A/N: This is from Tsuzuki's perspective and this will show some self harm tendencies and the shock of his parentage at the end of this chapter. There is A LOT of death. Poor Tsuzuki loses his whole family in his chapter which was to be expected. It took me forever to write out for some reason.

Either way, thank you all for reading.

-Lucicelo.

Chapter 2 - Asato

Asato's world consisted of him, his dad, mom, and his older sister, Ruka. Raised with love, he didn't feel anything missing in his life. For as long as he remembered, his family showered him with affection and encouragement.

As he grew older, he realized that they shielded him from anything bad outside of the walls of their home. Any scrapped knee prompted his mom and Ruka to fuss over him. During his pouty moments, he liked having his mom and his sister tend to him, but in other times, he wanted them to leave him alone. His dad understood him and tended to hide his worse bruising from them.

Anytime he wandered off, his mom reprimanded him for leaving their sight. In his mind, he saw nothing wrong with exploring, and continued on doing it. It took Ruka sitting him down and explaining their mom's fears, that his wandered lessened. A tiny bit. As he grew older, he hated being locked up in his house and went out to walk through their neighborhood.

After a while, he bumped into a group of boys playing a game on the large hill near their small part of town. Standing to the side, he watched them run around and laugh at one another. All of a sudden, one of the larger ones broke from the group and ran toward him. The boy invited him into their game. Grinning the whole time, he learned the rules of the game and had fun. Spending the afternoon around these boys made Asato so happy. They even invited him to come back anytime.

For the first time in his life, he made friends with the neighborhood boys from around the block.

He hurried home before dark, readying himself for his mom to reprimand him for leaving the house. To his surprise, his mom didn't lecture him, she simply asked him to tell her where he went for her own sake. His parents let him run off, have the time of his life, and not worry about coming home after dark.

His summer was spent outside in the sun. He ran around the neighborhood with those boys, meeting their families and getting into trouble wherever they went. On hot days, they went to the nearby lake, jumping into the lake and splashing one another.

He didn't think he'd lose his friendship with them. All of them seemed to like him well enough and kept on seeing him on that same hill.

Until, his friends abandoned him and turned against him.

Asato watched Daichi fix another leak on the roof of their home with pure adoration in his eyes. Sitting near the tool box, he handed his dad another tool he pointed out and returned another one his dad returned into his hands. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to learn how to fix another aspect of their home, Asato followed his dad onto the roof and stayed in place as he watched him work.

Before his dad did anything, he told him each step before going through with the action. Asato nodded and asked a lot of questions. His dad, ever so patient, repeated himself and even handed him the tools in order for him to have a hands on approach.

Several times during fixing the roof, his dad pressed a kiss on his forehead. From up close, Asato saw the numerous wrinkles around his dad's eyes. His dad's wrinkles appeared all around his face when he smiled. Smile lines that showed his approachable self and his ability to encompass pure happiness. For as long as he remembered, his dad kept a smile on his face, even in the tough times.

He tried keeping the same outlook on life. Try as he might, he sometimes struggled to smile in the bad times. He pretended better in front of his family than with strangers.

Once his dad finished the roof, they climbed down the roof and his mom placed a tray of drinks on the patio area. His dad went inside real quick to place his tools in one of the smaller rooms where they placed their things. Once he returned, Asato handed him and cup of ice cold barley tea, his dad kissed the top of his head before they sat down on the side.

As they relaxed, Asato sipped his tea, trying not to wince at the bitterness of his tea. His parents never gave him sweet tasting drinks, telling him that he needed no extra sugar in his body. Since he ate the occasional sweet, the tea remained pure and untouched.

His dad started talking to him about anything in general. Asato added his own input, wanting to have a voice in the conversation. At some point, he just sipped his tea while his dad kept on talking.

"Protect them in my place, Asato." Daichi wiped the sweat from his brow and looked down at his son. "These old bones won't be able to protect you all for long."

Asato listened in rapture before he exclaimed. "Dad! You're not that old yet! But, I won't let you down!"

Daichi ran his fingers through Asato's hair before he held Asato tighter in his arms. "You're the best son a man could ever hope for." He bit his lower lip and looked on ahead.

