Bang, bang, bang.

Hikari’s eyes shot open to the banging on the front door and it took a minute of her looking around to realize what was happening. The night that was full of bittersweet fun coming back to her. Hiroshi was still snuggled next to her snoring loudly, Asami now with her full face buried in her armpit, slept quietly.

BANG, BANG, BANG

The knocking got more serious, more demanding, and Hikari tried to wrangle herself free of her children so she could answer it. She looked about herself and one of Hiroshi’s arms was wrapped tight about her midsection in this little cozy family cuddle puddle.

“Hang on! I’m coming!” She finally yelled when she lifted Hiroshi’s arm off of her.

This also finally roused the boy, who gave a loud snort before blinking his eyes. He saw his mother exiting their blanket fort and smiled. The blankets were so warm he grabbed a handful of them and wrapped them around himself when he saw his mother go to the door through the little slit of a doorway in the blanket fort. His eyes shot open once he realized who that probably was and ruined the tent when he jumped to his feet. The blankets covering his head, he reached and pulled them all down in a fury of cloth.

“Hello, yes, sorry it took me a moment, Kenjiro Oyakata,” Hikari said after she opened the door. She was hiding behind the doorway, trying to hide herself from view while she spoke. She had changed out of her regular clothes into night clothing before the three had settled in to go to bed.

Hiroshi left all the blankets and pillows he ruined piled on top of Asami, who was now awake and yelling and fighting her way out of the bundles of blankets. He heard the Oyakata say something to his mother, but he couldn’t make it out through the walls and his sister’s yelling. He gave a tug to the cloth to help her out of it, but he had other things to worry about. Feet thudded on the hardwood flooring when he dashed through the house to his room.

“Sorry sir, just give Hiroshi a few moments? If you will. I will have him out here very soon,” Hikari said and smiled nervously.

Hiroshi cringed as he dug around his room. He flung the couple of plain kimonos he had in a pile on his bed and relished the day he’d be able to wear something that wasn’t so scratchy. It was only a few moments later when he looked up and saw his mother rush towards him with one of Hiroshi’s prized possessions, his father’s old military backpack.

Before Jiro had first met Hikari, he had conscripted into the Emperor’s Army to make money to help support his new pregnant wife. He still hadn’t been able to buy the shop, so he wasn’t making any money from his artwork. All members of the military were given these large backpacks that had many pockets and compartments to fit all of their gear in. It was a simple reinforced canvas bag made of this sturdy green, tan fabric, and Hiroshi used it for everything.

“I’ve put some food and a canteen with water in here for you, Hiroshi. Pack some clothing. The Oyakata is not thrilled that you aren’t ready for him, but he said he would wait a few moments,” she told him and rolled his clothing before setting it in the bag.

Hiroshi huffed and sighed. The realization he was leaving home really started to hit home and his gut was in a knot. He stood straight and looked up to his mother with his brown eyes turning into pools once more.

Hikari wasn’t paying attention, trying to rush to get him packed and ready to go. That was until she was forced to pay attention when he crashed into her from the side. He knocked her down into his bed, his arms around his petite mother, and squeezed her tightly. He buried his head in her arm and sobbed.

“Oof, ugh, Hiroshi. It’s fine,” she said as she struggled to reach and grab hold of her son and get him moving. They had landed in such a way that it trapped her loose bits of clothing under her, pinned between her form and the bed. She let out a slight choking noise when she tried to lift her head and another, much smaller form, landed on the dog pile. “Umph!”

“CUDDLE PUDDLE!” Asami landed on Hiroshi and struggled to wrap her arms all the way around everyone. She didn’t get close, of course, barely able to reach around Hiroshi’s bulbous hamster form by himself, let alone with their mother in the mix.

“No! Asami! Get off!” Hikari gagged while she yelled. “The Oyakata is going to leave Hiroshi if we don’t hurry.”

Even Hiroshi wasn’t climbing off, not yet. He only wrapped himself tighter around her form. “Good!” was the response of Asami in a defiant yell.

BANG.

Hiroshi groaned at the sharp knock at the door. Asami struggled to tighten her grip on her big brother.

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“Alright, alright,” Hiroshi groaned, feeling his sister’s tightened grip. He pushed off the bed, relieving the weight from his mother. In a swift movement, Asami was thrusted into the air and landed on the bed next to Hikari.

He stood slowly as Hikari fought to untangle herself and sit up. Hiroshi looked about his room, his father’s pack on the floor by his bed full of clothing and supplies he would need. “I’m coming, Oyakata! Forgiveness, please!” He yelled, hoping his new master would hear him. He grabbed one spare kimono he had and covered his bare chested form. As he dressed, his mother slipped on a more appropriate robe to answer the door and opened it once more. It only took a moment for Hikari to say sorry when Hiroshi stepped up behind her, backpack on his back, dressed and sandals on.

