「Did you enjoy your first week?」Hibiki’s mother asked him in Japanese, over their fancy hotel dinner. He smiled as he took a bite of his pasta, nodding enthusiastically. Compared to his parents, he was rather underdressed, wearing a simple, black sweater, jeans and black canvas shoes.

「At what time was that presentation?」His father asked over bites of filet mignon, while his mother took the opportunity to brush his hair behind his ears with her well-manicured fingers. He put down his fork and knife to make quick signs with his hands.

‘It’s at 7:30, it's a motivational thing. The whole, do your best or else you're a failure at life,- nonsense’

He caught himself just before making a gesture his parents wouldn't appreciate in a fancy restaurant. 

「They’re right you know, if you get less than an A+ we'll throw you off the yacht and leave everything to Kazuo. 」

His mother gave his father a dirty scowl, but Hibiki just grinned and signed back at him.

‘The one you haven't used since I was 6?’

「Well, you never had a bad grade, so we didn't need to use it.」With a wink and a grin his father butted back at him, before ruffling his hair. Rather annoyed, Hibiki puffed his cheeks up and tried to straighten it out again – only to have his mother lay a hand on his shoulder. A little surprised he looked up to see his her smile, and despite his messy hair he smiled back.

「Your father doesn't mean it. We're so proud of you, you've done very well.」He got the universal sign of a proud mother; a firm pinch of his cheek. Although he was getting treated like a five year old kid, he still couldn't help but smile widely.

「We should really go use that yacht sometime though… how about we go to Monaco this summer?」His father suggested.

His mother let go of him and just shook her head, letting out a slight, disappointed sigh.

「I thought you liked the Mediterranean?」His father said without skipping a beat, causing his mother to cross her arms. Hibiki instead grinned and nodded, making a circle gesture with both hands to say he was okay with it.

On the hotel bed before him the required academic dress was laid out: the usual formal clothes, with a white shirt, tie and black slacks, but then there was also something called 'scholar's robes’ which as far as he could see was just a piece of cloth you threw over your shoulders and a black, square cap.

The British really like playing dress up, don't they?

With a slight sigh, Hibiki picked up the tie and ran the silk through his fingers. He smiled wryly, wrapping it around and pulling it taut. The silk wound tight around his fingers sent shivers down his spine, so he quickly tossed it aside and set to getting dressed.

I look like I got lost in the wrong country, in the wrong era… Although he tried to look confident, his own image in the mirror managed to ruin even his ego. With a loud groan he let his shoulders slump forward, his arms dangling all limp.

A few rapid knocks on the door got him to stand up again, and he had to catch the cap before it slid off of his head.

「Hibiki, are you ready?」He heard his father ask.

With the cap still in one hand, he opened the door. Immediately he was overrun by both his parents, his mother grabbing both his cheeks a little too excited to see him like this.

「Oh, look at you Hiki-chan, you're so cute.」She rubbed both his cheeks, and he simply closed his eyes and wished to be anywhere else. With his hands caught between her and with one muted since he had to hold his cap, he still tried to sign back to defend himself from getting completely humiliated.

'I'm not cute’

「You’re my baby, you'll always be adorable.」His mother said with a last pinch of his cheek. He frowned back and let out a soft huff. Desperate he tried to look at his father for help, but instead saw him try to hold back a proud smile. He felt his annoyance ebb away, and finally managed to escape his mother's grasp. Now free, he laid the cap on the bed so he could sign properly.

Meanwhile his father had noticed the tie thrown haphazardly on the bed. The held back smile turned into a sterner look, and Hibiki tried to defend himself even before his father could say anything.

'I don't like neckties’

He signed hastily, but it didn't have much effect.

「You know a tie is required, and you have to look presentable.」

'When do I ever look presentable?’

He quickly signed back with a gesture at his sweater and jeans haphazardly thrown into a corner.

'Why would it matter now?’

「Because it's a public event, I don't want people to see you unkempt. Otherwise people might get the wrong idea. We all have to uphold our good family name.」

Annoyed, Hibiki crossed his arms and shook his head. Why do you always get like this whenever there's some event?

‘Well I don't want to uphold some family name, and I don't want that tie either'

His signing got more agitated, and he took a few steps back and away while his father made a loop in the tie.

「Don’t behave like this. Come on, I'll put it on for you.」

「Darling, if he doesn't want to…?」His mother said a little uncertain, noticing Hibiki's trepidation.

「There are plenty of things he doesn't have to do because he doesn't want to, he already got away with those clothes at the ceremony this morning.」

Hibiki gave a slight puff of his cheeks, unhappy, but not sure either. I don't like to wear it, but I don't want to disappoint you either… maybe it won't be so bad? I can try... He nodded slowly, and took a step closer. His hands crossed his stomach and grasped at his sides as he felt inexplicably nervous about the idea. It's just a necktie, don’t be such a pussy.

