home? back?
starring ; maoaru, hitarikusa, tentten, shimae, kaamu, riley, aelyn, takaniki-rida, ninda.
12/03/25
maoaru’s eyes fluttered open to the feeling of dust against his skin. the wooden floor beneath him creaked softly as he shifted, his body still heavy with the memory of pain. but there was no pain now. no fire in his head, no ache in his limbs. just quiet. just stillness.
he blinked up at the ceiling—wooden beams stretching overhead, the faint scent of something old and forgotten lingering in the air. the room was dim, but warm, golden light filtering through cracked windows. outside, he could hear the soft sound of wind moving through trees, distant laughter, the hushed murmur of voices.
he inhaled, slow and careful. the air smelled like old wood and something distant, something familiar, like rain that had passed hours ago.
when he pushed himself up onto his elbows, the first thing he saw was shimae sitting nearby, legs crossed, hands folded in his lap. he was watching maoaru with wide, expectant eyes, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“you’re finally here,” shimae said, soft, like a secret. maoaru swallowed, and his breath hitched as he looked at shimae—really looked at him.
at the soft glow of his skin under the dim orphanage light. at the way his eyes, once dulled by exhaustion and hunger, now shone with something gentle, something warm. at his knotted, overgrown, mess of hair that somehow always looked natural. he was so beautiful. maoaru hadn’t let himself think about it before—not fully, not without breaking apart—but god, it had hurt. the night in the rain, the way mushimae’s small fingers had twitched before going still, the helplessness, the loss. he had thought he’d never see him again. never hear his voice. never be able to tell him it wasn’t his fault. never be able to tell him how badly he wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to run his fingers along the soft, delicate skin that lined his face. but now, here he was. alive, in whatever way this place allowed them to be. maoaru let out a shaky breath. “mae…” it wasn’t much, but the small boy still smiled.
his gaze swept across the room, taking them all in—tentten, sitting cross-legged on the floor, her hands idly playing with a loose thread on her sleeve. faelynn, perched by the window, her hair falling in soft waves over her shoulder. hitari, leaning back in an old wooden chair, arms crossed, eyes sharp but not unkind.
kaamu sat on the couch, comfortably stretched out, looking as if she had lived here all her life. tsuranashi was at her side, silent, but there.
riley and faelynn sat close together, and when maoaru looked at them, riley gave him a small nod—acknowledging him, welcoming him, in that soft quiet way of his.
ninda was curled up in the corner, hands resting gently in her lap, unmoving. tsuranashi sat beside her, fingers tapping against her knee in a steady rhythm, the kind of quiet companionship that didn’t need words.
and then there was rida. she sat perfectly still, her back straight, hands folded neatly over her knees. her expression was unreadable, her eyes too glassy, too empty. she didn’t speak.
tentten still sat next to her anyway, on the floor, not close enough for their shoulders to touch, but like nothing had changed. like it didn’t matter.
maoaru’s breath trembled.
“so this is it?” he asked, his voice quieter than he meant it to be. “this is where we all go?”
kaamu yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “yeah, duh. what, did you think you’d be all alone?”
“i don’t know,” maoaru admitted. he glanced around again. “i don’t know what i thought.”
tentten tilted her head, smiling gently. “it’s not so bad, you know.”
shimae nodded. “it’s quiet here.”
maoaru looked down at his hands, rubbing his thumb against his palm. “it’s… lonely.”
hitari let out a sharp breath. “you’re an idiot,” she muttered.
maoaru blinked up at her, startled. “what?”
hitari rolled her eyes, but there was something softer in her expression now. “look around, maoaru. really look.”
he hesitated.
tentten, watching him patiently.
shimae, small but finally at peace.
kaamu, relaxed, aggressively ruffling her brothers hair.
ninda, always silent but never forgotten.
faelynn, humming softly by the window.
riley, steady, present, deeply staring into his sisters eyes, taking in all time with her.
rida, still and seemingly emotionless, but still here.
they had all been waiting for him.
maoaru let out a slow breath.
