Paring: Hyuga Norisha x OC
Genre: Fluff, Romance, Friendship, Action, Tragedy, Slice of Life, Light Mature(mention of blood, fight scenes and swearing) {P.S No Smut}
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The dawn had finally fallen as the festive vibe kicked in. The booth had officially been closed for business after the long day. While Makio was outside, Seira carefully washed her palette and set it aside to dry, then began packing the dryer paintbrushes and other supplies into her bag. It had been a long and eventful day for her. She had met three of the five leaders of SWORD, as well as her cousin Chi and then there was her encounter with Hyuga Norihisa - not the most pleasant interaction, but surprisingly, it didn't leave the worst first impression on Seira. While she found Hyuga to be a bit stubborn, she was taken aback by how quickly he backed off once she made it clear she wasn't going to sell her displayed paintings. This made Seira wonder, perhaps the stories she had heard about Hyuga from Makio, Shin and Kian didn't tell the actual reality. Her first encounter may not have been ideal, but it seemed there could be more to him than met the eye. Maybe there was more to him than the stubbornness and single-mindedness she had been expecting which couldn't help but make her curiosity rise. Deep in her thoughts, Seira was about to put away the palette she had left on the table when suddenly it slipped from her hand. Her hand remained motionless as she watched the palette fall to the floor. Immediately, a piercing ringing sound echoed in her head, causing her to wince in pain and clutch her throbbing temples. Seira tried to close her fingers, but her right hand refused to budge. The shrill, agonizing ringing made her feel dizzy and short of breath as if she might collapse any second. Steadying herself against the table, she reached into her bag with her other hand and managed to pull out her pills and painkillers. After taking them with some water, she leaned against the table, hoping at least the medication would give her some relief.
This was every other day thing for Seira. But now these debilitating headaches and freezing of her hands were becoming more and more frequent. She longed for the days when she could get through a day without needing to rely on the painkillers, but she knew deep down that those days were not coming back. As she was trying to navigate through the chaos of her body, she could hear faint voices of Shin and Kian, from outside, telling Makio they'd be back soon to help close the booth and gather the paintings. She felt utterly helpless, but she knew that there was nothing she could do but wait for the medications to work their way. Once the pain subsided, Seira tried to move her still-numb hand. It was moving but not freely. Finally, when she felt her breath a bit steady, she reached for her bag and zipped it closed, and that's when she locked eyes with her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes looked heavy, her lips cracked and chapped, her complexion pale. She felt utterly exhausted. " I really should eat something or else I might pass out any minute." Seira murmured to herself as she reapplied her red tint to hide her pale lips. Her appetite had dropped significantly compared to before and she knew this was just the start of a terrifying ordeal that lay ahead. Nevertheless, she needed to eat something even if it meant forcing herself. Despite being prepared for what was to come, Seira felt a sense of fear and uncertainty about how long she could hold out until she could fulfil the dream that brought her to S.W.O.R.D. in the first place.
"Today we truly made a huge income here Seira-chan!" Makio exclaimed cheerfully as she emerged through the curtain, interrupting Seira's thoughts as she handed Seira an envelope, her eyes sparkling excitedly. " Did we?" Seira asked sweetly as she looked at Makio, who eagerly nodded. Looking through the envelope, they had made quite a bit. "Of course we did!" Makio gushed. "So many people came to get their portraits done by you today. You've got magic in your hands, and they couldn't resist!" She plopped down in a chair, using a small electric fan to cool herself off. "And you must be completely worn out, right?" Makio said with a soft pout "But don't worry, Shin and Kian have gone to get your favourite udon for you." she spun in the chair like an excited child making Seira chuckle. Looking back on the day, Seira couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and gratitude. After carefully counting the money, Seira divided it, taking out Makio's share and handing it to her.
