Chapter Text
“I wanna to go to the park!”
“Hmm, I’m not sure, the weather forecast said something about rain earlier. Also, Papa and Shin are still working. You want them to come too, right?”
“I don’t see any clouds!”
“Aoi-san, I can take care of the store myself. You three can go to the park.”
“No! Shin, you must come with us!”
“How about we go on a picnic tomorrow? The store is closed on Sundays.”
“Yayyyy!! Picnic! We’re going to the park! All together!”
“Huh? Wait, me too?”
~~~
Shin’s 17-year-old self would probably believe he was being lied to when present Shin told him that he was currently on a family outing at a park. Not just any family outing, but a family outing with none other than Sakamoto Taro, his wife Aoi and their daughter Hana. Right now, they were searching for a nice spot to put down their picnic blanket and bags.
In the background, lively laughter and chatter echoed from the kids at the nearby playground. Birds were chirping on this summer Sunday. Shin’s head was brimming with mostly the chaotic thoughts of children and their parents’ content ones. Loud? Maybe a bit, though not unpleasant. Shin had been through much worse. Compared to the daily thoughts of adults experiencing burnout, depression and so on, the park was a rather happy place Shin found himself in.
A few years ago, 17-year-old Shin would have laughed. He wouldn’t just crack up, he’d be rolling in on the floor, dissolving of laughter just when seeing the image of himself now. Seeing Sakamoto would then have made his throat close up, his heart burn and his stomach feel like molten lava burning with anger and probably something close to a deep sadness. When Sakamoto retired and Shin barely scratched the age of 15, the younger teen hadn’t taken it all too well.
Ironically, after a series of events, Shin reunited with him. His anger slowly faded through time, subduing as a side effect of aging, though the hurt remained somewhere deep within Shin. Yet when he met Sakamoto in person, he couldn’t help but feel the same admiration that he had before. Sakamoto took him in again and eventually Shin made it that far that going to family outings like today on a normal Sunday was perfectly normal to them.
“Honey, how about that tree back there?”, Aoi suggested, asking her husband while pointing to a rather big oak which was located ahead of them. Hana held her mothers hand tightly, following the direction her mother pointed at.
“Looks like a good spot.”, Sakamoto answered firmly.
Shin smiled. It made his chest warm up. Life was simple when they were together with their little family. Still, at the same time, Shin believed it to be cruel. There are times when observing the family and he thought:
How could I truly ever be a part of this?
He loved what the Sakamoto store brought to him. His old mentor and his family, as well as Lu and Heisuke. They all have become irreplaceable for Shin, somewhat like a family itself that Shin would die for to protect. Nonetheless, the anxiety always remained. The anxiety of not truly fitting, not rightfully belonging in this setting. The fear that Sakamoto would leave him again someday, leaving a carved-out space in Shin yet again.
As unwelcome as Shin regarded the whole idea, it always stayed in the back of his mind. A reason for Shin’s ever-present restlessness. Motive for his clean apartment, in which Shin would always have all his stuff packed and ready to go. Just in case. If Sakamoto told him to ever leave again, if he wasn’t needed anymore, he could get moving immediately.
He could pretend that that was his plan anyway.
The young man shook his head in hopes of brushing his fears off and focused again on the present.
The spot under the big oak tree turned out to be a perfect location. Positioned a bit further from the playground an being rather quiet, Shin felt very grateful of their choice. Sakamoto would always try to keep the group from crowded places, especially when the young man was present, but he guessed Sakamoto wasn’t that much of a fan of crowds either.
As the others spread the picknick blanket as well as putting all their baggage down, Shin further scanned the area. He didn’t sense many people in immediate proximity, which was quite nice. That way it would be easier to identify any danger, Shin noted. Maybe that was also Sakamoto’s reason for choosing that place. Safety was always priority number one.
Hana, energetic as ever, ran around, collecting flowers and other stuff she found on her way, while Sakamoto and Aoi leisurely settled on the ground.