“yeah,” he finally murmured. “i guess i am.”
tentten grinned. “good. now get up already. we saved you a spot.”
maoaru wiped his hands against his pants, inhaled one last time, and stood.
maoaru let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. everyone was here—shimae, tentten, faelynn, riley, ninda, kaamu, tsuranashi, hitari… even rida, silent as ever but present, standing off to the side. they were all here, all waiting, watching him like he was supposed to be the last piece of something whole. and maybe he was.
he rubbed his arms, suddenly feeling smaller than he had in a long time. “…what do we do now, then?” his voice was quiet, uncertain. “can we go outside? i miss walking.”
tentten, who had been sitting on the floor beside hitari, grinned at him. “then go look.”
maoaru blinked. *“huh?”
tentten nodded toward the window. “just look outside, maoaru.”
hesitant, he took a step forward. the wooden floor creaked beneath him as he moved, the air still carrying the faint scent of dust and old wood. his hands pressed against the window frame as he leaned in, expecting to see nothing but the endless gray he had known in life—the kind of sky that promised nothing, the kind of ground that only swallowed people whole.
but instead—
bright sunlight spilled across a field of green, vibrant and soft, stretching out like an endless promise. trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves whispering secrets only the wind could hear. the grass rippled, thick and full of life, and in the distance, a small pond reflected the sky like a second world waiting beneath the surface.
maoaru’s breath caught.
it was beautiful. it was open. it was… theirs.
he turned back, eyes wide, as if needing confirmation that this was real. tentten was already on her feet, offering a hand.
“come on, slowpoke,” she teased, a sparkle in her eyes. “let’s go.”
and just like that, they all moved together. kaamu and tsuranashi were the first to push open the door, leading the way as they always had, their steps light and certain. shimae practically ran past maoaru, laughing, his voice carrying through the halls like it never got the chance to before. faelynn and riley followed hand in hand, whispering to each other as they went. hitari rolled her eyes at tentten’s excitement but still pulled her along, their fingers laced together. even ninda, silent but smiling softly, stepped forward, her hands gripping rida’s sleeve as they followed the rest.
maoaru lingered for just a moment longer, staring at the open door, at the sun spilling in through the cracks.
he took a deep breath.
then, with a small smile, he walked outside.
the sun was warm, golden, spilling across the grass like honey. the sky stretched wide, endless, painted in soft blues and wisps of white clouds. the air was clean, fresh in a way maoaru had never really known before.
and they were all here. alive—no, not alive, but together. that was all that mattered.
tentten was the first to break into a run, her laughter ringing out like music as she bolted through the grass, nearly tripping over herself in excitement. hitari groaned, rolling her eyes, but still chased after her, their footsteps light, quick, playful.
shimae threw himself onto the ground, arms spread wide, as if trying to soak up the sun through his skin. “it’s so warm,” he mumbled into the grass, his voice muffled but content.
maoaru watched him, his chest tightening. he had been so cold for so long. so in need to see him like this for so long. he laid down in the grass beside his brother, simply observing.
“it is,” he whispered.
riley and faelynn sat by the pond, dipping their fingers into the water, watching the ripples spread outward in perfect circles. ninda knelt beside them, her head tilted as she ran her hand along the surface, expression unreadable but calm.
even rida, stiff and mechanical, stood beside the water, gazing at her reflection. she couldn’t feel the sun. she couldn’t feel the cool breeze or the way the grass tickled against her skin. but something inside her still settled.
kaamu and tsuranashi sat beneath the biggest tree, their backs pressed against the bark, watching the others with quiet amusement. kaamu reached over, poking tsuranashi’s cheek. “see? i told you they’d be fun.”
maoaru sat up beside shimae, letting his fingers brush against the grass, feeling its softness, its realness.
“this is nice,” shimae mumbled, eyes fluttering shut.
maoaru swallowed, blinking up at the sky.
“yeah,” he said. “it really is.”
they stayed like that, sprawled across the field, the world around them stretching endlessly, peacefully. there were no walls, no pain, no fear. just warmth, laughter, and the soft hum of the wind through the trees.
for the first time in a long, long time, everything felt okay.