Embracement

"Kyou! I'm back!"

I swung open the door to our house, eager to recount the day's school events to my older sister. But instead of finding her usual welcoming presence at the door, I heard the distant sounds of my parents' raised voices from the second floor. They were arguing about something, but couldn't hear the details.

Half curious, half concerned, I contemplated ascending the stairs to figure out what was happening. Just as I reached the staircase, my sister came rushing down from upstairs, looking slightly flustered. Her voice, tinged with unusual urgency, called out to me:

"Takehito! You're back already? Why are you home earlier than usual today?"

Perplexed, I replied, "I didn't... It's the usual time...?"

"Oh... I'm sorry, I was engrossed in my homework today and couldn't come down to greet you. Would you like to go to the park? I'll buy you ice cream to make it up to you."

A gut feeling hinted that it wasn't a sense of guilt driving my sister to buy me ice cream and take me out to play while she was buried in her work. She was simply trying to conceal something that I could surmise.

"Sure, I'd love to."

She smiled, her voice slightly shaky, "Alright, let me grab an umbrella. Looks like it might rain soon."

Kyou didn't want me to know about the discord between our parents. Their relationship had been strained lately. While Kyou often found excuses to take me out whenever they argued, my bedroom was right next to theirs, and occasionally I could hear their heated exchanges late at night. My sister was trying to shield a childlike soul like mine in the only way a 16-year-old girl could conceive.

Although her methods weren't entirely effective, I went along, feigning ignorance of the truths I overheard at night. At least, I believed I was safeguarding my sister's emotional well-being in my own way. How could one expose a sister attempting to carry so much on her shoulders?

Kyou and I made our way to Yoyogi Park on foot. Our family used to camp here on weekends. We would munch on the salmon sandwiches our mother made, and read books or run around until dusk. Eventually, it was just Kyou and me, and our visits became less frequent.

I quite liked this park, especially during autumn as it is now. The park was ablaze with maple leaves, fiery red, just like flames. I enjoyed gazing up at the sky under the large maple trees. Bathed in the warm sunlight, the leaves seemed to glow. Sunbeams filtered through the foliage, dancing on the ground like fireworks.

But today, the sky seemed overcast, though still bright. We settled down at one of the benches on the golden grass. I savored the vanilla ice cream that Kyou had bought for me from the convenience store.

"Did you have anything interesting happen at school today?"

"Today, we had a midterm math test. I scored 98."

My sister smiled, affectionately ruffling my hair, "Takehito, you're so smart. Well done."

Yet, she sighed, "Not like me. I can't wrap my head around math, no matter what."

Unable to resist a jibe, I teased her, "Isn't it because you are too busy staring at your class president Katsuo that you're too dazed, and the teacher thinks you're asleep with your eyes open?"

At the mention of her secret crush, Kyou was taken aback, sweat breaking out on both sides of her temples. Her cheeks flushed like ripe apples.

"H-how do you know about that? I never told you about it, did I?"

"No, but you mention him a lot. So much so that I know their family's name and their favorite TV channel."

"To that extent?" Kyou stammered, covering her face with her hand.

"Besides, I have a good brother in the same class as you. Every time we meet, he tells me interesting tidbits."

"Ah, so it's Ray, huh? Why would he tell you that! I'll have to talk to him about it tomorrow!"

Kyou's face remained flushed, even as she diverted the conversation to other topics.

In the end, Kyou was only four years older than me. She was afterall still a teenage girl, with a lovely appearance and a gentle disposition. While I may not have to confront the conflicts of our parents, as the eldest child, and with a compassionate nature and efforts to mend their relationship, Kyou was enduring a lot.

"Oh! It's raining now."

Tiny raindrops gently sprinkled around the dense canopy of trees under which we were sitting. Although the rain hadn't reached our spot yet since the leaves were blocking it, I sensed it was time to head home. My sister's demeanor seemed to have improved from her earlier anxious state, which brought me some reassurance.

Upon our return home, our house was eerily quiet. There was no light emanating from the upper floor. Kyou called out for our parents, but there was no answer. It seemed like they had gone somewhere. Normally, our mom would start cooking dinner by six o'clock, but even though it was already seven, the ingredients were untouched in the fridge, and she was nowhere to be found.

My sister texted both of our parents to inquire about their whereabouts. She then decided to cook dinner herself.

"What would you like to have today? What about the red wine sauce burger that you like?" she suggested.

"Let me help you, Kyou."

She chuckled warmly, waving her hand, "No need, the kitchen is quite dangerous, you might get burned. I'll try to make it as quickly as possible. You can go study in your room first."

"Do you know how to make the patty?"

Kyou hesitated, "Um... "Oh... Probably shaping it round? Then fry it in a pan?"

I took the minced meat out of the fridge and laid it on the kitchen counter. I casually grabbed an apron and decided to demonstrate for Kyou.

"First, you mix the spices and breadcrumbs with the meat. You can add pepper too, but since you don't like it, I'll skip it."

Kyou watched me attentively, a mix of admiration and curiosity in her eyes.

"Since when did you know how to cook?"

"After kneading the meat evenly, it's time to shape the patty. Take about this much, then shape it into a round with your hands. You have to toss it from one hand to the other like this to let the air escape from the meat so it won't break when fried. Then use your thumb to create a hollow in the middle like this to prevent the meat from puffing up and bursting when cooked..."

And so, I also finished making the red wine sauce and the stewed vegetables. Kyou also attempted to cut the potatoes and carrots for me, although she worked a bit slowly.

We had dinner without our parents. The delicious meal brought joy to my sister. She told story after story throughout the meal.

Little did we know that it would be the last peaceful evening in that house.

The next day, we were summoned to the police station. Our father had stabbed our mother with a knife, leaving her critically injured and hospitalized. She passed away three days later.