Makio looked at the money, utterly confused. "But Seira-chan, what is this for?" Seira chuckled, placing a bundle of cash in Makio's hand. "Makio-chan, this is for you." she said, gently closing Makio's fingers around the money. "You've worked so hard and deserve to be paid fairly." Seira then returned to her bag and pulled out a thick envelope. "And this," she said, walking towards Makio and handing it to her, "is my contribution for the month. Please, use it to help those in need, as you always do." Makio's eyes widened, and her lips quivered. "Seira-chan, don't you need this money? How will you manage your expenses?" To this Seira smiled warmly, patting Makio's cheek affectionately. "My dear, I have more than enough to last me a lifetime. Please use it well for the people who need it the most as you always do." It was true. Seira had earned too much from being the famous anonymous painter for the past six years. She was only eighteen when she started it. Her mentor who was a famous painter got her to display her first-ever gallery which piqued a lot of interest from rich people. They wanted to buy and get more custom-made paintings from her. She had asked her teacher that she had no intention of revealing herself or her details and that she would work taking the stage name Higanbana. And till today she had no plan to tell the world about herself.
Hearing Seira, Makio's eyes were filled with tears, as she got up and lunged forward, wrapping Seira in a tight embrace. "You truly are an angel, Seira-chan!" she cried, her voice thick with emotion. While Makio was embracing Seira she felt her heart drop. Seira was getting thinner by the day. Breaking the hug she held Seira's cheeks and looked at her face with concern. She could see the dark circles and the visible paleness. "You haven't been eating well, have you?" Makio asked sternly, as Seira's nervous expression gave her away. Makio sighed, remembering the effects of Seira's illness that Dr. Leora talked about when Seira had the first fainting scare in front of her. She had asked Dr. Leora about all the treatments, precautions, and effects that would arise in the future. All the effects of the illness were gut-wrenching, and appetite loss was one of them. "Have you been experiencing any other difficulties?" Makio asked, her voice laced with worry. Seira gave Makio a small, reassuring smile and squeezed her hand. "It's bearable, Makio-chan, and you know I'll tell you if it gets worse. I promised, didn't I?" But in her heart, Seira had made a different promise – to face this illness alone, without burdening Makio, Shin, Kian, Chiharu, her brother, or Deamin about it. She had made up her mind that she would go through this all by herself and that leaving this world without being a burden on them was her top priority.
"Where are those two idiots!? How long will it take them!" Makio said angrily as she quickly wiped the tears away, changing the subject because the whole mood was turning gloomy. Seira too shook the tears away as she looked at Makio with a smile thankful that the subject was changed. " Here we are!!" Shin's cheerful voice comes in holding two bowls of Seira's favourite udon as Kian comes from behind holding the other two bags of food and smiling. The two quickly set the bowls on the table as Kian went out to bring two more chairs and placed them near the table. Once settled down the four of them started to eat. Seria took a small bite of it. It tasted bland for her. Lately, she had been losing her taste buds which was making her disheartened because she truly loved them. She knew very well she had to force herself to eat them even if she might have multiple puking episodes later. Shin, Kian and Makio looked at Seira who was now swirling her chopsticks through the udon but not eating them absently. The three exchanged looks as Kian nodded. "Neh-san I heard you sold out well today! How did it feel to paint for crowd work after a long time? Will you continue doing this in future?" Kian asked with curiosity as the other two looked at Seira waiting for her answer. " It felt good Kian-chan. I haven't done crowd work since I came back from New York. I will paint but I won't sell them, not anymore. Today was the last time." Seira said with a smile that conveyed many emotions. "Eat up quickly the fireworks are about to begin." Shin said trying to change the subject as they all started slurping quickly while Seira tried force-feeding herself. "Ah, I almost forgot to tell you Seira-chan. Today I got a call from Yui who's overlooking the project of renovation of Kausmi House in Tourou City. She said the renovation has been completed and the new pieces of furniture have been set. The kids and the staff members who were staying in your family mansion will move in tomorrow morning. Also, Rao called up saying your phone was unreachable. He said that he wanted to talk to you." Makio chimed in slurping up the noodles quickly. " Give him my landline number. I accidentally dropped it from my balcony when I was talking to my brother this morning. It's destroyed." Seira said with a sheepish smile making Makio's jaw drops. " Seira-chan that phone had real diamonds embedded on its back! How did this happen!!!!" Makio yelped and choked on the food as Shin gave her water hurriedly and tapped on her back once she was done drinking water. " Hahaha yes, that's the one I broke. I am thinking of going to buy one from Shannon tomorrow evening." Seira said sheepishly as she ate her udon. " I'll accompany you Neh-san." Kian said giving her a cute smile his mouth full of food making Seira laugh at his cuteness as she patted his head nodding.