Once within reach, his father put the loop of the tie over his head. Another shiver crawled down his spine as he felt the fabric against the back of his neck.

It's only a tie. It's not... that…

His father tugged at the tie, and he felt the silk run along the back of his neck at the same time the knot was pushed closer. It pressed against his throat, and immediately both his hands shot up.

But he was bound, and the rope around his neck only ever got tighter, and tighter. Wide eyed he stared at the man leaning over him, as he took shallow, rapid breaths. With every inhale he caught the strong smell of alcohol and smoke, acrid like a dragon's breath. He was too small to fight dragons, and the man's grin only widened and widened as he struggled. It hurt to breathe. He had to force every gasp of air through his pressed shut throat, against the strong grip of this man. For the so manieth time he cried, but all that bubbled up from deep inside of him were painful whimpers. I want to go home… Dark fireworks crept up along the edges of his vision, and he felt each spark crackle in his head. Stop, please stop… help me… someone please help me…

Although he was facing his father, his eyes looked straight past him. Both his hands held his father's hand, his grip weak and trembling.

「Hibiki?」His father asked softly, shocked by the response. 「Does it really bother you that much?」

The moment he heard his father's voice, Hibiki seemed to snap out of his memory. As his eyes met his father's, his expression rose and fell in a relieved smile, broken by soft sobs as tears rolled down his cheeks at the same time. Realising his mistake, his father quickly pulled the tie loose, only to have his son fall forwards against his chest.

Deep, cathartic sobs left Hibiki as he wrapped his arms around his father, just glad to be safe. Rather unsettled, but not unused to it, his father ran his hands over his back.

「It’s okay. I got you Hiki, nobody can hurt you.」

He only clung tighter to his father, shaking uncontrollably as the adrenaline wore off and he was overwhelmed by the aftermath of his far too vivid memory.

「I’m sorry, I didn't realise... I thought you were just being... you?」His father mumbled, after getting an angry glare from his mother.

Still squeezed tightly against his father, he tried to sign a few words.

'S-sorry, I,- I really c-can't.’

His hands trembled so much he couldn't quite get out his signs, struggling to get them right. It only embarrassed him more. He looked up at his father and gave a slight shake of his head. The tears still stuck in the corners of his eyes rolled down his cheeks. He didn't want to cry like a baby. 

「It’s fine, you don't have to.」His mother butted in before his father could even respond. She used her thumbs to quickly wipe the tears from his face. He gave a quick nod, and smiled slightly, using the back of his hands to get the last of his tears and pretend nothing ever happened.「Let’s take a few moments to calm down, maybe have some tea before we leave?」

Both nodded at his mother’s suggestion, glad to have an excuse to break the tension of the increasingly awkward scene.

________

Hibiki sat in the back of a large, spacious car. Although the seats were leather, he never really managed to get comfortable, as he was constantly trying not to sit on his robes. His mother sat beside him, finicking with the hems on his shoulders in an attempt to straighten them out, while his father sat in the front next to the driver. The driver wore a rather non-descriptive black suit, and a white plastic earpiece to which he sometimes calmly responded in short Japanese phrases.

「So, are there any clubs that you are interested in?」His mother asked as she plucked on a piece of fabric, causing it to go equally eschew in the other direction.

「I think you should look for a less dangerous sport, this whole dirt racing thing is going to get you killed.」His father added from the front seat, but he adamantly shook his head.

‘But I like it, and they have very nice forest and mud tracks in England. I at least want to try it competitively for one season?’

「If you have another accident, you won’t get a new bike.」At hearing his father’s stern words, Hibiki immediately puffed his cheeks up and crossed his arms, not sure which he disliked more: the lack of trust in his driving, or that he just got threatened with having to quit his hobby.

「Your father and I just want you to do something social」-「something safe」his father immediately butted in -「and safe. How about a book club?」

Hibiki shrugged and instantly undid all his mother’s work straightening the robes out.

‘I don’t think they have book clubs just for detective and true crimes’

And I don’t like spending all my time reading.

「We’re just concerned Hiki; friends are important.」

‘I’m sure I will meet people in my classes?’

He signed back at his mother. She just smiled and brushed a stubborn strand of hair behind his ear.

「Maybe you’ll hear about something to your liking tonight, best to keep your options open.」His father said, as the car turned into the underground parking lot.

A second car of similar colour and make parked beside them a few moments later; the security detail for the night. Unlike the driver however, the bodyguards that stepped out of the car were dressed more on the casual end of formal, but not so much that it would stand out in the crowd. Hibiki sighed a little, as he resigned himself to being constantly babysat, perhaps except for when he went to the toilet – or so he hoped.