As a treat for the fathers for the upcoming Father's day Kiku's school would hold a type of career day, it would start with the student making a brief 'show and tell' about their fathers before the parent would take the stage and speak about their job, career or maybe even a tale of their childhood and for the first time Kiku had signed herself up without signing her mother's name..instead she added the name Fujita Tsuru..it confused her teacher but the child had promised he was a real person and maybe even spoke up about him.
Then, finally, on the faithful day, Kiku was assigned to go first but her ‘father’ was nowhere in sight, just her mother with the other parents..she was worried but she spoke about Tsuru at great length. Talking about him being rich that he took them to disney world, and they’d also eat the best foods at home, and how he always makes time to watch her series with her alongside her mother, how the two would also play tons of games. The show and tell goes on but Tsuru was nowhere to be seen, so the teacher simply had the other parents go along.
The fifteen minutes turned to an hour and then a half hour as the parents were getting ready to leave, the teacher apologetics towards Kiku, however that’s when the door had flung open and a young man stepped through the door..he was dirty, bloody even..it seemed that Tsuru was held up in some trouble before he could have gotten here. But the only thing that stopped him from going to the hospital was the promise he made to that little girl. “When me and you make a promise, it’s one I’ll always keep, no matter what.” The words he’d tell her echoes through her young mind as Yusuke gave her a smile and wink.
“It-It’s okay..fake blood..I’m an actor…look up the movie ‘Homeward Son’. That me doin’ all the action scenes.” Tsuru said as he steps forward, both hands forward and makes a bow greeting everyone as he told them about his job in acting, the indie movies he’s been casted in..and then finally everything was set. He smiles and steps towards Kiku and gives her a warm hug. “Told ya I’d be here Kiki..ya didn’t worry too much didn’t you?” He looked up at Kore.
Since starting preschool Kiku never brought up her biological father once. Only her mother. There were many speculations and rumors about who the father could be and why he wasn't in their lives. Perhaps the foreigner had the child out of wedlock? Perhaps a widow? The staff would look at Kore with pity while the other parents would look at her with a scrutinizing gaze. How can a mother raise a child all on her own?
She's come to terms with those types of people, the ones that are quick to throw accusations and judgmental glances. She could grin and bear it, Oberon's words and glances were far more hurtful than anything else they could ever throw at her. But when he didn't show up.... When she didn't see him walk in with his nice suit and dazzling smile there was a sinking feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.
So when he manages to show up she thought she'd feel a sense of relief but instead has to mask the horror in her eyes seeing him hurt.
Once he managed to get through his presentation both she and her daughter dart forward to scold him. "Oh Tsuru.... Look at you, you're a mess." She's taking a tissue and using it to wipe up some of the grime from his face. He might be able to lie and pass it off to everyone else that it was fake, but she was all too familiar with the stench of blood.
"Papa you meanie you're late!" Kiku wasn't letting him off the hook just even made sure to bonk him on the head with a tiny fist to make her point. "The other parents were givin' mama weird looks... I tried to be strong and protect mama but she looked really sad." She mumbles as tiny digits dig into his dirtied suit. She was trying to be brave and strong, like she promised him but at the end of the day she was only a child.
"Alrighty Begbug mama has to head back to work now and papa needs to to go get cleaned up before his next shoot. You'll be a good girl for us won't you?" To which the girl nods her head and gives them both a big hug before she runs back to the rest of her classmates. Just as they were leaving that'd be able to catch a snippet of the conversation 'Woah Kiku-Chan your dad's so cool!'
It was a sweet moment but one that didn't last as she's dragging him into the nurses office and sitting her love in a chair. "Take off your shirt and your pants if you got cut there as well." He wasn't going anywhere until the man was patched up. Luckily even though she was rusty and still in school she was able to clean his wounds and stitch up any major gashes without issue.
"He did this didn't he.... There's no one insane enough to try and hurt you... Damn it you should'a went to the hospital. What if you lost too much blood and passed out in front of everyone? You already had us worried when you didn't come on time I thought—I was thinking the worst happened to you..."