Weeks later, a group of their neighbors brought his dad home, covered in a red stained tatami mat. One of the men talked with his mom, who gasped and let out a cry of pain. His mom collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into her trembling hands. Ruka crouched beside their mom, rubbing circles in her back while speaking to her. From his distance, Asato didn't manage to hear what Ruka told their mom.

Confused, he walked forward, not understanding why his dad remained pliant in the wagon. He yelled for his dad, thinking he was asleep and his clothes were stained with red dye. He reached out his hand and pulled his father's yukata sleeve. His dad didn't move.

His dad's friend, kneeled beside him, hesitant in wanting to speak to him. After a moment, he told him with tears in his eyes. "Asato-chan...your father is no longer living."

Asato tilted his head to the side. "No longer living? What do you mean?"

The man averted his eyes and sighed. "You father won't be coming back home. He is in the spirit world with the gods."

Once it sunk in, Asato began crying. He felt someone grab him and hold him in a tight grip. Looking up in a panic, he recognized his crying sister. She hurried them back to their mother and placed an arm around her body. His mom's eyes stayed on the unmoving body in the wagon. He tried getting her attention, but his mom kept on crying and muttering under her breath.

Days later, his dad burned and turned to ashes.

Asato beamed in delight when their neighbor, Chiyo, commented on his similar appearance to his beloved sister. As she handed him a bag of fruit, a trade off for the sweet potatoes his mama and sister grew in the back garden, he thanked her with the biggest smile. She returned the smile, patting his head before he made his way down the road.

Time passed since his dad was burned into ash. His remains were entombed in the new Tsuzuki family plot, overly decorated with flowers and incense burned. He tried visiting everyday, but his mom noticed begged him to stay close to their home. Even Ruka tried keeping herself from the streets before darkness fell in order to appease their panicked mom.

Listening to his mother gave him one advantage, avoiding his ex friends who turned on him.

Even after his father's death, none of them stopped in their bullying and tacked on his father's death as a means to hurt him. Safe to say, he became even more hurt from the manner they disrespected his dad. Daichi Tsuzuki helped out his ex friends families whenever they were in dire situations. Yet, they didn't pay the proper respects to the dead. Those boys did it behind their parents backs, had they heard their words, they would have gotten a whipping as punishment.

As he made a turn for his home, he paused in place when he saw his ex friends. Not waiting a moment, he turned away and made it seem like he didn't saw them. He winced when he heard them call his name. He began running into another area which didn't block the hit to his back. Ignoring the sting of the rock tearing into his cheek, he kept on running, holding the bag for dear life. A few more rocks hit his body, one made contact with the back of his head, making his vision blurry. He still persevered.

Ignoring the taunts from his former friends, he tried to lose them on the way to his home. His mother and sister didn't know about his friendless status and he wanted to keep it that way.

They cried whenever dad was mentioned, he didn't need to add anymore pain to their lives.

He ducked through another secret area which gave him direct view of his home. He shoved the front entrance to the side and kicked off his sandals before jumping up the step. Stomping through his home, he made it into the kitchen and almost collapsed from inhaling air into his lungs.

His mom gasped in fright from his sudden appearance. "Asato! I keep telling you not to run in the house!"

Asato gulped in air, his hand pressed hard against his chest. Lifting up his head, he saw his mother's piercing glance at his face. He almost panicked at her seeing the blood from the rocks hitting his cheek when she huffed. "My dear, you didn't have to run all the way home for these sweet potatoes. I planned to roast a few more for your growing belly. You're a growing boy! You need to eat. Now, go wash up."

Asato nodded his head before handing her the bag of sweet potatoes. In disbelief that his mom didn't fuss over his scratch, he went toward one of the water jugs used to wash their hands and opened the lid. Once he looked at his reflection, he saw no scratches from the rocks hitting his face.

Before he questioned the lack of bruises, Ruka walked through the front door. "I'm back! Asato, I brought sweets!"