Shin eventually decided to sit down on the edge of the blanket, Sakamoto being seated on his left, leaning on the big oak tree, Aoi on his right, pulling out various goods from their basket.
As the family made themselves comfortable, Shin slowly let the scenery sink in on him.
The light breeze ruffled through his blonde hair as his fingers brushed against the grass beside him. The sun shone brightly through only a few white clouds on this summer day. Distant children’s laughter tickled his ear. Lively birds would chirp here and there. Aoi chatted about just any topic that would come to her mind, meanwhile Sakamoto listened with admiration.
Yeah, 17-year-old Shin would definitely have laughed at the scenery. You’ve gotten soft, he would probably have said. Just for a moment, he ignored what young Shin would have said about the present situation and closed his eyes. He exhaled, enjoying the environment in which he somehow found himself.
Everything felt so peaceful.
That…
…that was dangerous. Shin opened his eyes, solemn look painting his face. He was walking on a razor’s edge, believing he could have this. Thinking he could relax in that moment when everything just felt so light and untroubled. When everything seemed so tranquil. His heart ached, a pain weaving its way through his body, reminding him to stay alert. He tapped his fingers on the grass beside him, feeling the need to let his restlessness flow out somewhere.
Protecting this family, protecting this peace, he’d do anything for that. He had to stay on guard, he wasn’t allowed to let any danger past slide him. He was the one who could detect any threat in time with his mind reading power. Therefore, no leaning back for Shin.
“Shin!”, a little girl’s voice called out. Hana’s voice, to be exact. Shin had barely turned his head around to the direction where Hana was coming from before he felt a mass slam into him. The girl rammed full force into his shoulder, grabbing his sleeve tightly and already tugging at it.
“Hey, careful!”, he scolded, though there wasn’t any bite to it.
“Come! I wanna show you something!”, Hana begged while gradually grabbing his arm more and more, desperately trying to get him to stand. The Sakamoto pair watched the interaction with pleased smiles on their faces.
“What’s the magic word?”, Shin asked teasingly.
Hana was basically already hugging his arm when she replied, “Please!”
Shin sighed, at which Hana practically beamed at him. She already knew he agreed to come with her. He would always have the same expression when he goes along with whatever Hana asks him to: Exhaling more or less dramatically - depending on the request and his mood -, a small grin tugging at his lips and eventually putting whatever he’s doing at the moment away to do what the girl wants from him.
The girl could ask him anything. Shin wouldn’t have the strength to say “no” to her.
‘Well, don’t keep her waiting.’ Sakamoto thought innocently, though Shin knew his old mentor was communicating a threat right then.
“Alright, alright.”, Shin finally gave in, putting his hands in the air as if gesturing his surrender. A small breeze brushed through his hair as he stood up. Despite his dramatic acting, curiosity had gripped him from the moment Hana rammed into him, wanting to know what Hana wished to show him. Even if he was able to peek into other minds, the inner world of children could get very loud and chaotic, even unpredictable, which makes them hard to read at times.
Consequently, Hana’s mind was a riddle too hard for Shin to solve, making him even more curious.
Children had that effect on him. Unpleasant situations caused by his mind reading were rare with children. Shin didn’t mind being around them. Even though at times hearing their chaotic thoughts could get tiring, Shin usually didn’t need to worry about hearing disturbing fantasies from them, unlike from some adults. The memory of the thoughts he had heard alone made his whole body shutter at times.
Instead, children were full of life, exploring their world in bright colours. Shin admired seeing their colourful perspective.
Hana - holding Shin’s middle and index finger in her tiny hand, given that Shins hand was too large for her to grab fully - lead the way with great determination. Eventually, they reached a rather young tree in front of which the girl abruptly stopped, making Shin almost run into her.
“Look!”, she pointed upwards at one of the tree branches, never letting go of Shin. Curiously, he followed the path in which she was directing him to look at.
Indeed, his eyes spotted a small bird’s nest. Not only that, but there seemed to be little chicks in it. Shin absentmindedly commented on it.
Hana slowly turned to look at him with sparkles in her eyes.
