#mari and toshi

[bishiedoll]

摩利と新吾 (Mari to Shingo) vinyl by Toshie Kihara, 1983.

[dollsleeps]

Toshie kihara

[songoftheabstracts]

My 4x4 Favourite Characters in AniManga. Thoughts?

Honerable Mentions; Gesicht (Pluto), L Lawliet (Death Note) and Johnny Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2024: 27. ゴジラ対ヘドラ/Gojira tai Hedora/Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) - Dir. Yoshimitsu Banno

[97tears]

[relentlesslyexisting]

Marishin sketches for the soul.

[scrimblospectrumdisorder]

mari to shingo by kihara toshie is so pretty and I'm surprised there's never been a scanlation project for it,,

honestly I really want to try to myself but im still in the process of learning japanese and this manga is insanely text-heavy... I hope to one day at least

[randomrichards]

GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH:

City pollution

Leads to spread of sludge monster

Psych rock Kaiju flick

[ok-i-draw]

I bring more gifts! Of Toshie and Mari having a nice conversation! About what? Who knows! Maybe family or spherical shapes? P e r h a p s, B l u e b e r r i e s?

✨Shapes and colors~✨

A gift for you! Mari is pretty fun to draw! I think her and Toshie would be best friends! An eccentric color blind designer and a chill down to earth emo band kid .

YEAHHHHH SO CUUUTEEE WAAA

[dilfartist]

Halloween 🎃 ask,

Yan ghost Nanami 👻 rip, in a mansion with a urban explorer darling?

Three Step Ritual

Word count; 1581

TW; Yandere theme, possessiveness (kinda?), not very Yandere, Nanami’s death mentioned.

Notes;{I wasn’t the best with the fic but I hope it’s to your liking!}

“Mic? Check. Cameras? Check. Walkie talkies? Check.”

You sit beside Joseph, the crew's cameraman, as he checks the equipment they’ve brought for the journey. Three of you sat in the back of the old van, awaiting the stop at the location you were supposed to visit. Toshi, who sits directly across from you, finally speaks up, taking the lit cigarette from his chapped lips.

“So, what’s the story?” His voice comes out gruff.

Joseph looks up from his camera, “First of all, throw that cigarette out. Second of all, we’re going to a mansion in Shibuya. Apparently, this area has a ghost that answers clearly, or that’s what the YouTube videos fake. You have to do some damn Bloody Mary ritual.”

Toshi rolls his head back lazily to scratch the underside of his chin. “You look into a mirror and say his name?” Toshi inquires.

“No. From the website I read, the instructions say we need candles, an offering, and a spirit box. Depending on what the ghost thinks about the person, he’ll communicate through the spirit box or appear in front of them.”

You already knew of the ritual. Last night, you stayed up late and resurched an article, bought all of the items suggested, and even researched the person a little. The man’s name was Nanami. Nanami died at the young age of twenty-seven as an ordinary businessman. The bag swayed in your hand as the van drove, containing all the items you knew he’d like.

Joseph turned to you. “Alright. So, you see this camera?” he pointed at a GoPro, “you’ll put this on and then record once you go into the building.” Joseph helped get you situated, placing and adjusting the Gopro on your head.

“Got it?”Joseph asks.

A heavy sigh leaves your lips, “yup.”

If it weren’t for the money you’d receive after the assignment, you’d be in bed, probably catching up on new seasons of shows. However, rent was coming up, and it seemed everything needed money these days.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to venture for ghosts in hopes of scoring YouTube views, so when you saw an ad for an open role as an additional member of a ghost-hunting team that would put a little money in your pockets, you accepted the offer. Crazy as it was. You only accepted the job since the ghost had a tame reputation.

The van came to a stop after a good twenty-minute drive. Looking out the van window, the mansion wasn’t stereotypical; the layout was clean, evidently having recent touch-ups: No rotten trees, smashed windows, or decaying walls. Everyone emptied the van, stepped into the mansion yard, and then migrated inside.

