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before it gets better. part 4.
▶ Part 3
"Stop," he begs, sprawled on the floor and nursing a bruised cheek. "Stop it!"
His words fall on deaf ears as their mother pulls on Guriko's hair and drags her side to side, eliciting the faintest cry from Guriko before she silences herself. Messy bangs cover most of her face, but TIir doesn't need to see it to recognize the guilt oozing from her sagging form -- guilt that is wrongly hers.
He whips around to their father, who stands mutely to the side.
"Why won't you stop her?" Tiir demands, though horror overtakes his tone.
Their father locks gazes with him, but then turns away with a look of indifference. Tiir turns back to the gross scene when their mother's ramblings become more audible and broken, his hands balled into fists and trembling with increasing rage.
"Disgusting, disgusting -- !" she repeats again and again.
Resigned, Guriko remains silent, being continually thrown aside and cupped roughly on the face.
The injustice of the scene shatters something in him, and Tiir launches himself at the woman with a breaking cry.
******
Tiir walks Guriko to the park, with its half-broken swings and rotted seesaw and depleted sand in the sandbox. Despite its many shortcomings, Guriko never objects to coming for the sake of spending time with her family. This time, however, Walter isn't with them, poring over his cumulative homework on his day off.
Guriko sits on the only functional swing. She shakes her head when Tiir approaches to push her from behind, determined to kick off and work the momentum on her own. Her toes scrape the ground, but she manages to give herself the barest push. She tucks her legs under, then kicks out straight when she moves forward.
Watching as she swings higher and higher, Tiir applaudes Guriko with a soft clap.
"That's right, Guriko," he praises. "That's how you do it."
Another round of applause sounds. Tiir frowns, then looks over his shoulder to at the dying tree in the distance. The pink-haired man's clap subsides, and Guriko jumps off the swing with a growing smile of recognition.
"Lir!"
"Yo, Guriko. That was a good kick," the man, Lir, replies as he makes his way over to Tiir's side.
Lir smirks. Something in Tiir clenches.
"So this is your brother?" he asks, tilting his head in Tiir's direction. When Guriko nods, he adds, "Listen, I'd like to talk to him."
Understanding the implications behind the request, Guriko declares she'll be at the sandbox and wanders to the side where the half-empty box lies. She sits on the edge and kicks at the sand, drawing images with her feet.
Tiir stands still with his eyes locked on Lir. The smirk persists on the stranger's face, and Tiir's image of the nice classmate shatters while Guriko's innocence skyrockets.
(Not all pink-haired people are nice.)
"So," Lir starts, interrupting Tiir's thoughts. "Your name is Tiir."
"It is."
They fall silent, and for a while, they both say nothing. Lir watches Guriko, but Tiir watches Lir -- for what, he wouldn't be able to say, but something about Guriko's "new friend" puts him on edge. Looking at Lir gives him a feeling of deja vu, although Tiir has never seen him before.
"Your sister looks happy," Lir says.
Tiir stares.
"But is that just a front?"
He asks what he wants, to which Lir raises a hand in a defensive fashion. The smirk still remains, making the gesture worthless and even unappreciated. He can't say anything, however, when Guriko will hear if he raises his voice.
"The story of a young girl in an unfortunate economic status because of her brother sounds tragic, doesn't it?
Tiir turns to Lir so that his back is to Guriko, obscuring his scowl from her. "What do you want?"
"Think about what you've done."
With a short laugh surely meant to grate on his nerves, Lir spins on his heels and walks away. The clenched sensation dissipates with his departure, and Tiir relaxes and looks to Guriko, who hasn't noticed Lir's exit.
He can't help the look of surprise when Guriko comes over and asks why his hands are clenched.
******
When they come home in the afternoon, Guriko sticks to Tiir at the kitchen while he prepares lunch. He lets her separate the bread as he sets up the rest of the meal. Besides small talk in regards to assuring her that she's doing everything right, it's quiet in the kitchen until Guriko finishes dividing the bread and glances up at Tiir.
