Orihika Hayohara

History

Orihika Hayohara’s family is well known in Inazuma, holding a high ranking in society. They conduct many transactions with people in high positions, and own a lot of land and businesses. They’re very serious about how they present themselves to the public, and really ingrain etiquette, traditions, and intelligence into their children, who will eventually take over the clan.

Orihika was for a while the youngest of his 7 siblings. He always had his parents undivided attention and was doted over for his cute looks. He enjoyed being the center of attention, though wasn't always happy about being just cute, but it didn't require much effort. Other than starting from a young age of learning etiquette and manners, he had little to bother him. Only once he started getting older did he have to start taking the family business and status seriously, becoming a bit of a challenge. The family was wealthy and held a high position in society with their various businesses and relationships. To most people though, Orihika seemed to have nothing to worry about.

“The Hayohara's reputation is always my priority when I go out. But since I am the youngest, they let me slack a little……”

Orihika's closest friend, Yukiya, was pretty much the only other kid Ori knew and hung out with while he was young. Both of their parents had business relations and were often together when dragged along to meetings, outings, and the occasional casual visit. Yukiya was honest and kind, usually spoke his mind and always loved to show Orihika his new findings. After a few years of being friends, their bond grew and they started doing everything together. Homework and studying was done together, meals were spent together, and even when they had arguments they ended up together again. Sometimes when there's nothing to do, Orihika will just ask to hear Yukiya play the shamisen, an instrument he's always been talented at. He'd play it formally at events, and casually at home or with friends. Orihika was always fascinated with his playing- always asking for another song to be played. To Orihika, Yukiya was his getaway from the limiting lifestyle of his family. He didn't have to act so proper and stuff, watch every word he spoke, or take note of tasks that got done. Besides doing schoolwork, Orihika could let loose a little and show a bit more of his true self and emotions with Yukiya.

One day while messing around shrines near the cliffs and lakes of Mt. Yougou, just outside of Chinju forest— their favorite area to hang around— both of them tripped over a tree trunk emerging from the ground. Just like any other reckless kid, they got a bit scratched up on the legs- nothing too serious. Since they were a good distance away from home in Inazuma City, they weren't really in a rush to get home and get patched up. They continued to explore and fool around, shoving each other and poking things with tree branches. They walked along a twisty tree trunk that went over a lake, giggling and nudging each other to mess up the other's balance as they walked across. Unfortunately Orihika pushed a little too hard, causing Yukiya to stumble off and fall into the water. Yukiya laughed it off, but Orihika noticed the water was infected with electro and hurried him to get out of the water before he got hurt.

“Our friendship.. Means dear to me. He’s everything I want and love that I cannot receive at home. We spend every day together.”

After that day, Yukiya progressively became sick. At first they didn't understand why, and figured it was some type of cold or common illness people get. Orihika would come over to cheer him up and keep him entertained while his friend rested in bed. Even while keeping their distance a bit Orihika was able to keep his sick friend amused. It didn't seem like he was recovering however...... After weeks went by and no real signs of improvement from Yukiya, the family doctor finally came by and diagnosed the kid with a serious bacterial infection. Since their only options for treating things were herbal and natural remedies, Yukiya didn't actually get any better. On the days Orihika managed to visit, despite his busy schedule with school and family, he'd still try to comfort his friend. Bed ridden with a fever, body in pain, and barely managing to eat- Orihika started to really get scared of what would happen to his friend. At some point, it was too hard for him to even try to comfort his friend. There wasn’t anything Orihika could physically do to help him out, and the now-winter days kept getting shorter and darker, making his nighttime curfew come much earlier. He started spending less time with him, focusing on his last year of school by himself. This change in routine and stress started to affect his behavior and attitude towards everyone. He was grumpy, always seeming to be agitated by any minor inconvenience, and talked back when he normally never would.