You went into the dining room. The room which the spirit was said to frequent. Strangely enough, the room didn’t look half bad, even though it had supposedly been abandoned for a couple of years. The table was already set but it didn’t appear untouched. No dust or aging showed on any of the items, not even the tablecloth.

Everyone gathered inside the room and began to set up. Four cameras encircled you, their red dots illuminating the dark room.

“If you need anything call out to us,” Joseph informed you, wiggling a walkie-talkie to illustrate what you’d need to use to communicate. “Okay...” you nod.

One by one, the team members departed until you were left by your lonesome. The room was dark- even with the red glow from the cameras, too dark for your comfort. You gripped the skinny candle, your palms growing clammy by the second. You swallowed, shakily placing the candle on the table. Setting the spirit box by your side, you turn on your GoPro and then begin the ritual.

Step one: light the candle.

Using a spare match from your pants pocket, you lit the candle, positioning it close to you but not enough to be beside you.

Step two: give offers.

You take the loaf of bread out and the freshly brewed coffee you made before coming here. Placing the items beside the candle, you close your eyes.

Step three: call out to spirit.

Your lips quiver, but eventually, you call out to the spirit. “...Nanami,” you start, trying to breathe through the anxiety, “Are you here?”

Step four: keep your eyes closed until you hear something.

You shut your eyes tightly, so tight it slightly stung. And yet no one answered your call. The spirit box was on, wasn’t it? You checked it before you attempted the ritual. You don't know what’s more frightening; the silence or someone speaking. The thought of opening your eyes tempted you, but the guide advised you to keep your eyes closed for at least five minutes.

“Thank you for bringing black coffee.”

Instantly, you opened your eyes. The scenery wasn’t the same as a minute ago. Before your eyes fluttered shut, the dining room was cloaked in the dark blue moonlight, nothing but the candle and cameras brightening the room. Now the room was shrouded in the warmth of the chandler above the dining table.

Cider wood. It suddenly smelled like cider wood.

“..N..Nanami?” you call out again.

“I am him.”

Your head nearly spun towards the entrance. A man- no, Nanami leaned against the entryway of the dining room. Dressed in a formal tan business suit, a pair of sunglasses with no arms, and a neat hairstyle, he sipped the coffee you had brought. Nanami acted as if this was a normal occurrence for him. “Holy shit..” you mumble out.

Nanami approaches the table, picking up the loaf of bread. “This is fresh as well?” one glance in your direction made you speak up, “..yes. I got it before I came here..”

Nanami hums, “Thank you. Most people offer stale bread. Not very polite since they’re taking up my time, but I’ll entertain them with a conversation on those voice boxes. You, on the other hand, showed care in your work.”

Using his bare hands, Nanami divides the bread in two and places the other chunk of bread on a plate. “So what is it you’ve come to ask me? Or have you no questions at all?”

As a matter of fact, you didn’t have any questions. Anyone in your shoes would have the same issue. No one would have expected Nanami to appear in front of them or for him to speak back to them. The whole story sounded like a creepypasta that a tween created.

“I’m not sure...” You didn’t want to admit that you didn’t believe he was real. Then something came to mind. “Would you mind me asking the reason you are here if you died at the Shibuya subway station?”

Suprise overcomes his features, though it only displays for a moment. “When a person dies and hasn’t moved on, they have a choice to haunt the place they died at or a place that holds some significance to them.”

“How does this place hold significance to you? Did you live here?”

Nanami shakes his head, “No, but I did wish to. I could have had the money In no time, but I did have other things in mind before purchasing it.”

“What was it?” you question.

“A family.” Nanami expressed his lament through the way his voice lowered a pitch, eyes staring down at the wooden table. “I never had the time to get married. Work overtook my time; it wouldn’t have been fair to them.”