"Tiir-nii?" she calls.
"Yes, Guriko?"
"Are you mad?"
Tiir stops, the lack of motion betraying his surprise. Taking this as indication to go on, Guriko, on the other hand, doesn't miss a beat.
"Lir may be nice, but Tiir-nii is Guriko's number one," she declares with a nod of her head, her hands perched on her sides. Quickly, she adds, "Ter-nii, too."
He laughs airily, part out of surprise and part out of brimming pride. Detaching himself from the sink, he pats Guriko's head affectionately, unable to keep a smile from spreading across his features. Guriko takes this as success on her part and beams with joy, but then reins her emotions in for a proper answer.
"I'm not mad at you," Tiir assures. He hands her a plate. "Now, go eat before it gets cold."
Guriko radiates happiness again, and she rushes to her room all too eagerly, plate in hand.
******
The next day, Walter storms in and, for once, rants when Tiir confronts him. The moment he utters the word "different," Tiir has a good idea, but Walter is already ignoring him and muttering to himself. The fact that he normally seethes in silence alarms Tiir of its severity.
"He's different, so why?"
Tiir listens, and soon gathers that Walter is having problems with the Student Council President and another boy, whom he keeps insisting is "different."
Different, in their case, means the dominant ethnic group. Tiir and Guriko are a part of one particular group; Walter is half of theirs and half of another minority. Tiir considers his background a privilege, having escaped the curse of the destructive majority, but he understands Walter's plight of being in the center.
Walter obsesses over his mother's heritage and shuns his father's.
(Tiir sometimes blames himself because Walter hates him so much.
Incidentally, the Student Council President is a sweet girl of Walter's preferred ethnic group.)
Walter cools off and doesn't shed more light on the topic.
******
Something in him burns when Guriko reports that Lir asked if she's happy at home (to which she said, "yes" many times). She says this with no suspicion, but a certain intent rises in Tiir at the blatant intrusion of territory Lir has no right to be treading in.
******
▶ Part 5
"Stop," he begs, sprawled on the floor and nursing a bruised cheek. "Stop it!"
His words fall on deaf ears as their mother pulls on Guriko's hair and drags her side to side, eliciting the faintest cry from Guriko before she silences herself. Messy bangs cover most of her face, but TIir doesn't need to see it to recognize the guilt oozing from her sagging form -- guilt that is wrongly hers.
He whips around to their father, who stands mutely to the side.
"Why won't you stop her?" Tiir demands, though horror overtakes his tone.
Their father locks gazes with him, but then turns away with a look of indifference. Tiir turns back to the gross scene when their mother's ramblings become more audible and broken, his hands balled into fists and trembling with increasing rage.
"Disgusting, disgusting -- !" she repeats again and again.
Resigned, Guriko remains silent, being continually thrown aside and cupped roughly on the face.
The injustice of the scene shatters something in him, and Tiir launches himself at the woman with a breaking cry.
Tiir walks Guriko to the park, with its half-broken swings and rotted seesaw and depleted sand in the sandbox. Despite its many shortcomings, Guriko never objects to coming for the sake of spending time with her family. This time, however, Walter isn't with them, poring over his cumulative homework on his day off.
Guriko sits on the only functional swing. She shakes her head when Tiir approaches to push her from behind, determined to kick off and work the momentum on her own. Her toes scrape the ground, but she manages to give herself the barest push. She tucks her legs under, then kicks out straight when she moves forward.
Watching as she swings higher and higher, Tiir applaudes Guriko with a soft clap.
"That's right, Guriko," he praises. "That's how you do it."
Another round of applause sounds. Tiir frowns, then looks over his shoulder to at the dying tree in the distance. The pink-haired man's clap subsides, and Guriko jumps off the swing with a growing smile of recognition.
"Lir!"
"Yo, Guriko. That was a good kick," the man, Lir, replies as he makes his way over to Tiir's side.
Lir smirks. Something in Tiir clenches.