Asato snapped his head toward the hallway which lead to the entrance before he ran toward her. "Nee-san!" Despite his larger size, he still tried to climb into her arms when he saw her. She kneeled on the floor, accepting his embrace before placing the bag into his hands.

His mom appeared beside the wall and tutted with a slight smile. "Ruka, you spoil him too much." She looked at Asato. "You are eating those after dinner."

Kasumi tutted at the newest marriage proposal that Ruka rejected. As she watched from her spot in the kitchen, the young man who pursued Ruka, kept on insisting as Ruka folded laundry. At one point, Ruka snapped at him which caused the young man to leave in a huff. She turned her gaze away to focus on pouring herself a cup of tea.

Kasumi muttered out loud as she strained the leaves through a cheap sieve. "She still has a chance to get married. She isn't so old to reject them or remain an old maid."

"Nee-san doesn't want to get married? Why?" Asato asked from his spot on the kitchen table.

Kasumi turned to look at Asato before she worried her lower lip. "Ignore my words, Asato. These are just the concerns of a mother. Ruka doesn't have to get married or do anything she doesn't want to do. She...has the right to do so."

"I don't have to do what?" Ruka walked through the threshold, holding a basket full of dry laundry.

Asato piped up. "That you don't have to get married! You can stay with us forever!"

Ruka dug her fingers into the sides of the basket. "I see." She turned to her mother. "Please, don't speak about this subject again."

Kasumi huffed. "Ruka, I understand your reasons, but you have to think of your future! You are beautiful and vibrant! Any man would be lucky to have you."

Ruka narrowed her eyes and stated. "I am never marrying a man. There is no need for me to do so. There are plenty of naïve girls who are willing to enter a marriage." She peered toward Asato who was eating his plate of sautéed vegetables. "Besides, none of them would understand my unwillingness to—have any children." She ended in a mutter.

Asato gulped down his bite of vegetables and noticed their stiff postures. "So...Ruka will stay with us forever? Right?"

Ruka went to his side and kissed the top of his head. "Nothing will make me leave your side."

Beaming, Asato tilted his head to the side as Ruka kissed his cheek. He giggled before giving her a kiss in return. "Good! None of the men were nice to me anyways."

Ruka gave her mother a knowing expression before leaving the room.

Tsuzuki clenched Ruka's hand as they watched the smoke rise from the crematorium. Blinking back tears, he stood tall, not wanting to break down in front of their neighbors. At fourteen years old, he was too old to cry in public, he was a man. Had his mom died during his childhood years, his tears were judged less harshly and passed off as acceptable. No one would have given him a second glance or whispered of his apparent weakness.

Their mom died from a mystery disease that ate away at her health and vitality. Out of nowhere, his kind, strong-willed mom, became bed ridden. She responded to none of the herbalists remedies and lived in constant pain. Wanting to give their mom relief, Ruka fed her sake to give her a sense of giddiness from the feeling of alcohol in her system.

During her final moments, their mom muttered she loved her children in her delirium. In some instances, she mentioned their dad, which made Ruka leave the room to stop herself from crying. Since their mom didn't notice their presence, Asato let himself cry on the bedside to lessen the tension on his shoulders.

Once they didn't hear her pained gasps, they knew she passed away.

Ruka went through the motions of attaining the proper people to help with their mom's funeral arrangements. She assured him of handling everything, leaving him to mourn in the privacy of his bedroom. Throughout the process, Asato didn't shed a tear. Ruka checked up on him more than usual because of his reaction. It wasn't that he didn't love his mom, he tried bottling up his emotions in order to keep himself from breaking down.

Biting the inside of his cheek, he stood firm, becoming a protective shield for Ruka. He peeked at the corner of his eyes and saw her wiping more oncoming tears with her yukata sleeve.

Once their mom was placed in the family plot, neighbors said their goodbyes before giving their last condolences. As if he went into autopilot, he nodded at his neighbors as each one left their sight. He didn't realize the time passed until he snapped out of his self induced daydream. Red hues meshed with the darkness of the night. Almost leaving them in the dark.

Turning to his sister, she turned to him with a weak smile. Ever so patient, she didn't rush him away from the cemetery or even interrupted his thoughts. She remained beside him, giving him a comfort through her physical presence. She patted his side, muttering about going home.

