Chapter 46: Why can’t I remember my dream?
Hey, youre running too fast! I could hear something. Thats so unfair, stop!
Ha ha, Im not even trying. Youre too slow, then another voice appeared, echoing a bit further away from the first. I cant help it when Im tall, **k***-chan! You just need to continue drinking your milk and you will grow big and strong just like me.
My senses once again looked over at the first voice, swinging its shadowy arms around in frustration, How much do I have to drink, cousin? Mama is forcing me to drink so much, already.
Slowly the haziness of this whole scene vanished, vividly showing more details of the scene. It seems I am becoming more conscious. Was I dreaming?
Looking around, I learned that I was currently in a park and that the two voices came from two shadowy individuals. Their faces and bodies were covered up by a black mist, making it impossible for me to identify who they were, but their clothing was exempt from this.
The one lagging behind the other was wearing a pure white dress with flower embroidery, showing off the little shadow persons childish and energetic personality. It was also wearing a backpack with an animalistic theme on its back, probably carrying essential items for this outing. Somehow, I felt a bit of a kinship with it.
The other one was slightly taller, wearing an outfit consisting out of a pullover and jeans. It was also carrying a thermos in its hand while it ran, although I was not sure what the content was.
Both continued running on an earthy path while I followed them against my will. Then again, I wasnt even resisting, I dont think I could do anything besides watch.
Well, it was better than to stare at nothingness, I guess.
Look, **k***-chan! the taller shadow person began pointing at a large colorful totem. "You don't come to Japan very often, so you have to see everything you can in this short time! This is the most memorable sight in this whole park."
Wow, are those robots? as more of my consciousness returned, I was now able to determine that this shadow had a very high-pitched voice, similar to a small girls. They are all stacked on top of each, and there are so many colors! Its like a totem rainbow, cousin!The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.
I told you already, **k***-chan, that one also was fairly high-pitched, but I could hear its voice breaking a bit. Most likely it belonged to a prepubescent boy. Its not cousin but its big brother! Japanese is hard but you have to make sure you get it correct, ok?
I now realized that they were talking Japanese. It felt so natural that I didnt even consider it but hearing the boy pronouncing Itoko for cousin, and onii-chan for big brother kinda made me sensitive to it.
Ooooh, for some reason I was getting the chills when he said onii-chan.
My Japanese isnt that good but youre my cousin so Im addressing you as Itoko! the girl rebuked her cousin. Youre really weird for wanting me to call you onii-chan, *****-san.
Hearing that, the boy stopped moving and turned around in shock, No, no! I apologize, you can call me anything but please dont use -san!
However, the girl didnt respond and simply ran past him, only turning her head around to stick her tongue out with a wink, having successfully fooled him.
The boy stood still, probably embarrassed from being fooled by his younger cousin, before following her, shouting, W-Wait, was that a joke?!.
The two eventually made it to a playground, filled with slides and other equipment to entertain active children. There were quite a few other kids and some adults there, playing around and having a great time.
He he, I won. Youre too slow~ the girl was breathing heavily but nonetheless cheered in her victory, having beaten the boy in this race.
Urgh, I cant believe I was tricked the boy scratched his head in frustration but shrugged it off, allowing his little cousin this small win. So, were you also joking about the whole Itoko stuff? I bet you were, **k***-chan~
No, I wasnt, the girl was merciless to the poor boy. Why are you like this anyways, *****? Youre still behaving normally around Mama and Auntie, just like last Christmas, but why are you treating me differently? Have I done something wrong?
The boys bitter expression couldnt be ignored, sighing deeply before he responded, Ithis is a bit embarrassing but recently I wished I could have more family around. Sorry, **k***-chan, I-I didnt want to make you feel uncomfortable. Please, dont hate me.
Hate you because of something like that? Hmph, youre overthinking too much, cousin, the girl sounded a bit holier-than-thou, but she nonetheless showed a kind smile, now understanding her cousin a bit better. Still, what happened to have made you think that way, dear cousin?
Nothing really, however, his troubled face proved otherwise. Its justIts justChichi-ue has been personally tutoring me, as the entrance exams for junior high are in one year, and it's quitedifficult. I envy you for being in America. There is alsowell, Haha-ue and Chichi-ue arent getting alowoah!
Suddenly, the girl grabbed her cousins arm and pulled it towards her, Enough! Its such a fun day and youre bringing it down. Come on, come on! Lets go have some fun at the playground before Mama and Auntie pick us up.