Orihika’s relationship with his parents started to diminish, and the sudden announcement of a baby on the way from his mother set them apart. The attention was all focused on his mother and the soon-to-be addition to the family, and Orihika only had himself to rely on for comfort. His best friend was withering away in bed, and news of his condition never got better. His parents and older siblings only wanted him to do chores and educate himself on more family relations and business ideas. He began to get tired of it all… The feeling of guilt started to grow as each day passed, making Orihika feel obligated to spend more time with his friend. He left home for a while, and brought only the necessities with him as he stayed over at Yukiya’s family home. At this point, school was practically over, so he was able to give all his time to caring for Yukiya. It was becoming evident that breathing was turning into a struggle for Yukiya, which frightened Orihika deeply. It gave him the sense that the end was nearing for his dear friend, and he’d have to be there to see it all unfold.

“I don’t care about chores! Is cleaning the house going to help my friend who is sick in his bed? Of course not, so I won’t do it!”

On a windy winter night, Orihika had been playing a song on his friend’s shamisen to sort of lighten the mood in their room, despite his skills not being nearly as good as Yukiya's. While playing mostly off tempo and a bit out of key, he noticed the very little response and movement from his friend in bed. All Orihika could see was his friend staring in his direction, eyes unfocused and dull. Worried something was wrong, he put down the instrument and spoke to Yukiya to see if he could get a response. His face was pale and lips were turning blue, and appeared to be hardly breathing. Orihika quickly alerted the family and had them call for the family physician. With luck not on their side, they entered the bedroom only to find Yukiya in his bed limp and lifeless. The home was filled with grief and tears, having lost their only child so suddenly and at such a young age. To Orihika, he felt like he had lost everything.

Orihika left Yukiya’s home shortly after his burial. The usual tradition in inazuma was to place dendrobium flowers to pay respect to the deceased. In a way, it felt ironic that Orihika’s family had an abundance of these plants. Growing and breeding these flowers in a region they normally don’t grow is one of the many operations the Hayohara’s do. Yukiya’s family gave him some of Yukiya’s personal belongings to take, such as a few notebooks, photos, and the shamisen Orihika loved hearing. Instead of going home immediately after, he headed towards Chinju forest to have some time alone to himself. In the dark yet glowing cold forest, Orihika grieved for his late friend. After the traumatic experience that filled him with an overwhelming amount of guilt, he couldn’t help but feel like he was responsible for his friend’s passing. The infection the physician spoke of reminded Orihika of their last time out together, playing outside and falling into the water. Weren’t the cuts and scratches on his knees due to Orihika’s fooling around? Along with pushing him into the electro-charged waters? The time spent at home being upset instead of comforting his friend… those moments filled his mind.

He knew he’d have to return home eventually, but knew that the moment he returned he’d have to go back to being the proper and well-behaved son of the Hayohara family. He took his time before heading back, playing short tunes on the used shamisen while reminiscing about the past fun they had in the forest. He carried a bundle of dendrobiums with him on his way back home, as they slowly withered in the cold air.

“That winter day was the coldest. That day… I will never forget it. The dendrobiums around him were the only things that had color in my eyes.”

A couple of days later, he arrived back at his family home. The sense of dread took over his body as his mother opened the door. Though she was relieved to see him, she was concerned about the fact he had been out in the cold by himself with all these new items. He was supposed to be back days ago. She hurried him in and scolded him, but didn’t want to push his buttons since he literally just buried his only close friend.

Orihika barely had a minute to notice the new crying stranger in his mother’s arms. While Orihika had been staying over at Yukiya’s for weeks, he missed the birth of his new sister- taking his spot as the youngest of the family. Orihika didn’t give her a second look as he headed to his bedroom.

For months, his room is where he trapped himself. He stopped going out, realizing he had no reason to anymore. He wasn’t brought along to family meetings and had no intention of learning more about their many jobs and operations. As his sister grew older, the crown of being the youngest and most loved faded from him and instead went onto his sibling. He grew jealous of her, and the sound of her crying and whining for attention made him angry at times. What did she have to cry about, anyway? Everything was done for her. He was convinced that he’d have to earn their affection and interests again somehow, and really try hard at it. Although he started to become stubborn about learning business, connections, and rules, he gave up the act and forced himself to be more studious. He read every ledger, remembered all important transactions, clients, tasks, and more, until he was literally caught up with everything. He showed up to business outings, whether he was invited or not, to make his presence known.

