Sudden Death - Epilogue 3
Aug. 30th, 2022 10:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shivalriesCW: murder mention
Season: Winter
---
Location: Ryokan - Day
Kohaku: ...Your grandpa's persistent threats continued, day after day, year after year.
Then one day, one o' the Oukawas got sick of it all and pushed the dyin' old man over the Sanzu River for good. [1]
I dunno if they strangled the poor bastard or poisoned him or just scared him good enough to stop his heart...
But among the Oukawas, it was a publicly accepted truth that one of us did it.
We just assumed it'd happen sooner or later. Sure, maybe the old guy just got sick or had a nasty accident by coincidence...
But it sure was satisfyin' to think we performed the final rites of wicked old Suou with our own hands.
Tsukasa: You... killed Grandfather...
Kohaku: Yeah... Killin' one's own master is a grave sin.
Time went on, and the Suou family got stricter an' stricter. After comin' into power, your parents had nothin' in their heads but followin' in the previous generation's footsteps—
So even after your grandpa died, they kept the pressure on us.
Didn't even have a real reason to—they just thought that's what their predecessor woulda wanted.
Tsukasa: ......
Kohaku: Even then, there was still one chump out there who thought everythin' was solved after that shitty old man finally croaked.
She was still wet behind the ears then: the second daughter of the Oukawas, younger of the two sisters.
The Suou geezer was dead, so now everything was fine; we didn't need to live in fear no more, didn't have to be oppressed.
And even her poor little brother, all locked up in the zashikirou like he never existed...
...even Kohaku could finally lead a better life. He could live in happiness in a world sparklin' with the light of the sun above.
...At least, that's what she believed.
Stupid, right? Takin' down the villain and solvin' everything is nothing more than a fairy tale, but the Oukawa girl—she was innocent enough to believe.
So when Grandpa Suou finally bit the dust, she went to his funeral to make sure the jerk really was dead—
There, she found a boy in the main house's garden and talked to 'im without a care, even though she knew this was the Suou family's little boy.
...Even though the Suous were still puttin' the pressure on the Oukawas after the headship changed over.
This kid should be fine, she thought. He's a Suou, but he's no Grandpa Suou.
Maybe he doesn't hate us, maybe he'd even wanna be close to us like real blood relatives—like family.
With this in her mind, she approached him.
Ya sure jumped a mile high when I spoke to ya back then. Still gives me a giggle when I remember it. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Tsukasa: ......?
Huh...? Wait, er, are you saying—
Kohaku: Yup. In the garden of the main family home where Grandpa Suou's funeral was held, the one talkin' to ya was the second daughter of the Oukawas.
The family didn't think it was safe enough to let Kohaku outta the zashikirou just yet. He was still part of a family that was sectioned off into a corner and not even let in the house during the funeral, after all.
Back then, Kohaku's birth was still a secret. If ya thought ya saw him there, it was actually one o' the other Oukawas in disguise.
Betcha didn't even notice. Kohaku's second sister was already trainin' on how to disguise herself as her brother.
Just so, in the worst case scenario, she could be his body double—
She could use her own self to protect her dearest baby brother.
Tsukasa: ......
Kohaku: Ya see, this girl adored her brother. He was just the cutest little bugger ever to her.
She felt bad for him, bein' all cooped up in that chamber with nobody t'keep him company.
So sometimes she'd sneak under their parents' noses an' give him things he wanted.
And the greatest gift she ever gave him... was a friend.
She talked with the young master Suou lots o' times, and soon let go of her worries and came to like him—
She thought he was a good kid, real cute. An' that's why, instead of herself, who could walk around outside and make friends as she liked—
She decided she'd give a friend to her poor little brother, who wasn't allowed to do nothin' but hold his knees in the dark.
Sis thought this kid—the young heir of the Suous—would be a perfect fit.
The rest of the Oukawas could only hate the Suous, fight to the death with 'em—
But Kohaku didn't have to. So, with a little maneuverin' here an' there, she got him out of that room.
She took real good care to disguise herself and switch places with him instead so that nobody, not even their parents, would notice.
With the "mighty patriarch" gone, both the main family and our family were runnin' around all in a tizzy. Nobody figured out the kids were swappin' places for a while.
Tsukasa: ......
When... When exactly did you... manage to do that?
Kohaku: Heh, the sis just had the first couple bites of ya. The Kohaku Oukawa ya got all friendly with was, without a doubt, the real Kohaku.
That miraculous friendship—the bond formed between Tsukasa Suou and Kohaku Oukawa wouldn't ever disappear just 'cause of a little white lie like that. It was all real.
Just wanna make sure ya believe in that, at least.
