10. | unknown future
His brother was born under the glow of a full moon.
The family of three had been awaiting the newest member of their family, their hearts filled with excitement and joy.
Hidesato had stood outside the small birthing center, his heart pounding with anticipation. The room was filled with his mother's screams and the sounds of the midwives calming her down. It had been difficult for his mother to give birth to [Y/n], but she did all she could in the end.
The screams eventually died down, and when his name was finally called, he slowly walked into the room. Inside, his father had joined his mother, ready to welcome the new life into the family—a new child, Hidesato's own little brother, to protect and love.
His mother was cradling his newborn baby brother in her arms, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the window. It was forever etched into his memory—the sight of his family full of tenderness, one he would not see again.
Hidesato approached with a mixture of awe and tenderness, reaching out to touch the tiny fingers of his brother, marveling at how small and adorable this new life was. At that moment, he had felt such an overwhelming sense of love and protectiveness for the baby, a bond he had never felt.
Beside them, his father gazed questionably at the newborn, curious at the mark left behind on the abdomen. To his parents, it was an ugly scar with an unknown meaning. Under the moonlight, it tinged slightly blue, with a squiggly shape that resembled a crescent moon.
Later, his father called a Shingon priest to the mansion to look at the newborn's condition, and to find out the meaning of such a mark on his body. Hidesato wasn't there when the news came, but his parents' joy disappeared in an instant, replaced by overwhelming dread. They then held certain beliefs about the mark—a mark that they whispered was a curse.
Over the years, Hidesato observed the growing tension between his parents and his innocent little brother, [Y/n]. He felt a profound sense of heartache for his brother—who had done nothing wrong and received the full hatred of his parents just for existing.
[Y/n] was too young to understand the complexities of the situation at first. He laughed, played, and explored the world around him with the curiosity of any child, unaware of the judgments that had been placed upon him.
[Y/n]'s life was taken care of fully by the servants of the mansion, his parents didn't even want to touch or care for the small sibling. Hidesato received many warnings to not stray too close to him, and he rarely listened.
One day, [Y/n] went missing.
Panic gripped him as his parents didn't lift a finger or gave the servants an order to find him. Guilt consumed Hidesato as he blamed himself for not being there to protect [Y/n]. Not heeding the warnings given, he searched the brewing snow to find him.
With his deep desperation, Hidesato launched a frantic search for [Y/n]. Hours passed and the chill had slowly seeped through his clothing. Finally, after a long time of searching, his feet led him to a secluded spot near a frozen river.
There, under a thin blanket of snow, lay his little brother, barely conscious and almost lifeless.
With a trembling heart, he rushed to his brother's side. [Y/n]'s body was cold to the touch, and blisters marred his skin from the bitter chill. He scooped the little boy into his arms, cradling him tightly, and ran back to the mansion as fast as his legs could carry him.
Over the horizon, he could see the silhouette of his mother, waiting for them outside the mansion. He expected relief and gratitude from his parents. Instead, they were met with a vexing and heart-wrenching response.
His mother's face had twisted to a mix of worry and anger when he saw her, eyes ablaze with a fury never directed at him. "We warned you several times! Why do you never listen?!" She had pushed him, disrupting his body's balance which was already damaged from the journey.
Hidesato and [Y/n] both fell to the ground, with his mother not wasting a step in dragging him away to his father's chambers. Thankfully, [Y/n] was then left to the frantic servants' care. They had heard the commotion and went to heal him as best they could.
"You unruly child! Why do you continue such useless efforts?!" his father bellowed, shaking his head in disapproval. "You should have listened to us and stayed away."
Hidesato was taken aback by his parents' harsh words. [Y/n] was their child as well, a member of their family. It seemed that his parents' superstitious beliefs had blinded them to the truth of the dangerous situation.
How could they be so blind?
A harsh slap resounded in the air.
The impact sent him sideways, tears clung to his dark eyes.
The situation weighed heavily on his shoulders. He felt torn between his love for his little brother and the desire to gain his parents' approval. The turmoil threatened to consume him, leaving him feeling isolated and misunderstood.