Nanami knew how to pull at your heartstrings, that’s for sure. “I died during work as well,” Nanami reminisced. “Although I didn’t succeed in having a family, I’m happy my life had a positive Impact.”

Nanami and you entertained a conversation, both discovering more about each other.

From what you gathered, you could infer Nanami was a good person. He was well-spoken: A man who was respectful, kind, and easy to talk to. It almost felt like a dream.

“(Name),” A voice called out through static. You turn away from Nanami. You answer, “Yes?” The static erupts from the small walkie-talkie, “Come back.” Offering an apologetic smile to Nanami, you replied, “Okay, coming out.”

You stand, “I have to go now,” you somberly tell him. “You can keep the bread and coffee, of course.” Blowing out the candle, you went to leave. The door swings shut, causing you to step back in fright. Shit.

Even if you considered Nanami a good person, you shouldn’t have turned your back on a ghost.

“I see.”

You couldn’t move. You felt grounded in place, quasi to the roots stabling a tree. Nanami had been innocuous so far; still, you would be careful by doing as he asked

“Forgive me; that must have been too forceful.” Nanami took note of the change in your demeanor. “I only meant to ask if you’d visit again.”

Little by little, you felt your muscles release the built-up tension. “Visit?” you repeat, skeptical if you should reward Nanami with your trust.

“I enjoyed our conversation and would like to have another sometime. Only if you’d like, of course.”

Although Nanami was a spirit, able to end your life had he pleased, you enjoyed the conversation as well. You turned around to face him. “I could come by on Thursday.”

Nanami hummed, “I look forward to it.”

Not long after, you headed back to the van. Toshi opened the van door to allow you in. Toshi gazes at you with amusement oozing from his smug smile. “Real good act, kid,” you take your seat, “What are you talking about?” you ask.

Joseph huffs in response, looking down at his camera, which you presumed meant he was viewing the footage back. “I really thought we’d get good footage...” he murmured angrily to himself.

Toshi took a seat beside you. “We may not have gotten genuine footage, but you were slightly convincing. As long as some kids click on the video, we’ll make a buck or two off it.”

“I was talking to him that whole time- didn’t it come through the spirit box,” you contend.

“No one was talking to you on the spirit box. You just started murmuring things with your eyes closed.”

[lucrezianoin]

List of Year 24 complete manga work in English or Italian

I made this list mainly to myself, but you can easily use it too. I am on a mission to read every Year 24 group manga available, so here I collected:

licensed manga (in English and Italian)

online scans

Every licensed manga has a the name of the publisher too, and you might find the Italian translation easier than the Japanese.

I added an "online" to the ones you can definitely find scanned online. Every title is linked to where to read the story nearby, keep in mind these websites come and go and might have ads.

If you see a licensed title in italics it means that the manga cannot be found anywhere online and scanned (and translated). Or that some short stories in the collection (if it is a collection) cannot be found anywhere online and scanned.

Let's start!

The authors are (in order): Moto Hagio, Keiko Takemiya, Riyoko Ikeda, Ryoko Yamagishi, Yasuko Aoike, Yumiko Ooshima, Minori Kimura, Kihara Toshie.

MOTO HAGIO

Licensed in English

They Were 11! (JP Oversized and Viz)

The Complete Poe Clan (Fantagraphics, coming out November 2024)

Heart of Thomas (Fantagraphics)

A Drunken dream and other stories (Fantagraphics)

Neo Parasyte m (Kodansha Comics; first chapter is by Moto Hagio)

Lil' Leo (Denpa books)

Otherworld Barbara volume 1 and 2 (Fantagraphics)

A,A' (Viz), impossible to find it seems

Licensed in Italian

Il cuore di Thomas - The heart of Thomas (J-POP)

A Cruel God Reigns, 9 volumes (J-POP)

Star Red (J-POP)

Hanshin, la dea dimezzata, collection of stories (J-POP) (anilist)