"So this is your brother?" he asks, tilting his head in Tiir's direction. When Guriko nods, he adds, "Listen, I'd like to talk to him."
Understanding the implications behind the request, Guriko declares she'll be at the sandbox and wanders to the side where the half-empty box lies. She sits on the edge and kicks at the sand, drawing images with her feet.
Tiir stands still with his eyes locked on Lir. The smirk persists on the stranger's face, and Tiir's image of the nice classmate shatters while Guriko's innocence skyrockets.
(Not all pink-haired people are nice.)
"So," Lir starts, interrupting Tiir's thoughts. "Your name is Tiir."
"It is."
They fall silent, and for a while, they both say nothing. Lir watches Guriko, but Tiir watches Lir -- for what, he wouldn't be able to say, but something about Guriko's "new friend" puts him on edge. Looking at Lir gives him a feeling of deja vu, although Tiir has never seen him before.
"Your sister looks happy," Lir says.
Tiir stares.
"But is that just a front?"
He asks what he wants, to which Lir raises a hand in a defensive fashion. The smirk still remains, making the gesture worthless and even unappreciated. He can't say anything, however, when Guriko will hear if he raises his voice.
"The story of a young girl in an unfortunate economic status because of her brother sounds tragic, doesn't it?
Tiir turns to Lir so that his back is to Guriko, obscuring his scowl from her. "What do you want?"
"Think about what you've done."
With a short laugh surely meant to grate on his nerves, Lir spins on his heels and walks away. The clenched sensation dissipates with his departure, and Tiir relaxes and looks to Guriko, who hasn't noticed Lir's exit.
He can't help the look of surprise when Guriko comes over and asks why his hands are clenched.
When they come home in the afternoon, Guriko sticks to Tiir at the kitchen while he prepares lunch. He lets her separate the bread as he sets up the rest of the meal. Besides small talk in regards to assuring her that she's doing everything right, it's quiet in the kitchen until Guriko finishes dividing the bread and glances up at Tiir.
"Tiir-nii?" she calls.
"Yes, Guriko?"
"Are you mad?"
Tiir stops, the lack of motion betraying his surprise. Taking this as indication to go on, Guriko, on the other hand, doesn't miss a beat.
"Lir may be nice, but Tiir-nii is Guriko's number one," she declares with a nod of her head, her hands perched on her sides. Quickly, she adds, "Ter-nii, too."
He laughs airily, part out of surprise and part out of brimming pride. Detaching himself from the sink, he pats Guriko's head affectionately, unable to keep a smile from spreading across his features. Guriko takes this as success on her part and beams with joy, but then reins her emotions in for a proper answer.
"I'm not mad at you," Tiir assures. He hands her a plate. "Now, go eat before it gets cold."
Guriko radiates happiness again, and she rushes to her room all too eagerly, plate in hand.
The next day, Walter storms in and, for once, rants when Tiir confronts him. The moment he utters the word "different," Tiir has a good idea, but Walter is already ignoring him and muttering to himself. The fact that he normally seethes in silence alarms Tiir of its severity.
"He's different, so why?"
Tiir listens, and soon gathers that Walter is having problems with the Student Council President and another boy, whom he keeps insisting is "different."
Different, in their case, means the dominant ethnic group. Tiir and Guriko are a part of one particular group; Walter is half of theirs and half of another minority. Tiir considers his background a privilege, having escaped the curse of the destructive majority, but he understands Walter's plight of being in the center.
Walter obsesses over his mother's heritage and shuns his father's.
(Tiir sometimes blames himself because Walter hates him so much.
Incidentally, the Student Council President is a sweet girl of Walter's preferred ethnic group.)
Walter cools off and doesn't shed more light on the topic.
Something in him burns when Guriko reports that Lir asked if she's happy at home (to which she said, "yes" many times). She says this with no suspicion, but a certain intent rises in Tiir at the blatant intrusion of territory Lir has no right to be treading in.
▶ Part 5