In the end, he buried the deepest resentment that slowly crawled inside him. A wave of anger he never knew rose and bloomed in his chest.
Oh, how he hated them.
"I'm telling you the truth, Hidesato!"
This annoying cousin of mine...
A brow arched, Hidesato replied, "And what proof do you have for such a claim? You're slowly sounding like my mother." His cousin had called for him at the end of dinner, quietly asking Hidesato to follow him into his room. No one had seen them, as everyone was busy grieving and gossiping about Nobutsura's death.
"Nobutsura-nii had told me he saw [Y/n] at the festival before he left to follow him! It's highly suspicious since he can't walk! That brat must have killed my brother to silence him!" He loudly stated, confident in the conclusion he had come to.
"Stop spreading such nonsense," Hidesato retorted, feigning irritation. "You're making up stories about my little brother as usual."
The [h/c] haired man consciously had his hand at the blade on his hip.
Blind to the danger, his cousin seemed to be taken aback, but he continued on. His face was a mix of irritation and anger. "Fine then! I'm telling your mother instead! She'll understand the danger better than you, anyone would!"
As he huffed, he walked past Hidesato to leave the room. "Darn, why did I tell you first? Useless fucking ass," his cousin muttered.
The [h/c] haired man's hand shot up and stopped him from moving, his grip tight on his cousin's shoulder.
He stared him right in the eye, his expression unreadable. "I won't let you," he said softly, his voice low yet powerful. His grip loosened and he immediately stepped into action.
He pulled his sword from his scabbard and moved with lightning speed, attacking the other man in an instant. His cousin landed with a thud, defeated and bleeding beneath him.
Hidesato sheathed his sword and stared down at the man, his face still unreadable. Later in the night, he strode away without a word after he destroyed any evidence he was ever there.
[Y/n] wondered—as he stared at his lifeless mother—if her body would soon turn cold. Perhaps, as cold as he was when he nearly died as a child? She's long gone, her body barely twitching anymore as more blood seeped through the wooden floors.
His [e/c] eyes trembled at the scene before him, and he felt his knees slowly going weak beneath him. Muzan caught him just in time, supporting the [h/c] haired male with an arm around his waist. The air filled with a cutting silence as the two stared at the older [L/n].
[Y/n] gazed away from his mother's corpse to his brother's sharp eyes. He didn't look surprised at [Y/n]'s ability to walk, not in the slightest.
"H-hidesato, why?" [Y/n] himself doesn't know what he's asking. Too much had happened in the span of a few minutes, his mind was beyond conflicted.
The sword in Hidesato's hand twitched, and he soon raised it, pointing it at Muzan. "Who is this, [Y/n]?"
Muzan glared at the older [L/n], red eyes filled with annoyance with the sword pointed at him. [Y/n] finally stood up, regaining his strength and placing himself between them. "He's my partner. Don't hurt him," he answered, anxiousness evident in his voice.
Satisfied with [Y/n]'s answer, he cleaned the blood of his sword with a sharp swing and sheathed it back inside his scabbard. "Did you kill cousin as well?" [Y/n] asked, not able to ignore the growing weariness in his head.
"Yes, I did. He was going to tell others what he had told me," Hidesato walked closer. "You were seen walking at the festival by Nobutsura, he had told his brother so before leaving."
"..Ah, so that's why you killed him? To silence him?" It seemed [Y/n] and Muzan weren't as careful as they have thought.
"Mhmm. In any case, your legs." His brother's neutral face turned into a soft smile, "You can finally walk again. I'm happy to see so." His hand reached to [Y/n] to give him a pat on his shoulder. The [h/c] haired male couldn't help but want to laugh at the strange situation.
With a deep breath, [Y/n] said, "I'm sorry I hadn't told you before. I thought it would cause more problems, especially the other effects I had gotten."
"It's alright, I know how you think, little brother. One of the attendants had informed me beforehand of your disappearance. By then, I already had an inkling feeling of your lie." Hidesato nodded in understanding.