Il Clan dei Poe volume 1 and 2 (J-POP)

Barbara, vol1, 2 and 3 (J-POP)

Marginal vol1, 2 and 3 (J-POP)

Online (English only) (chronological order)

-> Full series

The Heart of Thomas (manganelo)

They were 11 (mangadex)

They were 11: Higashi no Chihei, Nishi no Towa (mangadex)

U wa Uchuusen no U (collection of stories) (mangadex)

Silver Triangle (mangadex)

A, A' (mangadex)

Marginal (mangadex)

A cruel god reigns (mangadex)

-> One shots

Bianca (mangadex)

Girl on the porch with puppy (internet archive)

Poor mama (mangadex)

Autumn Journey (internet archive)

11-gatsu no Gymnasium (mangadex)

Unicorn no Yume (mangadex)

Onshitsu (mangadex)

Marie, ten years later (internet archive)

Cabagge Hata no Isansouzokunin (mangadex)

Houmonsha, prequel of Heart of Thomas (mangadex)

Shiro - The Castle (mangadex)

A Drunken Dream (internet archive)

Ragini (mangadex)

Kinyou no Yoru no Shuukai (mangadex)

Kimi Wa Utsukushii Hitomi (mangadex)

Hanshin: Half-God (mangadex)

Egg stand (mangadex)

Angel Mimic (internet archive)

The child who comes home (internet archive)

Slow Down (mangadex)

The false king (mangadex)

Iguana girl (mangadex)

Afternoon sunshine (mangadex)

Yuujin K (mangadex)

Yama e Iku - Going to the mountains (mangadex)

The Willow Tree (mangadex)

Moments of lonliness (mangadex)

With Love to "From Eroica with love" (mangadex)

Neo Parasyte m's short story "Yura no Mon wo" (mangaplaza, first story, which is the free one)

KEIKO TAKEMIYA

Licensed in English

To Terra, 3 volumes (Vertical Inc)

Andromeda stories, 3 volumes (Vertical Inc)

Licensed in Italian

Il poema del vento e degli alberi - Kaze to Ki no Uta, 10 volumes (J-POP)

Verso la Terra - To terra, 3 volumes (J-POP)

Il suo nome era Gilbert, autobiographical novel (J-POP)

Online (English only) (chronological order)

-> Full series

Kaze to Ki no Uta (mangadex)

To Terra (mangadex)

Andromeda Stories (mangadex)

Rintarou Panic! (mangadex)

-> One shots

Sunroom Nite (mangadex)

Hohoemu Shounen (mangadex)

On a snowy day (mangadex)

Star (mangadex)

20 no Hiru to Yoru (mangadex)

Mister no kokori (mangadex)

Natsu e no Tobira (mangadex)

Manatsu no Yoru no Yume (mangadex)

Koufuku no Hato (mangadex)

Toki wo Yuku Uma (mangadex)

RIYOKO IKEDA

Licensed in English

Claudine (Seven Seas)

The Rose of Versailles, 5 volumes (Udon Entertainment)

Licensed in Italian

Le rose di Versailles, 5 volumes (Edizioni BD)

La finestra di Orfeo - Orpheus no Mado, 9 volumes (J-POP)

Anello dei Nibelunghi - Nibelungen no Yubiwa, 4 volumes (Goen)

Claudine (Goen)

Ayako, 2 volumes (Goen)

Caro Fratello - Dearest Brother, 2 volumes (Goen)

Elisabetta - Elizabeth (Yamato)

Eroica la Gloria di Napoleone - Héroïque The Glory of Napoleon, 12 volumes (Magic Press)

Online (English only)

Bara Yashiki no Shoujo (mangadex)

Early Spring Trembling (mangadex)

Porando Hishi Ten no Hate Made (mangadex)

Dearest Brother (mangadex)

Nibelungen no Yubiwa (only 3 volumes, 1 missing, mangadex)