" Say Neh-san, you are not wearing the broach you always wear?" Shin asked after he was done drinking water. Seira's eyes went wide as she looked down at her kimono jacket - the brooch was gone! " I did wear it! Where could it go!" Seira quickly stood up and started searching for it frantically. That brooch meant so much to her. After all, her brother-in-law Deamin had given it to her as a birthday gift last year. "I am sure it must be here. We'll find it don't stress yourself Seira-chan." Makio said as they all joined the search. But Seira was panicking, and she could feel it physically - her breathing was laboured, and her hands were trembling as she rummaged through her bag. She had been forgetting things lately, but never this bad where she wouldn't remember at all. That brooch was something she never went without wearing since Deamin gave it to her. She would wear it every day without missing a heartbeat. Seeing how distressed she was, Shin reached out and gently guided Seira to sit down. Crouching in front of her, he looked her in the eyes"Neh-san, listen to me. We will definitely find that broach for you. I promise. So just take some deep breaths with me, okay? Breathe in...and out..." he said soothingly, placing his firm hands on her knees to reassure her as Seira tears didn't slow down. Kian and Makio who were looking for it outside came in to see Seira in cold sweats and heavily breathing, making the two extremely worried for her. " Neh-san it's not outside. But don't worry once the fireworks are over we will go to the Lost and Found booth. I am sure we will find there." Kian said crouching down holding Seira's other hand running soothing circles as Makio pulled the tissues out and gently patted Seira's tears away.
Seira's eyes were a little swollen and her nose was a tad red. She had calmed down, but she still felt heartbroken. The heartbreak was still weighing heavily on her. All four of them had gathered to see where the fireworks would go off. They all decided to stand under the tree far from the crowd since Seira had just gotten a bit steady after the panic attack. To cheer up Seria, Shin had bought her favourite cotton candy in the shape of a funny-looking duck. When Seria saw the cotton candy, she couldn't help but snort smiling while she was almost calmed down. As the countdown to the fireworks began, the crowd around them grew more and more excited. And soon, the night sky erupted in a dazzling display of colourful fireworks. Shin, Kian and Makio stood together at the back, awestruck by the beautiful scene above them. But Seira, standing between them, gazed up with a mixture of melancholy and wistfulness. The thought of saying goodbye to her loved ones was already weighing her heart now the worry of losing her precious broach had added up.
Underneath the sky that was painted with red fireworks now in different parts of the crowd were members of SWORD who were looking at the fireworks with their cherished ones. Seira pulled out her camera and captured the moment - young families, affectionate couples, groups of friends. The transience of nature and the fleeting beauty of a life filled with hope, unity, and resilience were visibly overflowing throughout the crowd. Seira felt a bittersweet sense of satisfaction with the life she had lived so far, which had melancholic feelings running through it. Turning to glance at Makio, Shin and Kian, Seira couldn't help but smile softly, her heart filled with affection for them as she clicked their candid pictures. Their goofy excitement at the fireworks display drew a laugh from Seira, which in turn caught their attention. Kian took Seira's camera as he clicked their group pictures and Seira's solo pictures. Despite Seira's best efforts to conceal her sadness, they could still feel it. But they knew just like how Seira was trying to keep it hidden from them they had to do the same and replace it with happy memories so that when the days of uncertainty that lay ahead of them arrived, they could lean on these memories.