[Y/n]'s mouth opened in shock. It appeared that some of the attendants didn't keep quiet at all! So then, his brother had known for quite a while.
"What will happen now?" Muzan asked beside him, gaze pointing at their dead mother. For a second, [Y/n] had forgotten he was there. [Y/n] nodded, "It's a grave situation. I will undoubtedly be the first suspect."
"It's alright. I'll take immediate responsibility. It was me who killed them, after all," Hidesato's deep voice hushed the room once again. [Y/n] couldn't help but voice out after such a thing, "You can't do that?! You said you were gonna get married soon! It's fine, I can take responsibility for you!"
He knew that his brother's future and happiness were at stake, and he couldn't bear to see him suffer the consequences of his actions. His brother had protected him enough, twisted as it was.
Hidesato shook his head, "I probably could have resolved things with less bloodshed, but this is the path I chose." His hands reached for another sword at his hip and brought it forth to [Y/n]. He accepted it slowly, taking the reforged sword into his wavering hands.
"I was going to give you this when I heard Mother inside, the words she said to you... You never deserved such things. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better brother for you. I thought my temper was better than this, but I lost control. Taking responsibility is the least I can do." Hidesato continued, his care for his brother evidently stronger than ever.
[Y/n] felt his heart tremble, but his mind was made up. "I can't let you do that. Should I not protect you as you have protected me as best you could over the years? I know how much you dreamed of a perfect family, brother. If you take responsibility, your punishment would undoubtedly be death. Your dream would be gone in an instant."
Hidesato smiled, albeit it was a sad one, "You say that as if you can escape such punishment. Where will you hide? How would you run? With these deaths, so many soldiers would be sent after you, [Y/n]. They would stop at nothing to get your head."
Beside [Y/n], Muzan finally voiced out, "Have no worries. I'll be beside him all the way, we're the strongest, after all. They can send their best, but it would be all for naught if they die so easily by our hands." There's a confidence in his voice that's hard to deny.
"Muzan," [Y/n] couldn't help but utter his name. His heart beat strongly with the words, a comforting sense of belonging in his soul. He nodded and looked to Hidesato, "He's right. It might be hard, but not impossible. You don't need to constantly protect me anymore, brother. Instead, let me protect you this time."
As [Y/n] finally saw his brother's earlier determination waning, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around the older [L/n]. He embraced him tightly and whispered, "You're the best big brother I could've ever hoped for."
When [Y/n] stepped back, he would see the tears that threatened to well up in his dark eyes. He could feel the same sting under his [e/c] eyes, knowing it would be a long time before he sees his brother again, after all of this. Emotions ran high, and there are still things the two [L/n]'s needed to say. But the situation is dire, and the three don't know when another person would stumble upon the crime.
[Y/n] quickly essential things he needs in the future while Hidesato approached the other man in the room. "I don't know who you are, but [Y/n] trusts you, so I will as well. Make sure you two take care of each other well."
His hand then gripped Muzan's shoulder, "If he dies, I'm coming after you." The dark-haired man arched an eyebrow but nodded anyways, trying his best to be patient with [Y/n]'s own brother. "Sure, you do just that," he answered.
[Y/n] approached the two, and Hidesato gave him a last pat on the head. "I'm going to miss you, [Y/n]," his brother's voice was choked with emotion. The dim light in the room shone on them as they embraced one last time. "I'll visit when it's safe. Don't worry of me, brother. Worry for yourself for once."
In that heartfelt moment, no more words were needed. Their embrace said it all—the bond between them was unbreakable, and their love for each other transcended any challenges they had faced before.
As Muzan and [Y/n] escaped from the window, the chilly air greeted them. A pair of [e/c] eyes looked at the moon, their only guide in the night, always there to look after him. He turned his head and looked at his brother from far away before finally looking forward with Muzan in tow.
The two set off on a journey, and [Y/n] slowly closed this chapter of his life for good.
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Can u believe the cousins last word was ass LMAOOO.
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