Claudine (mangadex)

Versailles no Bara (up till volume 12, mangadex)

Summer in Cantenbury (mangadex)

RYOKO YAMAGISHI

Online (English only)

Shiroi Heya no Furari (mangadex)

Yasha Gozen (mangadex)

Harpy, collection of stories (mangadex)

Hatshepsut (mangadex)

Hiruko (mangadex)

Medusa (mangadex)

Hemi no Hire (mangadex)

YASUKO AOIKE

Licensed in English

From Eroica with Love (Cmx, unfinished)

Online (English only)

From Eroica with Love (still being translated, currently at chapter 21 (mangadex)

Vampire (mangadex)

The free shooter (mangadex)

Tasogare ni Kaere (mangadex)

Z (mangadex)

YUMIKO OOSHIMA

Online (English only) (chronological order)

No longer male (mangadex)

To Joker (mangadex)

Banana Bread no Pudding (mangadex)

Grass Crown Princess (mangadex)

He His Him (mangadex)

Across a golden prarie (mangadex)

Summertime (mangadex)

Long long cafe (mangadex)

MINORI KIMURA

Online (English only) (chronological order)

Ame (short stories) (mangadex)

Warped mirror (mandagex)

KIHARA TOSHIE

Online (English only) (chronological order)

I'm fine with dying (mangadex)

Diamond Gojiran, 3 one shots (mangadex)

With love to "From Eroica with love" (mangadex)

NANAE SASAYA

none

MINEKO YAMADA

none

[tomoyoo]

Manga, books and authors mentioned in A Drunken Dream and Other Stories

I wrote the english names that were used in the book. Honestly the way I organized this gave me a headache but I hope it's useful <3 See more for the list of authors that were mentioned briefly.

Manga mentioned in the interview Mama’s Violin - Tetsuya Chiba Tomboy Angel - Mitsuteru Yokoyama Shinsengumi; Astro Boy - Osamu Tezuka Harp of the Stars; Hello, Teacher; The White Troika - Hideko Mizuno Mist, Roses and Stars - Shotaro Ishitani The Boy from Dartmoor - Nanae Sasaya In the Sunroom; The Song of the Wind and the Trees - Keiko Takemiya You Can Hear the Rain; Birth - Yumiko Oshima Norakuro - Suiho Tagawa The Rose of Versailles - Riyoko Ikeda

Mentioned in Rachel Thorn's essay Fuichin-san - Toshiko Ueda Tomorrow’s Joe - Tetsuya Chiba Eyes of Ice - Nanae Sasaya Aim for the Ace! - Sumika Yamamoto Toward the Terra; Fly Me to the Moon! - Keiko Takemiya Banana Bread Pudding; F-Shiki Ranmaru - Yumiko Oshima Two in a White Room; Arabesque; The Son of Heaven in the Land of the Rising Sun; Terpsichore - Ryoko Yamagishi Mari and Shingo; A Staff and Wings - Toshie Kihara

Books The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - Kate Douglas Wiggin Little Women - Louisa May Alcott Shank’s Mare - Ikku Jippensha The Currents of Space - Isaac Asimov The Generative Enterprise Revisited - Noam Chomsky Phantoms in the Brain - V.S. Ramachandran

There's notes at the end giving more context for these authors but I don't have it in me rn.

Interview: Miyako Maki Masako Watanabe Kazuo Umezu Sanpei Shirato Mineko Yamada Ryoko Yamagishi Jun Morita Yasuko Sakata Akiko Hatsu Shio Satoh Aiko Itoh Machiko Satonaka

Essay: Yoshiko Nishitani Minori Kimura Mineko Yamada Akira Mochizuki Sato Tomoe

Book authors: Kenji Miyazawa Jean Stratton-Porter Robert Heinlein Ryotaro Shiba Sawako Ariyoshi Herman Hesse Ray Bradbury Jean Cocteau Kenichiro Mogi

[thr0wnawayy]

AU Ideas and other Concepts. 1/?)