He followed after her with a nod.

As they made their way home, he hurried his steps, his lower lip trembling as his self control broke. A cry burst through his mouth as he began crying. He heard Ruka running after him, but she didn't say a word, she simply followed after him. Through the covering of the night, no outsiders saw his tears or heard his anguish.

Opening the front door, he managed to slip off his sandals before he collapsed on the front step. Letting out his sorrows, he curled into himself, he didn't hear the door close or Ruka's whisper of his name. She sat on the step and maneuvered him into her arms.

Ruka held onto him, hiding his face from view as he continued to cry into the nook her neck. Desperate to keep her grounded to earth, he clung onto her with a fierce grip that made her gasp. He feared she would leave him next. His father died of a robbery, his mother from sickness, he didn't want anything to happen to Ruka as well. She was all the family he had left in the world.

Ruka whispered soothing words to him through her own sobs. "It's going to be okay."

Asato hiccupped. "But, nee-san—"

"I love you, Asato." Ruka cupped his face with her dainty hands, her cheeks wet with tears. "Mom and dad would want us to move on. Have no fear, they are in peace because they died before their children. No parent wants to bury their child. Trust me, we will survive this and live life to the fullest."

"I—I'll try." Asato nodded his head, "I love you too, nee-san."

One afternoon, Asato walked through the front door, sluggish and exhausted. Yelling his greeting, he closed the door behind him and walked one step into his home. Walking through the main hallway, he smelled Ruka's delicious cooking. His stomach growled, urging him to walk faster to the table. He made it to their low rise table and tossed his school books onto the hard wood. Ruka turned to him with an arched brow and he apologized with a sheepish smile.

Seeing his chance to speak to his sister about his decision, he went to her side and gulped. He didn't want to upset her, but he looked old enough to work. She had to see that he needed to provide income to their household. He heard the whispering from the neighbors that it was time to work and ;eave school. He had to give back to his sister and not sit around studying useless materials.

It was not like he was qualified to enter a university. From his grades alone, he didn't have a chance. Universities were expensive, the closest one was across town and he didn't have the brains for it.

"Nee-san?" Asato stood beside her as she tended to their dinner.

Ruka murmured as she stirred their stew. "Hmm?"

Asato breathed his nerves through his nose when he declared. "I want to quit school and start working,"

A fraction of a moment passed before Ruka's grip slackened and the spoon fell onto the floor. She peered over her shoulder to check for his seriousness of his statement before she exclaimed. "You're staying in school!"

Taken aback by her intensity, Asato tried explaining himself. "But Ruka—"

Ruka moved the pot away from the fire using the iron hook. "No! You'll do better than me and graduate. Asato, listen to me, you have the opportunities to rise beyond this burrow. You can't squander them to go work. That's what I'm here for." She cupped his face with her small hands. "I barely managed to attain a middle school education. You have a chance to grow and expand your knowledge. A man has better opportunities than a woman. You can pursue a higher education than I ever could."

Asato worried his lower lip. "But, Ruka, you work too hard. You never seem to relax or even have a day to laze around." His eyebrows furrowed. "I'm worried you'll get sick or even worse, die from working so much. I'm a man. I should be taking care of you."

She pressed a kiss against his forehead and then ruffled his hair. "Then, complete your education so I can live in comfort. Make that your goal." A chuckle passed her lips. "I'm jesting. Just... focus on studying. Please, give me some peace of mind."

Asato's eyes fell to the floor as a pang of guilt hit him. Hard. He forgot about Ruka's worrying tendencies. Half the time, he skipped classes and returned home to Ruka's reprimands and crying face. He hated making his sister upset. Yet, the jeers and bullying chipped at his reserve to continue going to school. He didn't want her to know about his struggles and not being able to handle his situation. He smiled through the pain and tried to keep a easygoing outlook. A way to emulate his father.

Asato gulped the knot in his throat at the thought of his father. Daichi Tsuzuki emphasized the importance of protecting his mother and his sister. To have him skirt his responsibilities and duties, stained his father's legacy. His father taught him to jump at any opportunity to better himself to benefit the family. As the oldest son, he took his father's place, and placed his family above all else.