Even if ya hate us or don't wanna have nothin' to do with us, just... don't pretend the very real connection between you an' him never happened.
That's all I wanted to say.
Tsukasa: Are... you... Could you... be—
Leo: —Suo~! We got a problem!
Tsukasa: Wah?! L-Leo-san? You're back in Japan?
Leo: Yup! Just landed!
I hate that I had to just miss the end of the qualifiers, but we did pretty well in that Europe event—
Tsukasa: Th-That's wonderful to hear. As you may have heard from Narukami-senpai or the like, things are rather disastrous over here... I have led Knights to suffer a bitter defeat.
Leo: Mm? You're alone in here? I thought I heard you talking to somebody.
Tsukasa: Ah—h-huh? I could have sworn Oukawa was here just a moment ago...?
Leo: Oh, Kohaku? Now that's a funny and cute little guy if I ever saw one! Really was a lot like you, Suo~! I could totally believe you're related!
Wait, forget about that! We can't waste time talking here—get up! Get dressed and let's go!
Tsukasa: Huh? What? Go... where?
Leo: Where? Idols are always headed for the stage, of course! Did nobody tell you what's going on, Suo~?
Tsukasa: ...? ...?
Leo: But seriously, if we don't get going, we're really gonna run out of time!
Hurry up! There was a time when I was cowering in the dark all by myself just like you—
But that was just pointless! Don't waste your time like that! You only have one very limited chance at life, so live without regrets!
Not that I'm one to talk! Wahahahaha! ☆
Tsukasa: M-More importantly, please don't yank on my arm like that! You're going to pull it clean off! You are always, always so obnoxiously forceful!
Kohaku: ......
...I pray you'll be well, "Tsukasa-kun".
You're a dear friend to me, too—the very first one I ever did make.
---
[1] Similar to the River Styx, the Sanzu River is a mythical river of Japanese Buddhist tradition, which the souls of the dead must cross to reach the afterlife. The Oukawas make plenty of references to Japanese Buddhism, many schools of which have similar afterlife and deity concepts as other religions with deities. Since a majority of Japanese people do not self-identify as religious, my guess is that the Oukawas' use of religious expressions emphasizes their family's tight circle and strict adherence to traditional values. ↑
T/N: To drive home the point, the final line "Kohaku" says contains a feminine first-person pronoun.
---
< Epilogue 2 || Masterlist || Epilogue 4 >
Season: Winter
---
Location: Ryokan - Day
Kohaku: ...Your grandpa's persistent threats continued, day after day, year after year.
Then one day, one o' the Oukawas got sick of it all and pushed the dyin' old man over the Sanzu River for good. [1]
I dunno if they strangled the poor bastard or poisoned him or just scared him good enough to stop his heart...
But among the Oukawas, it was a publicly accepted truth that one of us did it.
We just assumed it'd happen sooner or later. Sure, maybe the old guy just got sick or had a nasty accident by coincidence...
But it sure was satisfyin' to think we performed the final rites of wicked old Suou with our own hands.
Tsukasa: You... killed Grandfather...
Kohaku: Yeah... Killin' one's own master is a grave sin.
Time went on, and the Suou family got stricter an' stricter. After comin' into power, your parents had nothin' in their heads but followin' in the previous generation's footsteps—
So even after your grandpa died, they kept the pressure on us.
Didn't even have a real reason to—they just thought that's what their predecessor woulda wanted.
Tsukasa: ......
Kohaku: Even then, there was still one chump out there who thought everythin' was solved after that shitty old man finally croaked.
She was still wet behind the ears then: the second daughter of the Oukawas, younger of the two sisters.
The Suou geezer was dead, so now everything was fine; we didn't need to live in fear no more, didn't have to be oppressed.
And even her poor little brother, all locked up in the zashikirou like he never existed...
...even Kohaku could finally lead a better life. He could live in happiness in a world sparklin' with the light of the sun above.
...At least, that's what she believed.
Stupid, right? Takin' down the villain and solvin' everything is nothing more than a fairy tale, but the Oukawa girl—she was innocent enough to believe.
So when Grandpa Suou finally bit the dust, she went to his funeral to make sure the jerk really was dead—
There, she found a boy in the main house's garden and talked to 'im without a care, even though she knew this was the Suou family's little boy.
...Even though the Suous were still puttin' the pressure on the Oukawas after the headship changed over.
This kid should be fine, she thought. He's a Suou, but he's no Grandpa Suou.
Maybe he doesn't hate us, maybe he'd even wanna be close to us like real blood relatives—like family.
With this in her mind, she approached him.
Ya sure jumped a mile high when I spoke to ya back then. Still gives me a giggle when I remember it. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Tsukasa: ......?