“There are babies in it? Really? I wanna see!” she bombarded him immediately, grabbing his arm with both of her hands. “Please, can you pick me up? I wanna see!”
Shin chuckled at the girl’s energy. He hadn’t considered that she couldn’t see as high up as he did, not seeing the nest from her perspective. He scooped her up easily, setting her on his shoulders to show her the nest.
Her hands dug into his blonde hair, keeping her stabilized. Shin didn’t mind. “Soo cute!”
After watching the little birds some more time, Shin and Hana began their return to the Sakamotos. Hana stayed on Shin’s shoulders after begging him not to set her down yet. Shin - having a soft spot for the girl - of course agreed.
Before they returned, Hana would lead Shin in every direction, pointing at everything that caught her interest and wants Shin to go to so they could investigate it further. Obviously, she was enjoying every second she got to be carried on his shoulder.
“What’s that?”
“I wanna go there!”
“Look!”
This would go on for some time - though as much as Shin was amused by Hana’s endless energy, with her always finding somewhere new to go, even Shin’s legs wanted to sit down again at some point.
“End station. All passengers please exit.”, he acted playfully as they reached their spot under the big oak tree again, at which Hana laughed. Carefully, he set the girl down.
“Again! Again!”, she urged him, grinning widely. Holding onto Shins leg, she tried to reach up to be picked up again. Shin only sighed at that.
“Looks like you two had fun.”, Aoi commented upon their return, smiling at the two. “Hana, let Shin rest a bit too, you two can play again later.”
The little girl pouted. Before she put up a fight, however, something new has already caught her interest again. Curiosity won over the desire to be picked up by Shin again, and soon she ran off again to go on her own mission.
Shin chuckled as he planted himself at the same spot on the blanket as before, having a good view on the park and nearby playground. Kids were no joke; they require a lot of energy. He needed to thank Asakura for putting up with him the next time they met. Shin could be much of a brat back then.
Shin quickly brushed the memories of his past off as the three of them fell into a comfortable chit-chat. Being careful to always have his surroundings in mind, he once again stretched his mind to detect any lingering dangers.
‘need to go shopping’
‘pretty flowers, have to bring mommy one!’
‘Where did she run off to?’
‘beautiful…’
‘What am I gonna make for dinner?’
‘I really need to call my sister’
‘The photo is so cute! I’m putting it in our album!’
‘Her smile is beautiful’
Nothing suspicious so far. Still, Shin knew from experience that some skilled hitman had already sneaked past his detector at times. He couldn’t rely on his powers alone. He couldn’t endanger Sakamoto’s family again like back at the amusement park.
“-in! Shin!”, the girl shouted, making Shin jump. Oh, he spaced out a bit there. He opened his mouth to ask what’s up, but before he could do so, the girl had already held onto his shoulder clumsily while putting something in his hair. Then, she retreated happily, admiring her work.
What just happened?
His mouth stayed agape as he slowly touched his head to figure out what Hana put into his hair. Soon enough he felt the fragile pedals of a flower, as well as seeing the clear image of himself with a flower accessorizing his head in Aoi’s and Sakamoto’s minds. He continued staring at them, tilting his head at the image their minds were portraying.
To say he was startled by the girl’s action was an understatement.
“Mom! Dad! Look how pretty Shin looks!”, she proudly said, now urging her parents to agree with her, unaware that they had already been watching them. Even Sakamoto’s face had hints of a smile on it. Shin averted his eyes, ears burning in embarrassment due to the sudden attention directed towards him.
Suddenly, Shin heard the shutter sound of a camera.
Shin’s eyes snapped upwards, catching Aoi with her phone, camera lens directed towards them.
She had taken a photo - Shin on the blanket, blushing, eyes to the floor, flower in his hair. Hana beside him, grinning ear to ear into the camera.
“You are right, Hana. He really is pretty.”, Aoi acknowledged, mouth turned upwards. ‘The two are so cute together. She really has gotten attached to him.’