“I am sorry Kenjiro Oyakata. Please forgive my tardiness,” Hiroshi said, not daring to look the master in the eye. He stood with his back straight and arms at his sides and then bowed low before the Oyakata.

Kenjiro looked at the boy with a frown and then smiled at Hikari before giving a small bow. “Come,” he simply said to the boy after saying goodbye to Hikari. He then turned and walked down the walkway from the house to the street.

Hiroshi felt his mother’s hands move to his shoulders and give him a squeeze. “It’ll be alright Hiroshi. You won't always be gone, you’ll come home, and you’ll make your father proud.” She said to him confidently.

He couldn’t look up at her, however. Couldn’t take that sight again, otherwise he may just give up the dream and stay home with his mother and sister. He was decent enough at woodworking. His father had traded paintings to some local woodworkers to help teach Hiroshi. He could just progress in that, and make money for the family.

No.

This was his future, his passion. This would honor his family and his father’s memory. This would take him down his path and he would become a yokozuna for his father.

He took a step out from his house and looked up to the morning sun burning down brightly. The smell of his mother’s flower garden was strong in the morning air. The lilacs were strong this morning, and he breathed in the smell, wondering if he would be back. If he would be back to see his mother’s garden once, taste his mother’s dumplings and treats she made for them. When and if he came home, he would have to bring more blankets and make an even more epic blanket fort than the one they had last night.

He looked out and saw Kenjiro had arrived in a closed carriage. It was humble for a man with the status. No engravings or intricate trim, no anything besides a simple run of the mill polished wood carriage. An older man sat at the driver’s bench. He leaned back with his legs stretched out as far as they could and arms crossed against his chest and his eyes closed. Hiroshi thought he heard a snore from the older man.

Kenjiro headed down the pathway, and Hiroshi followed quietly. The fenced in garden on either side of them. He didn’t dare say a word to his new master. He figured the man was already upset with him for not being ready. He was careful to not make a sound and just be Kenjiro’s shadow on the walk to the carriage.

“Hiroshi, wait!” Asami’s small voice pierced the air when she yelled.

Hiroshi heard the door open once more and her slight form came charging from the house. Hiroshi cringed inwardly and stopped himself from groaning, hearing the high-pitched wail. He turned and tried to ignore the Oyakata, turning at the voice before he did and looked annoyed. His sister greeted him running up the pavement with two things. A hat that also once belonged to his father and his mother now liked to wear when she worked in the garden, and his mawashi.

“You forgot these. Mama doesn’t want you to get the sun in your eyes in your travels, and you obviously need your belt,” she told him and handed over the items.

He smiled as he took them and bowed his head softly. “Thank you, little sister,” he said just as they both heard Kenjiro’s feet turn on the ground and walk towards the carriage. Asami’s eyes watched him leave and then wrapped her arms around Hiroshi once more for a long embrace. Her small warm form wrapped around his stomach, he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

“Don’t worry, little sister, I’ll be back after the tournament, I’m sure of it. I’ll be back as a champion,” he said to her.

“You better,” she answered with a soft kick to his shin. There was no power behind it, though, no malice. Just a little sister sad and angry to see her big brother leave her.

“Come Hiroshi, it is time,” Kenjiro called to him before looking up at his driver. “Ezra, wake up,” he grumped before he opened the door and climbed into the carriage. He left the door open for Hiroshi and sat quietly waiting for the boy. He knew it would be hard for the boy to leave his family, so while he didn’t like it, he would give the boy a few extra minutes to say his goodbyes.

Hiroshi gave one last tight squeeze to his little sister and looked up and opened his eyes. He saw his mother standing in the doorway, a smile on her face. She waved a hand at him and then made a shooing motion with it to usher him along. Hiroshi responded with one nod and a smile full of confidence he wasn’t sure if he actually felt.

He took the mawashi, which was currently just a long piece of rough fabric rolled into a pinwheel. The hat was made of straw and was flat on top but came down circular over Hiroshi’s head after he put it on. It was wide to cover his eyes from the sun, and the downward slope would keep his face and head dry in the rain. For now, since he was going into the carriage, he hung it on his back, over his pack, by the rope around his neck.

He put his hand on his little sister's head and looked at her with the same smile he gave his mother. “I’ll see you soon,” he said and turned.

He didn’t dare back and look at his family as he walked towards the carriage. He focused on the driver, who was scratching himself and holding the reins to the horses at the ready. The driver looked at Hiroshi with an annoyed glare, waiting for the boy to climb on. Hiroshi ignored him as well. Focused on Oyakata Kenjiro. His gigantic form took up most of the interior of the carriage, so it was something easy to focus on. With each step, his feet felt like rocks weighed them down. In what seemed like forever, he climbed into the carriage and set his bag on the seat across from the Oyakata and sat down. He clutched it and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

“Alright, Ezra, let’s go,” Kenjiro called and closed the carriage down once Hiroshi was in his seat. The door wasn’t even fully closed before Hiroshi heard the clip clopping of the horses’ hooves carrying them down the street and away from home.