Huh...? Wait, er, are you saying—
Kohaku: Yup. In the garden of the main family home where Grandpa Suou's funeral was held, the one talkin' to ya was the second daughter of the Oukawas.
The family didn't think it was safe enough to let Kohaku outta the zashikirou just yet. He was still part of a family that was sectioned off into a corner and not even let in the house during the funeral, after all.
Back then, Kohaku's birth was still a secret. If ya thought ya saw him there, it was actually one o' the other Oukawas in disguise.
Betcha didn't even notice. Kohaku's second sister was already trainin' on how to disguise herself as her brother.
Just so, in the worst case scenario, she could be his body double—
She could use her own self to protect her dearest baby brother.
Tsukasa: ......
Kohaku: Ya see, this girl adored her brother. He was just the cutest little bugger ever to her.
She felt bad for him, bein' all cooped up in that chamber with nobody t'keep him company.
So sometimes she'd sneak under their parents' noses an' give him things he wanted.
And the greatest gift she ever gave him... was a friend.
She talked with the young master Suou lots o' times, and soon let go of her worries and came to like him—
She thought he was a good kid, real cute. An' that's why, instead of herself, who could walk around outside and make friends as she liked—
She decided she'd give a friend to her poor little brother, who wasn't allowed to do nothin' but hold his knees in the dark.
Sis thought this kid—the young heir of the Suous—would be a perfect fit.
The rest of the Oukawas could only hate the Suous, fight to the death with 'em—
But Kohaku didn't have to. So, with a little maneuverin' here an' there, she got him out of that room.
She took real good care to disguise herself and switch places with him instead so that nobody, not even their parents, would notice.
With the "mighty patriarch" gone, both the main family and our family were runnin' around all in a tizzy. Nobody figured out the kids were swappin' places for a while.
Tsukasa: ......
When... When exactly did you... manage to do that?
Kohaku: Heh, the sis just had the first couple bites of ya. The Kohaku Oukawa ya got all friendly with was, without a doubt, the real Kohaku.
That miraculous friendship—the bond formed between Tsukasa Suou and Kohaku Oukawa wouldn't ever disappear just 'cause of a little white lie like that. It was all real.
Just wanna make sure ya believe in that, at least.
Even if ya hate us or don't wanna have nothin' to do with us, just... don't pretend the very real connection between you an' him never happened.
That's all I wanted to say.
Tsukasa: Are... you... Could you... be—
Leo: —Suo~! We got a problem!
Tsukasa: Wah?! L-Leo-san? You're back in Japan?
Leo: Yup! Just landed!
I hate that I had to just miss the end of the qualifiers, but we did pretty well in that Europe event—
Tsukasa: Th-That's wonderful to hear. As you may have heard from Narukami-senpai or the like, things are rather disastrous over here... I have led Knights to suffer a bitter defeat.
Leo: Mm? You're alone in here? I thought I heard you talking to somebody.
Tsukasa: Ah—h-huh? I could have sworn Oukawa was here just a moment ago...?
Leo: Oh, Kohaku? Now that's a funny and cute little guy if I ever saw one! Really was a lot like you, Suo~! I could totally believe you're related!
Wait, forget about that! We can't waste time talking here—get up! Get dressed and let's go!
Tsukasa: Huh? What? Go... where?
Leo: Where? Idols are always headed for the stage, of course! Did nobody tell you what's going on, Suo~?
Tsukasa: ...? ...?
Leo: But seriously, if we don't get going, we're really gonna run out of time!
Hurry up! There was a time when I was cowering in the dark all by myself just like you—
But that was just pointless! Don't waste your time like that! You only have one very limited chance at life, so live without regrets!
Not that I'm one to talk! Wahahahaha! ☆
Tsukasa: M-More importantly, please don't yank on my arm like that! You're going to pull it clean off! You are always, always so obnoxiously forceful!
Kohaku: ......
...I pray you'll be well, "Tsukasa-kun".
You're a dear friend to me, too—the very first one I ever did make.
---
[1] Similar to the River Styx, the Sanzu River is a mythical river of Japanese Buddhist tradition, which the souls of the dead must cross to reach the afterlife. The Oukawas make plenty of references to Japanese Buddhism, many schools of which have similar afterlife and deity concepts as other religions with deities. Since a majority of Japanese people do not self-identify as religious, my guess is that the Oukawas' use of religious expressions emphasizes their family's tight circle and strict adherence to traditional values. ↑
T/N: To drive home the point, the final line "Kohaku" says contains a feminine first-person pronoun.
---
< Epilogue 2 || Masterlist || Epilogue 4 >