Eventually, Shin found himself clueless in every way on how react properly in this situation. What was he even supposed to say? He never even thought of a kid putting a flower into his hair, let alone Sakamoto’s daughter. And then being called pretty? Nuh uh, Shin grew up in the environment of fight and death. The whole situation felt so foreign, so unfamiliar. As if he were a fox in a chickens’ den. He felt his face heat up, feeling slightly overwhelmed on how to deal with this.
“Do you…like it?” Hana asked him, looking at him with anticipation. Her words came out hesitant, Shin realized his silence made her unsure of whether he liked her flower.
He smiled, nervousness and embarrassment pushed aside by the thought of wanting to make the girl happy. “Yes. Thanks, Hana.”
Hearing his positive response, the girl beamed at him, cheering that he liked the flower and eventually running off again with sparkles in her eyes.
It felt … good, seeing her live her childhood carefree like that. Refreshing, healing in some way or another. Shin lived at the lab when he was Hana’s age. The scientists have treated him well then, but they rarely took him to outings like this, especially not as soon as he gained his mind reading power.
Asakura would take care of him most of the time, although he hadn’t planned to look after a child at that time. His father had given Asakura the burden, leaving him at the lab. Shin behaving like a brat wouldn’t have been easy as well.
Still, that was probably the happiest and safest he could have been at the time.
Nostalgia washed over him as he continued to follow his train of thought deeper. Sometimes, Shin felt as if something was missing. A hole in his heart, long forgotten yet always present in his subconsciousness.
He then realized that it was the lab he had been missing when they had saved Lu und then the other scientists from the collapsing building. Shin had been relieved to see them unscathed, almost happy to return to the place that he once could call home.
Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he never ran away. He wasn’t sure if Asakura and the others ever looked for him after he left. Shin wouldn’t have noticed, and he doubted it as well. The other scientists weren’t a fan of him invading their privacy anyway, so they probably appreciated him being gone. Thankful that the creepy kid had finally disappeared.
Nonetheless, they showed relief when Shin had come out of the broken-down lab safely. Grateful for their help but especially happy to know he wasn’t hurt. He had heard their thoughts, subconsciously directing his power towards them.
Just to check what they were thinking. To confirm they still disliked the idea of a mind reader being around them. Like back then, when he first got his powers and searching for rejection became a habit for Shin. Searching the truth of what people really thought of him.
Shin sighed. Something to think about another time.
The minutes seemed to fly by as the family sat under the oak tree, eating snacks, chatting, picking flowers and generally enjoying their day out. They had come here at about 1 p.m., now the hour reached the 4 o’clock mark already.
Shin noticed footsteps nearing the tree. As he glanced towards the direction of the sound, he caught glimpse of a man. He wore a normal white shirt with some khaki pants, Shin noted. His strides were relaxed, and he had a faint smile. A father out with their family as well, maybe? His thoughts didn’t seem to indicate that he was out to kill their family, which was good to say the least.
“Hey, uhm, excuse me, I just happened to notice your little girl here. I have a daughter as well, she’s the sweetest, just as your little one here.”, he started, words laced with warmth and kindness.
Something about the man unsettled Shin. The way he stood, the slight tilt of his head, the friendly smile - almost too friendly - the eyes that lingered just about a second too long. Even more, something in Shin’s mind recognized it all. As if he were familiar with the man, but not quite. He reminded Shin of someone, a shadow from his past. An echo of someone he’s met with the same lengthy figure, the same way of standing, the same messy black hair.
He rummaged through his memories to figure out where he had seen such a man already, yet his mind wouldn’t collaborate. He ran straight into a wall - like a barrier keeping Shin from finding that that old, dusty box in the back of his mind.
“-and so I just thought I’d pass by to say hello.”
Something was off. Shin focused his mind, trying to reach further into the man’s mind despite his intuition screaming at him that he should not take a further look into it.
Shin’s breath hitched. What the hell was that thought?
Shin stared at the man in disbelief as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He moved his weight back, creating distance, almost as if readying himself to flee.
Did he hear that right just now?