There he was, standing before his beloved sister, disappointing her in his selfishness. All she asked was for him to complete his schooling and to stay out of trouble. She didn't push him to work like his old classmates who dropped high school to tend to their family businesses or the farms.

"I'm sorry, nee-san." Asato lifted his head and declared. "I'll do my best to make you proud."

"That's all I ask." Ruka poked his forehead before she motioned to his worn out schoolbooks. "I'll bring you a snack while you're studying after dinner."

Revived with the promise of delicious snacks, Asato moved his schoolbooks out of the way and set the table. He washed his hands and sat down his usual spot near the window. Ruka finished dinner and brought all the dishes onto the table. He ate three servings before he called it quits, he wanted to have room for Ruka's snacks. Hurrying to open his books and study, Asato washed up the dirty dishes and returned to his spot on the table

He heard Ruka chuckling as she made her way back toward the other side of the kitchen, the sounds of a knife hitting the cutting board reached his ears. Still, he kept his eyes on the books, not wanting to seem like he slacked. After a while, Ruka returned with a platter of food, before she went to attend other duties around the home.

Asato fell asleep with ink stains on his cheek from studying so hard.

To Asato's horror, Ruka progressed into illness.

The signs showed when her cold persisted after the normal amount of weeks. Ruka began losing weight and collapsed during her usual long hour work day. When he went to pick her up, she waved off his concerns, stating lack of sleep and sickness. As he carried her home, she fell asleep in his arms, and he hoped with all his heart that she recovered.

During this time, he was so close to graduating high school. He kept going to school in order to give Ruka some pace of mind while she recovered. She seemed in better spirits whenever he returned home with books in his arms and recalled a new facet of his class. She amused him with a smile, nodding in certain parts, but admitted in not knowing some of his subjects. He taught her his curriculum in her lucid moments, wanting the sense of normalcy to sway Ruka's health.

The local herbalist tried her best, but none of the remedies worked. The strong smell of herbal tea stained the walls of their home, reminding Asato of his sister's impending doom. No matter how hard he tried to keep positive, his mind trickled into the dark, nagging words that cemented her death in his mind.

Asato tried insisting on getting Doctor Muraki to help her, but his sister snapped at him, not wanting anything to do with that man. This harsh reaction shocked him. His sister never showed such disdain and disgust for another person throughout his life. Not even the men who tried asking for her hand in marriage produced such intense anger.

He graduated high school a week before Ruka died.

Her tears of happiness smoothed over the grueling days of bullying from his class. He left out the fact that he barely made the required grades, but he didn't want her to collapse from bad news.

Ruka prepared him a congratulatory dinner for his accomplishment. She insisted, wanting to do something to celebrate his diploma. He helped her prepare the vegetables and moved the kitchen pots over the fire. Despite her slow movements and hitching shortness of breath, she finished his favorite dishes. She even handed him money to buy himself a pastry from the local bakery.

"I love you so much Asato," Asato paused in tucking her in when he heard her declaration. "More than anyone else in this world, you are my reason for living."

Ruka never failed to tell him she loved him. The same went to their parents, both of them showered him with love and affection. He grew accustomed to such treatment that having the outside world treat with such malice made him somewhat doubt their sincerity. Then again, his small tight-knit family upheld truthfulness and morals.

He had no reason to believe they ever lied to him.

Laying next to her, he snuggled into his blanket, letting the tiredness wash over him.

When he woke up in the morning, Asato's world turned into a nightmare. Looking at her, he said her name, repeating it over and over again. His voice became louder, almost obnoxious enough to where Ruka normally woke up to reprimand him. She didn't move. No twitching. Nothing.

She died holding his hand.

After Ruka's death, Asato became Tsuzuki.

Not that it made any difference, no one used his first name when addressing him in the first place. Unsavory words replaced his given name to undermine and insult him. Some words were more creative than most, but otherwise, he grew to ignore the taunts. His self conscious mind retold these words to him in an even harsher fashion.