Jeez, stop being so tsun about it, its annoying when you act so dismissive of your emotions. The boy is being so polite. Somebody needs to tell her to dial it down a bit
Still, Haha-ue and Chichi-ue, huh? Those are the Japanese words for my mother and my father, respectively. Compared to Okaa-san and Otou-san, you would use the two former terms to address your own family, while the latter two are used to address the parents of othersor, well, when you are speaking with your parents.
It seems like the boy seems to prefer calling his parents with the Japanese terms, while the girl favors using the western nickname Mama for her mother.
However, who uses the -ue" suffix nowadays, anyway? I'm pretty sure only old-fashioned or super strict families would have their children say that. "Haha or Chichi would be perfectly acceptable, even in the formality-hell that is Japan.
Regardless of my thoughts, the two kids entered the playground and started playing in it. Sliding down the slides, playing tag with the other kids, and rotating on the roundabout.
The tension on the boys face seems to have completely washed away, vanished from existence as if it never existed in the first place. The merrily laughing of little children playing and their mischievous nature of competing with others tightened up my heart and soul.
Is thisnostalgia?
It didnt seem like they will stop any time soon, so having gained a sliver of control from waiting around, I moved my body to a spot where I could see them play. Under the shadow of the tree, I sat down, feeling the heat of the sun waning as my body cooled down a bit. The grassy ground cushioned me, allowing me to lean my back on the trees trunk.
I relaxed and watched the kids play, losing my sense of time as it seems like this moment would never end.
*****, you havent drunk from your thermos yet. Arent you thirsty? the girl asked the boy while drinking from her bottle of juice.
Oh, this? I-I actually forgot to fill it up today, the boy admitted.
What?! No, waituhmmaha, here! after rummaging through her backpack, she took out another bottle of juice, offering it to her cousin. Its sunny, Mama says you need to drink when you play. Take it.
Thank you the boy said timidly, clearly embarrassed that his little cousin had to state the obvious.
He he, of course, the girls satisfied smile was boasting about her small achievement. Anyways, why are you carrying the thermos when its empty? You should have given it to Auntie.
The boy looked down at his thermos, before meeting his eyes with hers, "You seeChichi-ue loves coffee and he always brings it with him to work. I thought, even if its empty, I could mimic him a bit so I could be a bit more like him.
Hmm, Im sorry for bringing it up again. Lets stop talking about it, the girl suddenly clapped her hands together, her face brightened up. I know! When we get back to Grandpas and Grandmas house, Ill show you my Nintendo 3DS. If youre feeling stressed, then playing games will help you out a lot.
Your Obaa-san and Ojii-san, right? Hm, I dont know if Chichi-ue will allow that the boy said.
Obaa-san and Ojii-san are the Japanese terms to address somebody elses grandmother and grandfather, respectively. These two are related so that must mean that the girl mentioned the grandparents that werent related to him by blood.
The girl waved her arms around, appearing cheery, But, if you do well on your exams then you can persuade your Otou-san about it, right? Your grades are so good, *****, so playing a little bit shouldnt hurt.
Yeah, I guess I can at least try it a bit. Especially when youre offering to share it with me, his lips curved into a smile. Thank you, **k***, youre good at making others feel better, despite your clumsiness. You will make an amazing Idol.
Clumsiness?! What?! Grrrr, the girl glared at her cousin.
Ha ha, sorry, he didnt look very remorseful for teasing her. Still, you were only here because of the concert, correct? How was it?
Amazing! like an explosion of emotions, the girl spread her arms out and smiled, showing off her sparkling white teeth; all the annoyance of being teased was completely gone. Girls Generation was awesome, awesome, awesome! When the spotlights appeared and showed off all the idols, it was amazing, amazing, amazing!
Ahh, **k***-chan, you shouldnt shout that much, noticing that the other children and some adults were looking at them, the boy quickly calmed down his cousin. Phew, it was your first concert, correct?
Yeah, and thats when I decided I wanted to become an Idol. I want to stand on a stage and make people happy, too! the girl proclaimed.
First Girls Generation concert? Ahh, I still remember my first when I was seven. Mama was so nice to comply with my wish, despite how far away New York is to Tokyoand how out of the blue the request came from.
I believe she also wanted to visit her parents so that helped me persuade her.