Authors Note: I apologize for the delay for the upcoming chapters of Crownless Monarchy, I have been working on the next three chapters (at once) and hope to release them sometime soon.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Hey y'all. I figured I'd let some of these ideas see the light of day. Perhaps one of you can make something of them.

A bit of disclaimer: The way "s/i" isn't the typical. A Self Insert is usually the author putting themselves as a character.

In the MHA Community this is usally done through projecting ones personality through an existing character (ex: Midoriya)

The way I use S/I is a either:

A: A OC with knowledge or awareness of MHA's canon in some form (visions, reincarnation, intution) These characters are usually made up from a collection of different people and experiences, rather than just my own personhood.

A Character like Seven fit this bill.

B: S/I but Ingrained. Aka a S/I that blends and adapts to the world of MHA, their past self is not as relevant (if it's brought up at all) however may play a role in their perspectives and world views.

A Character like Arachne fits this bill (for another post)

With that out of the way, let's start small and work our way up:

Bonuses: (Minor prompts and concepts)

Dabi uses the PLF's connections to give Rei better treatment/conditions at the Hospital, or just transfer her all together to somewhere safe.

The Hood Enji fights is a Twice Clone while the real Hood is elsewhere.

S/I wakes up as Touya after the 3 year coma.

This one's out there: Hood meets Rei and causes a realization through his blunt honesty (f-flowers, iss the bar t-that low?)

Gigantomachia rewrite/replacement (idk, mine said make them motivational rather than denouncing, also make them smart)

a Vigilante group inspired by the 50 Blessings Organization from Hotline Miami

_______________________________________

Event Swap: At Kamino, Enji's crimes are exposed (how is up to you)

Funfact: The above prompt was originally a time travel fic, here's the unfinished script & notes

HPSC gets exposed as well [ Child soldier project] ) (Perhaps this can be added as well?)

Zero was disguised as AFO and sheds her disguse for her grand reveal

Zero twirled around in place, glittering in the moonlight, taking deep breath "Come and serenade with me, Uncle Toshi." she was wild, wild and yet so meticulous.

They were speechless, shell shocked, They were running to the smoke and lost themselves in the fire.

"You're looking glum Endeavor, y'know for someone who's just achieved No1 status, Ya really need to brighten up!" She jeered.

A canon formed out of her forearm, quickly firing a beam of energy. An explosion rocked the district, some heroes barley fleeing in time, others not so fortunate.

She barked a manic laugh, her eyes wide as saucers, onslaught never ceasing, never to falter.

And as she made her great adeau, the nation finally knew that the age of heroism was torn asunder.

_______________________________________

Bonus: After Ms.Curious is killed, S/I posses her body and lives again (Type A: S/I)

Bonus: Strike Back

Class of Aldera is done with Bakugo's shit( Students stand up for Midorya and try to redeem themselves)

( Fingers calls himself a coward for giving into pressure and fear [ was forced to attack Midorya, threatened verbally and physically by Bakugo and became numb to it], is inspired by a David Shield interview to become a scientist )

Star and Stripes' (Cathleen Bate's) Neice, Head of the W.H.A, travels to Japan following AM'S retirement/ Kamino and begins to take over the reigns from the HPSC. Starting with U.A's internships.

Profile: Mary-Ann Bate

Dirty Blonde, 6,2 ft , wavy blonde hair slightly past shoulders, well kempt, suits and pants

Stern attitude, takes no shit, willing to ground Endevour and Hawks's hero licenses

Q: Reality

Bonus: Replaceable

During the sludge incident it's not Bakugo whom Midorya pulls out

A New Course Of Action:

Following the disaster (Pointless Kamakaze raid), Dabi's expose video and Twice's death at Jaku, The civilians of Tokyo decide to take matters into their own hands, it all starts with one after all.

