Chapter 77: Chapter 76 - Thank You for Staying

As soon as they got to the amusement park, it was an explosion of sound.

When the kids came bursting into the park holding balloons, and they had music playing in the background, you could feel the energy everywhere under one big sky.

There were bright lights everywhere, creating the illusion of a very alive amusement park.

Meanwhile, Kuro was already drained emotionally.

"Already?! We have only been here for 10 minutes. You are collapsing your soul already; good job on a family trip!"

"You made me ride two roller coasters back to back."

"You made it through."

"Barely."

While these two were bickering, Aoi was sitting next to them and fixing her hair.

"You screamed during your second roller coaster ride."

"That is controlled breathing."

"That sounded like you were being spiritually tortured."

"You traitor."

A little further away, Daichi Kurogane was snickering quietly and Shizuka was shaking her head in disbelief.

Honestly, it was comforting for the two adults to see Kuro fighting back in a familiar manner.

He used to be quiet, polite, and follow along with whatever everyone was doing.

Now, he is openly complaining about everything, teasing back, and showing his fatigue.

Small things, yes.

Important things, definitely.

The rest of the day was a chaos that was very comfortable.

Akari kept trying to drag everyone to the most dangerous rides by saying; "fear increases family bonds".

Aoi enjoyed inflicting psychological damage on Kuro while playing carnival games, and Daichi lost three shooting games in a row and said; "the equipment was sabotaged".

Shizuka watched everyone else for most of the day, smiling to herself.

At one point Akari made Kuro and Aoi take a couple’s photo ride just for fun.

That picture became instant blackmail gold.

Aoi looked gorgeous as usual.

And Kuro? He looked like an emotionally imprisoned hostage.

Akari nearly died of laughter.

"I’m framing this!"

"Get rid of it!"

"Not happening."

"Mister Kuro actually looks good in this picture," said Shizuka innocently.

Dedicated Kill Shot.

Kuro gave a long-suffering sigh.

"...I want a new family."

Daichi flimflammed around Kuro dramatically.

"Too late son!" "You’re stuck with us forever!"

Kuro didn’t hate it as much anymore or being part of the family as much as he did before.

As it began to become evening, the amusement park slowly began to come alive with colourful lights.

Shadows started creating an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation while people gathered in the central plaza for the fireworks show.

The sound of music being played softly from speakers being played by the summer breezes accompanied this transition.

Akari motioned dramatically to Aoi from across the plaza.

"We need to get the best spot for viewing!"

"Sounds like you’re going into battle."

"Fireworks are war."

Akari then turned toward Kuro.

"Are you coming?"

Kuro looked over at Shizuka and Daichi and then back to Akari with an uncertain expression.

"Uhh... I’ll meet you over there."

Akari narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

Surprisingly She just smiled.

"...Alright."

Then she pulled Aoi into the crowd of people.

Leaving Kuro alone with Shizuka and Daichi at the quieter part of the park.

For the next few moments neither of them said anything.

The distant sounds of laughter and music surrounded them as the night began to get darker.

Then after a time Daichi smiled.

"...You’re relaxed."

Kuro turned his way slightly.

"What is?"

Daichi looked at the bright amusement park lights.

"Seeing you so relaxed."

"...I kept feeling like I failed you for a long time after your mother died."

"You quit acting like a kid too quickly."

"You quit asking for help."

"You quit complaining, even when you were hurting."

His expression changed slightly.

"To be honest... I didn’t know how to connect with you anymore."

The night’s air suddenly became silent around them.

Kuro stared at the ground without saying anything.

There was a part of him that knew Daichi was right.

After his mother died he learnt how to be quiet about his pain rather than to share with someone else.

Then suddenly Daichi turned toward Shizuka who was beside him.

And smiled at her.

"Thank you...I appreciate everything."

Shizuka blinked, shocked.

"Daichi..."

"Honestly," he replied softly.

"You sat with him patiently."

"Regardless of the distance he put between you."

"Regardless of how he didn’t know how to accept you yet."

Kuro’s eyes were slightly wide open.

Because his dad rarely spoke so openly.

Meanwhile Shizuka was now overwhelmed.

"I didn’t do anything special..."

"You did."

Daichi smiled sadly.

"You gave him warmth."

Silence.

And then quietly

"You provided my son a way back."

