#hiwatari kei

“And you believed it?” Despite the smile, there was something lying underneath those words. “You should know better than the two of us to not take Niwa Daisuke’s words at face value, Satoshi.” Of course, considering his family’s history with the other…The two should be at odds. Except… “You’re wrong.” Satoshi spoke, arguing with him for once. “He has never done anything to hurt me.” Not that he could even recall. “Oh Satoshi, that Niwa really has led you astray, hasn’t he?” It doesn’t seem as though his adopted father was willing to take his word for it. “Will he really be there for you when you need him the most? Like how I’ve been?” Though who’s to say that would come true.

“I’m your father, I know you better than anyone.” Kei explained, looking at Satoshi with his usual smile. Yet…The man before him was only his adopted father. Someone who looked after the teen after the death of Hikari Rio. “Maybe even more than that ‘classmate’ of yours.” He pointed out. The mention of said classmate made Satoshi freeze in place. Who knew just what the man’s plans for Daisuke was. He’d rather not think about it. “You don’t.” Satoshi spoke, trying to keep his voice even. “You know nothing about me.” Or so it seemed.

Compared to most children his age, his ‘son’ wasn’t necessarily cheerful or full of energy. In fact, the boy preferred to keep to himself, rather than hanging out with his peers. Nor was he the type to cause a ruckus or a mess. Even now, the boy was still like that. Satoshi seemed to have found the typical Hikari tools of the trade much like those before him. Before the child even noticed, his small legs were no longer touching the ground.  Satoshi blinked, not exactly expecting the head kisses. “Isn’t this son of mine, the cutest~” His adopted father spoke, sounding quite cheerful. Today was quite the day for Satoshi.

It was going to be quite a night.

“Would you mind staying on the phone with me, please Niwa-san?” Kei spoke into the phone. Though his voice sounded mostly cheerful, there seemed to be something lying underneath. Kosuke wasn’t sure why but it wasn’t as if the bespectacled man would tell him. For once, there was a sense of vulnerability in Hiwatari’s tone. Completely unlike how the man usually was. He’s glad that the man opened up even if it wasn’t to tell him everything. “Of course, I can.” Kosuke reassured him. “Thank you for indulging my selfish request, Niwa-san.” “I wouldn’t call it selfish.” Before he knew it, many hours had passed.

“I just wanted to feel loved, I guess. If I had said that was the reason, what would you do?” Rio spoke, looking right at the artwork. Though she said that, it didn’t seem as though that was the case. “Oh?” Elm Root looked right back at her. “Though I doubt that’s your real reason.” “Nothing gets past you, does it?” The woman asked, not at disturbed by its words. Almost as though she had expected it. “To me, it seems that you’re more interested in that experiment of yours than the idea of being loved.” It pointed out. And perhaps, maybe it was right.

Before Satoshi’s birth, Rio hadn’t exactly cared for much. After all, she felt apathy towards all artworks and all kinds of matters. Now, the woman held him in her arms as though he was a precious jewel. She took the boy everywhere with her, something that Elm Root had noticed. “You really care for that child, don’t you?” The artwork spoke, noticing that the artist before him had a mask of nonchalance on again. “What makes you think so?” She answered with a question. “You’re keeping him fairly close.” Or was it perhaps out of some maternal instinct of sorts?

One day I should make a post with all the lovely Kei collectible (Keillectible? Heh.) cards @fugitivehues has sent to me because I adore them and bring them on vacations to take pictures of them but, in the meantime, you can see a few, never enough, on my BlueSky.