He believed them.

Everyone who ever loved him, died.

No one in the world of the living saw past his eye color, sticking superstitions that made no sense. He saw foreigners with blue or green eyes and none of them received any harsh treatment. Although, he heard whispers about their features, there was a level of mistrust of their presence in their nation.

Maybe, there was something wrong with him.

The mere mention of his own first name caused his throat to close up. Throughout his life, only three people called him Asato: His mother, father, and Ruka.

No one else.

The name died alongside his older sister. Floating along with her ashes as the smoke reached the sky. A bright, sunny day, that mocked his grief and sadness of losing his last piece of family. The last Tsuzuki standing.

A large piece of himself burned alongside Ruka's body in the crematorium.

His mind spiraled into desperation and darkness.

The weeks following Ruka's funeral became a blur of alcoholic hazes and stained yukata sleeves. A broken piece of his kitchen knife was hidden in the pocket of his yukata, bleeding through the fabric, forever staining it with his blood. He didn't bother cleaning his clothes. No use. He ruined them with his self harm stabbings and attempts at taking his own life.

At some point, he forgot the date. From the cloudless, sunny day, he suspected spring or summer. Maybe, even winter or fall. Either way, he went through his daily ritual of killing himself.

In his delirium, he thought he saw his parents and Ruka standing beside him. Their faces were obscured, but he recognized them nonetheless. He reached out his hand in a vain attempt to touch his sister's hand. As his life slipped away, his arm fell onto his side.

He blacked out with a genuine smile on his face.

Moments of clarity showed him the location of his current residence. A room void of personal items, a window giving him a window to the outside world, and white walls. He picked up the sounds of birds chirping outside of the room, giving him a semblance of life outside of those four walls.

His outward tears showed his inner turmoil. He remained stuck in a useless body, mind crazed from living beyond his own limits. Wanting nothing more than to join his family in the afterlife, he failed in accomplishing his goal.

Killing himself seemed easy.

So easy.

He tried multiple methods, each one more painful than the next. Every single time, his body recovered and left nothing behind on his skin. His pristine body showed nothing of the injuries which landed him in the hospital. The deep jagged cuts into his arms recovered, the broken bones when he jumped off of bridges, snapped back into place, and poisoning did nothing more than incapacitate him.

For some reason, Doctor Muraki happened upon him and brought him into his clinic. Even in his clearer moments, he lacked understanding as to why the good doctor wanted anything to do with him. In his mindscape, he managed to hear the complaints of Doctor Muraki's wife who abhorred charity cases and wanted him gone from the clinic. The doctor listened to none of her concerns and proceeded on interning him for life.

He heard Doctor Muraki spill all of his secrets to him on different occasions. The man realized that he remained in a comatose state, unable to move, eat, or take care of himself. He couldn't tell anyone the man's secrets even if he wanted to.

Regardless, no one would believe him. A town pariah sputtered nothing useful for anyone to hear. His self destructive behavior turned any remaining help away from his path.

During Doctor Muraki's ramblings, Tsuzuki wondered who her was. Doctor Muraki never mentioned this woman's name whenever he tested his healing capabilities or his state of mind. The man wrote a new piece of information on his papers and muttered under his breath.

"— look so much like her."

"Damn her. She didn't get rid of—"

"Your recovery is...astonishing. Why don't you wake up?"

"—Your mind is broken beyond repair. Pity."

Finding his information in the right section of the death book, Tsuzuki relaxed onto his chair. The curious expression on his new Boss' face spurned his curiosity. Konoe asked him about his parents and his sister, confused on the information provided throughout their second meeting. Apparently, his entry in the death book showed different information.

Konoe researched all the new guardians that entered his sector, so for him to notice a discepancy prompted Tsuzuki to look for himself. Although, from the tense frown, it didn't bode well for him. Maybe he made a mistake in his date of birth or even something as simple as misspelling his family members names. Trying to stay positive, he went through the usual proceedings in searching for his information.

Behind the Gushoshin's back.