And lastly a character profile of a background character turned OC

If you need reference, this is the girl seated next to Midoriya at Aldera, her quirk is pretty rad with the possibility of being better than Hellflame (because she seems to have fine control over the flame itself, becoming it). Of course she needs professional training first

I imagined them (her and Mido) here as friends who met halfway through middle school and have stuck together since.

Much like her quirk and namesake, Ryukka has a fiery disposition and doesn't take kindly to people* harassing her friend(s) (*read Bakugo)

She's one the only people at Aldera willing to stand up to him (her flames cause his quirk to overload)

As hinted at in her quote, she does get into UA and thanks to her and Midorya's study sessions (Quirk and academic wise) she gets in with high scores (beating out Bakugo's score in the Entrance Exam)

Has beef with Aizawa

===============================

As I stated, everything in here is up for grabs so feel free to use it in your works if you so wish.

Just remember to link it here in the comments

-Thr0wnawayy

[relentlesslyexisting]

live mari reaction

[abdulraveman]

Cottontail (2023)

Directed & written by Patrick Dickinson

The film stars 3-time Japan Academy award winner Lily Franky, Nishikido Ryo & Academy Award nominee Ciarán Hinds

—

After the death of his wife, Kenzaburo (Lily) and his son Toshi (Nishikido) receive an unexpected letter from beyond the grave. Akiko, their wife and mother, asks them to scatter her ashes at the place she loved most as a child – Lake Windermere in England. Surprised by this unexpected request, father and son are initially at loggerheads over their next steps.

The two men, along with Toshi’s wife Satsuki and young daughter Emi, eventually travel together to England from Tokyo to fulfil Akiko’s final wish. But Kenzaburo keeps losing himself in memories of Akiko as his relationship with Toshi becomes increasingly fraught. With little knowledge of where he is going and barely any English, Kenzaburo abandons his family in London and heads to the Lake District on his own with Akiko’s ashes.

As he embarks on his quest, his memories of Akiko grow more painful. A lost and weary Kenzaburo stumbles onto the doorstep of a farmer, John (Hinds), and his daughter Mary. With their help, Kenzaburo is finally able to set course once again toward Lake Windemere. But his true journey toward forgiveness and reconciliation will prove the hardest of all.

[poorly-drawn-akira]

"been thinking..."

"m," Iwao nodded, moving from the kitchen to where Akira had remained posted in the front room immediately. The house had been disturbingly quiet for the past few weeks, "Yeah?"

"why did you fuck my mom?"

Iwao stayed standing for a while. He chewed on his options for a few moments but. It wasn't as if he could make Akira's opinions on the situation any worse, he figured, "I don't remember. I was young and thought I could get away with it. She was bored probably. Bored enough to say yes. Could have been bad, but she and I were lucky I guess that he looked just enough like you two. And Mr. Otoishi wanted him badly enough to ignore whatever doubt he had, I assume. I don't know, I didn't get to help mastermind that coverup."

"... toshihiro didn't want eiji."

"He... Didn't want Eijiro, but he did want another son since you and Nao didn't seem to be... Tempered right for the business life, not that he didn't absolutely write off your brother just-"

Iwao paused. He'd never thought about it before. He sat down. It always seemed like the big to do was always about Naoaki and Akira occasionally when he was doing what Mari wanted him to and finding that success. Eijiro proved ill-suited for Toshi's uses and Iwao knew Mari never had anything to do with him. He just.

Why hadn't they been in touch?

The story had broken national news by now, surely. But no one had called, no flowers, nothing. He hadn't really thought about it before, but he couldn't muster up anger about it.

Just, "listen. I'll get Sato to watch the house, you and I need to go somewhere. Anywhere. It's been too long. You've been cooped up too long," just that it would be very convenient for them if Akira quietly disappeared too. And the fact that Akira was the one alive was probably very inconvenient for at least Mari, "just a walk somewhere."