The fireworks had faded into the night sky, leaving a bittersweet feeling in Seira's heart. Seira along with Makio, Shin and Kian had gone to the Lost&Found Booth but her cherished ruby broach wasn't there. The staff there had taken down her contact details and the photo of the brooch, promising to reach out if it was found. Makio had to leave early as she had to go to Kaumi's House tomorrow so she bid her farewell to the three and told Seira not to worry and that her broach will be found. Seira told Shin and Kian that she wanted to stay behind for some time and told them to go back home. The two after continuously making sure that Seira was okay with being left alone went back taking all her display paintings with them.
Seira had a glum look on her face as she strolled around aimlessly. That's when a small girl bumped into her falling on her feet. "Oh my! Kiddo are you okay?" Seira asked as she helped the little girl up. The girl's knees were scraped, and her eyes welled with tears. "Neh-san! Help me!" she signed frantically, gripping Seira's kimono sleeve with desperation. Seira, who was fluent in sign language due to her mother's hearing disability, worriedly held the child's hands, bending down on one knee. With a gentle touch, she carefully brushed the sweat-dampened hair from the girl's forehead, her own heart aching at the sight of the child's distress.
Before the Seira could sign anything further, numerous footsteps were heard coming from behind them. Seira looked up to find around five men in black suits and white full-face masks holding metal pipes and baseball bats with nails engraved in their hands. Seira immediately stood up as the little girl hid behind Seira, eyes closed while her shaky hands held the kimono jacket tightly. "Give us the kid quickly!" one of the thugs roared pointing the sharp knife trying to imitate Seira who couldn't help but scoff as she turned around slowly, meeting the terrified eyes of the little girl hiding behind her. Bending a little at the little girl's level "Kiddo," she signed gently, bending a little to meet her in the eyes. "Stand by the tree and keep an eye on my bag for me. Can you do that for this Neh-san?" A sweet smile broke through the tension, and though the little girl couldn't help but tremble in fear, she nodded, her faith in Seira shining through her tears. "You're brave, sweetheart." Seira whispered, her heart aching while giving her a reassuring soft smile. Giving the little girl's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, she wiped the little girl's tears away as the little girl quickly went by the tree nearby where Seira's bag was kept. Seira's gaze shifted to the night sky which was dark and twinkling with millions of stars, as the chaos in front of her was brewing. She began stretching her arms and waist, centring herself as she felt the adrenaline rise within her. " You are messing with the wrong people, young lady! So, I suggest you back off and give us the kid!" the bulky man said swinging the nailed baseball bat once with a threatening tone. A sudden breeze tousled her loose strands of hair, and as she opened her eyes, a fierce smirk crept across her face. Her gaze was icy cold, and the bloodthirst was evident on her face making the thugs in front of her feel the goosebumps rise. She might have been outnumbered but things were about to go down that was for sure, and this was somehow waking up the thrill she had been missing for a long time.
With a dramatic flair, she dropped into a fighting stance, ready to unleash everything she had even if she knew that this would take a huge toll on her health. She was ready to risk it.
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{A.N: Chapter 5 is finally out!! I am soooo sorry for such a delay in uploading this chapter! >~< I hope you all enjoyed reading it! As for the schedule of uploading chapters will remain unprecedented until further notice. But I assure you that I haven’t dropped this fanfiction. Please support this fanfiction a lot! Notes, Comments and Reblogs are appreciated! I'll see you in the next chapter. Until then stay healthy and happy!}
Copyright: All Rights Reserved @𝚊𝚋𝚜𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚡𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚢𝚊𝚗
[ NOTE: The plot, picture edits and the original characters in this fanfiction belong to me. All the credit for the high and low characters and other reference pictures goes to the original owner.]
{ P.S: Thank you for Notes, Reblogs and Follow even when I wasn't posting! >~< P.S.S: If you'd like to be tagged under the post for the update of the new chapter. Kindly comment below this post and I'll tag you in further chapters.}
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