If thats true, thendoes that mean that you will move over here? I-I believe Japan also has an Idol culture, right? the boy asked.
I-I dont think so the girl looked apologetic as she saw her cousins disappointment. Papa and Mama seem to like it in New York, and both like their jobs there. Besides, if I ever have the chance then I would like to go to South Korea, where SNSD and the other fantastic K-Pop Idols are.
I-I see the boy mustered a fake smile, but nobody was fooled by this, easily seeing that he was crestfallen.
But! When I become an Idol then I will come to Tokyo for my tour, alright? When that happens then you must come cheer for me, alright? the girl attempted to cheer her cousin up. Please, it will make me so happy if came!
"Yeah, you will become an Idol and I will come to cheer for you," the boy's sadness didnt wane.
The girl, however, did not give up on this, "Andand, you can always call me! Your Okaa-san has my Papas number so you can always ask her to call me. I will always answer, alright? I will always be there when you need me, just like a shining light in a dark concert hall. Andwhen I come back during Christmas, then we can spend so much time together, alright?
Do you promise, **k***-chan? he questioned her warily.
Of course! I havent broken a single promise in my life yet, and I dont want to disappoint my family, the girl clenched her entire right hand, except for her pinky finger. "Promise me that you will come to my concerts and I will be there when you need me the most. Yubikiri, Onii-chan~"
...Yubikiri. If you promise then I will too, **k***-chan, the boy also performed the same gesture.
Yubikiri, also known as the pinky promise to westerners. The two cousins simultaneously said Yubikiri and then locked their pinky fingers together, signifying that a promise has just been made.
However, Yubikiri means finger cut-off in Japanese, as if she noticed my presence, the girls shadowy head snapped to my direction and her black eyes were clear to be seen. You promised to become an Idol.
The girl, still locking her finger with the boy, slowly walked towards me. She was dragging her cousin with her, despite the clear size difference, who neither resisted nor supported her cousin, simply staying silent as his little cousin effortlessly lug him with her.
I still want to become an Idol, I replied.
As we continued onwards, I could faintly hear a monsters cry. It was small, weak, and it sounded like it was in pain. As we moved in closer, the cries got even louder and even more desperate. It sounded like a weak animal that was very close to dying, which is nothing surprising.
However, it seems like the monster was too weak to even move out of our path, continuously yelping as it sat at the same location.
[Should we check it out?] I asked Saori.
She shrugged her shoulders but did say Sure.
As we approached the location, we noticed that the signal was behind thick vegetation. We pushed the shrubbery away, revealing to us the cause for all of this.
Hearing the wailing and desperate cry for help, my eyes noticed a small feline monster lying on the ground, covered in mud, dirt, and its own blood. The young animals green fur looked terribly unkempt, showing some trample marks, probably an unlucky victim that barely survived the monster stampede.
Identify.
Young Virigress
A young feline monster that possesses a fur of emerald green, only able to be found in the Belzac forest. Using their natural fur color, they can perfectly camouflage themselves atop a tree, ambushing any prey wandering under them using their venomous claws. Rank F
My eyes caught Saori shrugging her shoulders, looking a bit troubled, Why does this scene seem so familiar?
I had to agree. It was a young, probably newborn, monster sitting in a nest of twigs and leaves, looking helpless and mortified from locking eyes with the people that were towering it.
First, it was a dog and now its a cat? I said exasperatedly.
Welp, I just encountered my second Abandoned Animal in a Box trope.
A note from AbyssRaven
Honestly. Hestia stumbles at the weirdest things by living in the Belzac forest. First a wolf cub, then a fairy, now a cat?
If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 10 advance chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr!
If you guys enjoyed this chapter then, please follow the story. If you guys want the story to grow, then giving it a rating or a favorite will do wonders: Rawr!
Thank you for reading this chapter.
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About the author
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Wednesday, April 1, 2020 9:12:12 PM Germany [Member of Zard Skwad]
Bio: Hey there, AbyssRaven here. I'm just an avid Light Novel and Fantasy story reader who randomly thought of a story and began writing about it.
I eventually found out that I've been spending a bit too much time with building, planning, and researching for the story, that I've decided to just share it with others.
Writing is mostly a hobby for me, but I would still love any kind of criticism to improve on it.
I'm also german, so please excuse anything that sounds a bit weird...I wouldn't mind you pointing it out though.
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