Unfortunately, his parents weren’t interested. He was still so young, and it wasn’t like he’d be taking over the family business any time soon. There were still 6 other children in line for inheritance. He was starting to feel insignificant and left behind.. He figured if he just studied everything he’d gain some recognition, even outside of the family. A teenager who knows an entire library’s worth of knowledge? That was his new goal. It would also play as a distraction to himself, leaving those grieving feelings somewhere else until he was satisfied with his work. He didn’t have time to cry anymore about his friend’s passing. Even when months had already gone by, he chose to suck up his tears before they’d even begin to form. Repressing those feelings was easy, since he had trouble communicating his emotions anyway. As long as he didn’t focus on them, he could spend more time focusing on educating himself on every subject and textbook he came across.

Luckily the shamisen he was given wasn’t forgotten about. He still treasured it dearly, and chose to really learn it and play when he had time to in between reading. His goal was to sound as professional as Yukiya did… He wanted to do it justice rather than play shabby songs all the time. It was also a way for him to express himself, something he’s been struggling with since Yukiya’s passing. With calloused fingers from playing and tired eyes from reading, he never found a break for himself. He boasted about his growing knowledge to his parents and siblings, enjoying the small moment of acknowledgement while they lasted. His younger sister, still hogging the fame in the family, rarely got overlooked. Somehow Orihika managed to argue with her. Even though the girl could barely speak, her presence always felt like a stranger’s. He wasn’t even present when she was born, and since he spent most of his time either in his bedroom or the library, she was never seen by him. His parents couldn’t understand why his attitude changed so much. He was grumpy at the dinner table, talked back when scolded, yet shy to really speak about himself unless it was to brag about what he learned that day.

“What does she have to cry about? Everything is done for her and only her… She’s a stranger to me.”

One day he decided to show off his shamisen skills to his family. He was excited to have a moment to shine, and it reminded him of when Yukiya would perform for others. He even got all dressed up in a traditional kimono, something he hadn’t worn in ages. All was going well, playing each note and rhythm with excellence and grace. He was five songs in until things started to crumble in his perspective. His sister began to cry for whatever reason, whether it was the sound of the shamisen or she simply wanted to eat or sleep. She was taken out of the room mid-performance by his mother, who he wanted to stay and watch the most. It felt like his plan had failed… what was he playing for now that she’s not watching or even in the room?

His performance ended earlier than anticipated. For some reason he was embarrassed, and disrespected. He ignored the claps and praise from his small audience and hurried back to his room. His mother later came in to try and apologize for leaving while he played, but Orihika could tell she didn’t take it as seriously as he did. She was giggling it off as a small inconvenience, so Orihika expressed how much it bothered him. Without realizing it, he was yelling at her and bringing up irrelevant complaints from days and weeks before.

It was that night he convinced himself that he’d leave home and work on himself. He figured they’d want someone who can really perform and interact in the real world, and not just be book smart. What’s the point of studying so much if it’s not going to get used for anything? He had to show them how much he’s grown and what kind of man he is. Someone who’s brave, intelligent, and a people pleaser, rather than someone who’s reserved and hard to please. He got his stuff together, leaving his already disorderly room a bigger mess. He knew he wanted to travel light, especially since he had no idea where he’d even go… but there were so many things he wanted to take on his sudden new journey. Clothes were obvious, hygienic products, a diary to keep track of his activities and achievements, some of his and Yukiya's notebooks, his money from his monthly allowances, some snacks, and a small photo of his family together- an older one without his younger sister pictured of course. Orihika also wanted to bring the shamisen along somehow, even if it seemed like a hassle to carry around all the time. To him, it’s like bringing Yukiya along on his adventure. An item to bring comfort, but also entertainment for his lonely venture.

With all his things gathered, he cleaned up his room one last time. All the big heavy books lying around were put away neatly, the bed was made, and his wardrobe was messed with a little to make it look like nothing was taken out. The following day he left early in the morning, leaving just a note on their door. Although he thought about it, he left without resolving his previous argument with his mother, saying goodbye to his father or other brothers and sisters. It would be too difficult for him to talk about, and would ultimately make it harder for him to actually leave. He wasn’t sure when he’d be back.

“I’ll show them. I’ll come back big and strong, brave and courageous, and have many skills and talents to display. I won’t be just letters and numbers!”