Chapter Text
Monday, April 4th, 1994. 3:30pm
Everybody in Japan knew that Spring was the best season.
There were no bugs yet, the flowers started to bloom profusely, and all the delicious floral snacks started to come out once more in time for Sakura Season. Besides spring, Japanese technology was really starting to make a rise in the modern world. Things like computers and flip phones became extremely popular among teenagers who wanted to show off for their friends. Even the girls were becoming bolder! This new thing called "Gyaru(o)" had taken Japan by force with crazy makeup and diva attitudes, inspiring girls and boys to become the best versions of themselves even if others didn't accept it. Sports and popular Japanese creations like anime and bento boxes had taken off in interest ratings from the West, leading to more tourist attractions and cultural fusions. Even though these weren't all of the things that were going on at the time, one thing was for sure.
It was a time to be alive.
Seishuu Akoya was a boy who was born into an... interesting family to say the least. His American mother's side was always the loudest, especially during holiday seasons like Christmas. The food that they brought was either too sweet or too salty or too...big(?), but he loved it, nonetheless. Visiting them from Japan wasn't difficult either, as Akoya grew up around both English and Japanese vocabularies. Speaking of his mother, Erika Akoya was the strongest and happiest person in the world. Coming to Japan from America was a difficult task. Most foreigners weren't really welcome in the...erm...quieter areas, but Erika did just fine. Akoya always loved the story about how his parents met each other, they were two polar opposites, after all.
Speaking of polar opposi-
"SEIIIISHUUUUUUUU!!!!!!"
Any other person would've called the police due to public disturbances, but Akoya didn't even blink an eye at the sound of the four-limbed firework running towards the bench he was sitting on with a crazed expression. He hadn't lived through 14 years of this exact noise for nothing.
As he was previously thinking before the interruption, this was the second polar opposite in the family. His polar opposite.
His brother, Hanabi Akoya.
Hanabi was around 4 years older than Akoya and made no moment in time to stop bragging about the power he had over him. Being 18 years old seemed like a wish towards heaven with how much independence Hanabi seemingly got from it. Even his clothes screamed "independent", for better or for worse. Grabbing and shaking his little brother, Hanabi tried to catch his breath as well as he could before ushering Akoya to follow.
"No. No? No way. The last time I followed you without reason we both fell into a ditch."
Saying this made the decade-old phantom pain of a few scars on Akoya's forearm bloom up a bit. Hanabi was never known as the responsible type, so many of his...erm, escapades didn't end well. From putting a lighter in the trash a couple weeks ago, to leaving a battery in the sun, it was evident that his older brother had a few screws loose.
The rejection of Hanabi's offer made the older brother turn around with a confused scowl. Sucking his teeth loudly, Hanabi put on his "pleasepleaseplease" voice again.
"Come awnnnnnn, Seika. Y'know Mom doesn't want us out here anymore 'cus of what happened with the "Flying Battery Zone" last year. I'll take us on a safe shortcut to the house. Promise. Take it as a birthday gift." The toothy grin on his face said otherwise, and Akoya knew when this person had malicious intent. His response stayed the same as he sat firmly on the bench.
"No." Hanabi moved closer.
"Get away!" Even closer.
"I said noO- PUT ME DOWN! NOW! HANABI!!!"
Hoisting his sibling over his strong shoulders, Hanabi ignored the inhumanly strong finger grips on his back and started walking through the park.
Akoya had given up on moving right now. He was more focused on the exaggerated story he was going to bawl out to his father as soon as he got home. He was the only person Hanabi sat up straight with. Reisei Akoya was a stone-faced Japanese man who held his family at high regards, so any bulshitting in the house was dealt with. Being a police officer made his dad more serious by the year, so relating to his children was a bit difficult. Every day, Akoya asked for the story of how his parents met, but the inquisition was always met with a "connections" or "parents" related answer.
He never bothered to listen or ask again.
Absentmindedly blowing a flower petal off his face, Akoya began to think more about his family.
Honestly, Akoya loved both his parents dearly, but alone, his dad reminded him too much of Optimus Prime- and not an actual parent. That was beside the point. He was ultimately a role model, one that Akoya had to follow his footsteps in order to become successful in the future.
Akoya was immediately snapped out of his thoughts- and that probably wasn't the only thing that snapped as he suddenly felt the hard concrete surface of the house porch on his tailbone.
"OUCH! -I knew you were going to pull some demented shit on me!" Akoya angrily shouted out at Hanabi, who has found himself "confused" on how the 14-year-old "suddenly" slipped out of his arms. The grin and giggle said otherwise, though.
After acting like his back was broken from the weight, Hanabi respectfully addressed his brother in a calm manner.
"Oh, shut your fuckin' face and head inside. The sheer weight of your asscheeks made me drop you in the first place, Sherlock. I'll lock you outside if you don't get off your melon."
Furiously complying, Akoya walked through the door. Well, not before harshly shoving his shitling-sibling into the doorframe.
5:30 pm
After both boys were done chasing each other through the house- (Akoya hid in the dryer while Hanabi stalked around with their fathers Baton) they made a temporary truce and tried to behave in the remaining amount of time their parents were gone for work. So of course, the boys decided to do as any other teens would do afterschool.
Wait for it-
Wait for it!
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That's it. That's the punchline.
Akoya lay sprawled out across Hanabi like a woven mat. Both siblings stared off into the sky for about 4 minutes before they got another genius idea to destroy the house with. Their father always told them not to touch the stove or fire in general (more for Hanabi, less for Akoya), but there were another two beautiful inventions of man in the kitchen that caught their eyes.
It was a simple battle of Microwave Instant Noodles vs. Akoya Brothers. Nothing could go wrong with putting some water in a damn cup, right?
Being the rule following goodie two shoes he was, Akoya initially refused the idea immediately because it was "dangerous". That speculation was promptly shut down by the juggernaut growl that was his stomach. Though simple and always with parental supervision, Hanabi's ramen was categorized as one of the worlds wonders in Akoya's head, though he would never admit it. There were four things always present in the soup that made it delicious:
1. Rich and salty bone broth,
2. Chewy noodles,
3. Some type of leftover meat,
4. And a runny egg to top it off.
Watching closely, Akoya saw Hanabi take out two packs of instant noodles from his secret stash deep in the cabinet (Shin? Whatever that was.).
The beauty of a good pot of ramen was unbeatable during these times. Hanabi emptied out the packet into the bowls with water, the spice making them both cough for a bit. Cracking in one raw egg into each bowl along with some other unknown meat, Hanabi honestly looked like a Michelin chef. Both bowls were put in the microwave, and the brothers gave each other fives before closing the door, twice to be exact as it was an older model. Now for the time.
"Why not 5 minutes?"
Hanabi shook his head and let out a sigh.
"Yeah, go ahead with that if you want the noodles to melt into the soup. That's too long, dude. Try 3:30."
Akoya let out a huff of annoyance before pressing the time button. The machine turned on, and the bowls spun inside the glowing box. Now they had to wait.
"How about a game to kill some time?"
Akoya smiled at his brother.
"Yeah, that sounds fun."
They ran to the living room. And as the ramen kept spinning, so did the world.