Shizuka’s eyes slowly trembled hearing that.

Because through all of this, she had always wondered whether she was forcing herself into someone else’s place.

But having heard those words, there was something in her chest that opened painfully.

The countdown for fireworks has begun across the park.

- 10.

- 9.

Kuro quietly looked down afterwards.

And then finally—

"I’m sorry too."

Both of the adults looked towards him.

"Please," Kuro continued.

"I created problems for us."

The distant crowd was counting out loud together.

- 7.

- 6.

"I ignored everything because I was afraid."

-5.

-4.

"I was too worried that by accepting this family fully..."

-3.

"...I would leave Mom behind."

-2.

-1.

The initial firework lit the sky over the park; bright colors filled the dark sky overhead and the park erupted with shouts of joy.

Kuro didn’t see any of that. Kuro was watching Shizuka tender, honest.

"I was wrong."

More fireworks went off into the sky.

"You didn’t replace her" Kuro’s voice quietly dropped.

"You stayed."

Shizuka’s eyes filled with tears.

Kuro gave her a faint smile; "Thank you."

They were simple and honest words, but they held years of loneliness.

And for the first time, Kuro said " Mom "

Naturally , without hesitation; without fear.

Silence.

Shizuka stood frozen. The entire world had disappeared under the explosions of fireworks; the noise, music and crowd all faded away.

All that she could hear was "Mom." No more Tachibana- san.

No more carefully keeping her at an emotional distance. Family , real family.

Her eyes filled instantly with tears.

"Kuro..."

Shizuka’s voice broke completely.

Meanwhile, Daichi smiled weakly to himself while looking away.

Because, after many years of being alone,

his son looked like he had a family for the first time in a long time.

Suddenly, Shizuka pulled Kuro into a super tight hug.

Not awkwardly, not held back warm.

Emotional.

And, after only a very short amount of time being surprised Kuro slowly returned her embrace.

And behind them, Akari screamed dramatically from out in the crowd,

"THEY’RE HAVING FAMILY EMOTIONAL MOMENTS WITHOUT US."

Aoi sighed tiredly beside her.

"Your timing continues to be catastrophic."

Daichi was laughing right away, while Shizuka was desperately trying to wipe tears away from her face.

Too late.

Akari was on her way toward them as fast as she could run.

"No secret bonding allowed."

"Were you spying?" Kuro asked.

"I’m your sister ( technically stepsister ) . Privacy is a weakness."

Aoi came up quietly behind her.

But once Aoi saw Shizuka crying softly,

her expression changed to gentle.

Then, Aoi smiled quietly, and just as quiet (but totally genuine).

For some reason, tonight was a night of completions. The sky was filled with fireworks, laughter had come back to everybody, and Kuro was surrounded by warmth, noise, and those that were still with him. In that moment, he realized something.

Moving on does not have to mean leaving behind.

That happiness and grief can live side by side.

And that perhaps most importantly he had a home again.

In the morning, however, the egg, art, and pigment-eating cause of chaos returned strong.

With her best dramatics, Akari began complaining about her dying legs due to "physical abuse in excuse of family bonding" and dramatically sprawled across the dining table.

Watching her calmly drink tea beside her, Aoi quietly said that Akari cried longer than the children screamed during the roller coaster rides.

Shizuka softly smiled while making breakfast in the kitchen.

Every time she turned her eyes toward Kuro, warmth crystalized in her expression.

Then, for the first time in a long while, Kuro gave an involuntary laugh. Real or genuine laughter.

Laughter that was much like regulated laughter. Laughter half-escaping his mouth before he noticed it himself.

Even Daichi saw it from the newspaper while they were reading and felt like smiling silently to himself.

And yet, between all that banter and bustle of the morning, some things within the family changed undeniably.

The emotional distance between them was reduced. Somehow softer. Somehow more real. Somewhere in all those fireworks they had stopped performing their family act and had simply elicited reality.

Akari suddenly narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Kuro and Shizuka at one point.

"...The two of you are looking at yet other with strange smiles ."

Kuro almost spit his coffee out immediately.

"Nothing strange is occurring", he said.

"That reply sounds guilty already," Aoi said coolly.

Shizuka blushed and concentrated on making miso soup.

Immediately Daichi started laughing very loudly from the side of the table.

Hearing everyone’s voices mixed like this made the home feel as warm as it has ever been.