Hurrying up his mission, he began looking through the information. Immersing himself in the familiar details of his life, memories of his past clouded his mind. Any positive memories became clouded with harsh visions of his own dark thoughts and the ostracization of his own town. He shook his head when he heard a thump of a book being placed in a shelf.

Starting over again, he read the familiar spelling of his name.

Name: Tsuzuki Asato

Date of birth: February 24, 1900

Date of death: Undetermined; 1926

Age of death: 26

Parents: Tsuzuki Ruka and -

Tsuzuki's brain short-circuited.

Scrambling off of his chair, he read the information, over and over again. Nothing changed. The names Tsuzuki Daichi and Tsuzuki Kasumi didn't appear on the paper to replace the names under the parents spaces. His sister's name stayed on the inked pages of the book. Unchanged. Revealing a truth kept away from him his whole life.

Ruka was his mother.

"N-No, this can't be." Tsuzuki clutched his hair, his mind whirling at the discovery of his parentage. "Ruka was my—" Tears blurred his vision as he maneuvered one of his hands to cover his mouth. Taking in a deep breath, he shuddered and collapsed onto the floor. "W-Why didn't she tell me? Why?"

He remembered how his attachment to his sister differed from his parents.

Despite his mom's best efforts, he gravitated toward Ruka at a young age. Whenever Ruka made an appearance, he ran toward her, begging for an embrace. Ruka indulged him, kissing his face during his worst and best times. He went to her when he had a nightmare and Ruka hummed a lulluby to get him back to sleep. His mom teased him about having a sister complex since he clung to Ruka instead of his parents.

He found no reason to dispute his parentage when he looked identical to Ruka, but in a male form. Almost a twin, separated through a large age gap. He was a Tsuzuki.

A Tsuzuki.

Closing his eyes, he worked on controlling his breathing. Bringing air to his lungs, he didn't attempt to stop his tears. No use wetting his sleeve over and over again with his unrelenting tears. Whenever he cried, his body released the internal grasp of sadness he concealed from the world. One of the many reasons he swallowed his emotions and let it out back home. Some in destructive and non-destructive ways.

Thoughts of his sister, who never married or contemplated having a family of her own, interrupted his process. This truth answered why Ruka rejected all her marriage prospects. She wanted to keep her son with her. No husband liked having his wife's family members living with them. A teenage brother who managed a passing high school education was useless to a working family.

In fact, Ruka would have insisted he continued a higher education and wanting to provide the tuition costs. She didn't want him to work. Her ideals stayed on him striving for a career or even a decent job with higher pay as a result from his education. Had she not died, she would have worked to the bone for him to complete his education. The hopes of a mother wanting her son to succeed.

Whenever he asked her about her not being married, her smile appeared forced as she patted his head. "I have you to raise. I'm not abandoning you for a husband. Besides, I stopped wanting to get married a long time ago."

Rubbing his tears from his face, he lifted himself up and returned to the book. Gathering his courage, he looked at the name of his biological father. The name imprinted in his mind.

His sister and the doctor.

Still reeling from the truth, he didn't research the man until years later. The dizzying reality prompted him to shove the truth aside until he thought himself strong enough to deal with it. His curiosity into his parentage brought him to discover a list of unclaimed children from this man. The doctor's affairs lasted throughout his marriage, creating life and disaster.

He accepted the fact that he was a bastard.

A bastard turned into a legitimate child of his own grandparents.

Remembering the last name of his biological father served him well when he met his nephew in a cafe. How similar Muraki Kazutaka appeared to the old doctor's photo from the database. His nephew sneered, proud of his crime against his partner. Boastful of making the young man suffer for years and causing pain to others. Pushing him to almost choke the young man in public, too bad he didn't go further.

This family lived to make others suffer behind their painted smiles. First Ruka, and now his partner, Hisoka. Both of them did nothing wrong, but fate brought them such sadness and grief. These personal attachments pushed his anger to the forefront. He wished to punch the smugness off of Muraki's face for their sake.

At their showdown, he fell for none of Muraki's tricks. Suzaku's flames illuminated the room, bringing forth a clear picture of the madness in those deranged silver eyes. A rage of fire flickered in the pit of his stomach as he launched his attack.

The End.