smile that rivalled that of angels by sheer purity.
Mei would swear her heart did not almost stop beating.
She returned the smile, trying to get a grip on her trembling will. "Listen, there's someone who's going to look after you while I oversee the hotel for a few days. I am running late, so it's best we exchange contact numbers okay."
"I understand. You are a busy woman after all."
...
After a few days, the siblings were improving under his guidance. Naruto could play the beats without going off rhythm. Naruko could flow smoothly between her notes effortlessly.
"Always remember, it's about flawless communication between your eyes and the notes—in this case a specific fingering—to play however you see fit."
Naruko nodded. She played the entire C scale without much difficulty. She could even play simple.melodies now. Kaien turned to Naruto, placing a finger at the centre of his own forehead.
"And you should always remember—before you can even sit on that stool, you must have a beat playing in your head. Not only that, you can even be a little creative granted there is order. Got it?!"
"Yeah!" the blonde cheered, and his sister joined him a second after.
The sound of a distant doorbell sounded, the shared moment between them ruined. Grey eyes broadened infinitesimally, his attention stimulated by the notification sound. He grabbed his phone, checking his messages.
He had just received one from Mei, and it appears she sent a photo of the person and a description.
He read through it slowly.
*A young, hyperactive girl who knows too much for her age—a mischievous prankster. I trust you will be able to get along.*
*P.S. Don't be fooled by the cover.*
Kaien raised an eyebrow. He stared at his phone for quite some time before calling the twins.
"We've got a visitor..."
What caught him off guard was a sight to behold. Their irises were stained blood crimson, their pupils stretching into slits. Their thin whisker marks bolder than usual, as if a new layer of black was creeping across their cheeks.
They looked... dangerously cute since there was an odd sense of confusion in both parties. If you dodged an object without being aware, surely surprise has knocked on your doorstep.
Their appearance looked exactly like Naruto's initial form. The only difference was that they were not aggressive. These were few things he was prepared for, since dying was always on his menu.
"Calm down. If I know them, then they won't harm us."
Yet internally he commented,
*I hope so*
He cautiously approached the door, the two reverting back to normal while they scurried behind him. Their blue eyes still had slits, but Kaien felt a little at ease. He let out a desperate sigh he did not think he was caging for so long. He peeked through the door, and then opened it fully.
His hand suddenly shivered, but he clenched his fists and released a sigh charged with the unspeakable.
"Good morning Ma'am. Kaien Tsukihara, how may I help you?" Kaien greeted with zero expression on his face.
The girl smiled, and simply stated. "Good morning. I was just wondering if this was the right address. I can be a little careless at times."