[Shindou knows the words that are used to describe his family often. Distinguished, reputable, prestigious, celebrated, powerful -- a slew of synonyms that stroked the egos of his relatives who took pride in the fact that the Shindou lineage dated back to the Meiji period, who felt security in the connections the family had to esteemed individuals and other influential families, who demanded that all sons and daughters born to the Shindou family, especially those of the main branch, take a wife or husband "worth" of that status.
Shindou knew that his parents, as well as his grandparents, were a couple generations that did not adhere to that strict line of thinking. His mother and father had always supported him choosing his own path, allowing him to pursue some future in soccer if that was what he desired. He knew they politely, politically, turned down the many talks of arranged marriage that his relatives tried to shove at him ever since his age hit the double digits. While he used to think he wouldn't mind marrying whoever his family thought was appropriate, that if that were what was expected of the heir then he wouldn't shy away from it, he knew that that had been an unthinkable option for him for the last few months. He knew that he couldn't imagine a future right now where he didn't get to choose what to do or who to be with, that he couldn't imagine a future where he didn't hold Tsurugi Kyousuke's hand in his.
He also knew that his relatives, especially the elders, would not take kindly to such "selfish" choices, and that the consequences of his choice would not fall on him, the future head of the family, but on the very things he chose over the family's honor. That was how it was with soccer, too, after all.
And it's probably because he remembers what it had felt like at the time, when his great aunts and uncles turned up their noses at his sport and voiced their disappointment, that his chest tightens now and Tsurugi's words bring tears to his eyes. He's tired, he can tell that he is, and the fatigue is what's weakening him too, but Tsurugi's words hit deeply as well. The way that deep, kind voice murmurs that he was worth it. That he was worth the effort and that someone would want to stay beside him even if they have to face up against an entire family of hardheaded people who were probably not above what can only be labeled as bullying.
It's love. Love is what he's being shown right now. Love, and Tsurugi Kyousuke's bottomless kindness, dedication, and loyalty, and he doesn't know where the sadness ends and happiness begins as he soaks it all up.]
Tsurugi... I want to protect it. What we have now, what we'll have in our future. I'll do my best. I will do anything it takes to keep them from grabbing hold of you.
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[Shindou knows the words that are used to describe his family often. Distinguished, reputable, prestigious, celebrated, powerful -- a slew of synonyms that stroked the egos of his relatives who took pride in the fact that the Shindou lineage dated back to the Meiji period, who felt security in the connections the family had to esteemed individuals and other influential families, who demanded that all sons and daughters born to the Shindou family, especially those of the main branch, take a wife or husband "worth" of that status.
Shindou knew that his parents, as well as his grandparents, were a couple generations that did not adhere to that strict line of thinking. His mother and father had always supported him choosing his own path, allowing him to pursue some future in soccer if that was what he desired. He knew they politely, politically, turned down the many talks of arranged marriage that his relatives tried to shove at him ever since his age hit the double digits. While he used to think he wouldn't mind marrying whoever his family thought was appropriate, that if that were what was expected of the heir then he wouldn't shy away from it, he knew that that had been an unthinkable option for him for the last few months. He knew that he couldn't imagine a future right now where he didn't get to choose what to do or who to be with, that he couldn't imagine a future where he didn't hold Tsurugi Kyousuke's hand in his.
He also knew that his relatives, especially the elders, would not take kindly to such "selfish" choices, and that the consequences of his choice would not fall on him, the future head of the family, but on the very things he chose over the family's honor. That was how it was with soccer, too, after all.
And it's probably because he remembers what it had felt like at the time, when his great aunts and uncles turned up their noses at his sport and voiced their disappointment, that his chest tightens now and Tsurugi's words bring tears to his eyes. He's tired, he can tell that he is, and the fatigue is what's weakening him too, but Tsurugi's words hit deeply as well. The way that deep, kind voice murmurs that he was worth it. That he was worth the effort and that someone would want to stay beside him even if they have to face up against an entire family of hardheaded people who were probably not above what can only be labeled as bullying.
It's love. Love is what he's being shown right now. Love, and Tsurugi Kyousuke's bottomless kindness, dedication, and loyalty, and he doesn't know where the sadness ends and happiness begins as he soaks it all up.]
Tsurugi... I want to protect it. What we have now, what we'll have in our future. I'll do my best. I will do anything it takes to keep them from grabbing hold of you.