A.R. Dragonfly Origins: Episode Kaito: A.R. Dragonfly Origins, #2

By Joshua Piedra

Kaito Akihiko wanted to be a normal, everyday kid. Due to a rough past, his father, Yuujiro, wanted to steer Kaito down a path much different than his own. Thinking that he was doing what he felt was best for his son, it plunged Kaito into what he described as an academic prison.Loneliness and depression soon followed until Kaito had reached a breaking point. He desired friends and happiness above anything else; however, could he truly find it in his hometown of Karuizawa, Japan?This is his story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joshua Piedra
• Release date: May 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223027232

Book preview

Contents

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

AFTERWORD

CREDITS

PREFACE

Welcome to A.R. Dragonfly Origins: Episode Kaito!

After receiving feedback about Amber’s backstory, I knew that I couldn’t just do a book for her and leave Kaito out of it. While a good synopsis of Kaito’s backstory was told in Volume 6 of the main series, I felt that I could elaborate on it some more and turn it into a full-fledged novel.

And so here we are!

This book was a lot of fun to write as I got to explore Japanese culture while trying my best to keep things within their traditions and rulesets. I don’t know if I got all of it right (I probably didn’t) but it was fun to write a story set within a whole other culture!

Karuizawa, Japan is a real place that is known for its waterfalls. While my version is fictional, it is loosely based on the real-life location. So, for those who were looking to compare for accuracy, sorry to say that you might not find too much in common outside of some key features that I decided to use in the book.

Hope you enjoy the story and I will see you on the other side of it!

CHAPTER 1

The Waterfalls of Karuizawa

Karuizana, Japan was a quiet town filled with lush, green vegetation. It was home to just under 16,000 people, making it a relatively small-sized town. The one thing that Karuizawa was known for was its famous waterfalls. Those waterfalls served as a main tourist attraction for the town; however, Kaito Akihiko didn’t have to travel there to see them as he called Karuizawa his home.

At the tender age of six years old, one of Kaito’s favorite things to do was visit the waterfalls along with his father Yuujiro and his mother Akane. Yuujiro and Akane were researchers in the field of information technology and often were away on business trips. Whenever they were away, one of their neighbors would end up babysitting Kaito for them. However, when they were home, they enjoyed spending time as a family taking in the sights of Karuizawa’s biggest attraction.

That was where we would find Kaito during the autumn of 1999. The air was crisp, yet, invigorating… a perfect day to spend outdoors. The near cloudless day allowed the sun to shine bright in the sky, providing just the right amount of warmth to combat the chill of the wind. Yuujiro and Akane sat on the bank of a small pond as the gentle roar of one of Karuizawa’s smaller waterfalls provided ambiance for a perfect afternoon. Kaito, on the other hand, was only in his shorts as he splashed and played in the pool. Sometimes, he would stand under the waterfall and let the water crash down on top of his head. 

His parents could only sit back and laugh as they watched Kaito enjoy himself. They knew that each time they would bring him to this spot, they would have to pack a pair of swim trunks because there was no way that Kaito would leave that place ten pounds wetter than when he arrived. As Kaito continued to play, Yuujiro brought up a topic that Akane knew was coming.

As you know, Kaito is going to enter school tomorrow. It’ll be his first taste of the academic world. I don’t think we should bring him here as often as we do. I want him to focus on his studies so he can have the tools he needs to succeed in life.

Akane let out a sigh as he knew this was Yuujiro’s plan from the start. While it is commendable that he had their son’s future in mind, Akane still felt that Yuujiro’s approach may end up causing more harm than good.

I hope you at least allow Kaito to spend time with the friends he’s going to make. You can’t truly deny Kaito of something like that.

I know it seems harsh but I don’t think Kaito should have any friends. It’ll mean that he’ll spend time outside playing with them rather than focusing on what’s important. Having friends will only serve as an unnecessary distraction. Besides, you know how I feel about education.

I know, dear. You just want Kaito to have what you didn’t.

It wasn’t easy, you know. My father was part of the JSDF. We moved from town to town whenever he was needed until one day, he was killed in the line of duty. Kaito never got to meet his grandfather because of that but it also meant that I never got the chance to finish school. I had to take care of my mom by working odd jobs and doing what I could to support us. This also meant that without a degree, opportunities weren’t going to come easy for me. I only am what I am today because I was able to prove my knowledge to Mr. Karaki. If I hadn’t studied in my own time and became proficient in the field I wanted to make a career in, I don’t know what I would have done. I don’t want Kaito to have to go through something like that. I don’t want him to spend every waking moment wondering if today will be the day where everything will all fall apart as I did for so many years. I want him to have a proper education so he can be prepared for whatever the world throws at him.

I know, Yuuji… but I still think he should be allowed to have SOME freedom. He’s just a boy after all.

And so was I when everything changed. Granted, I was quite a few years older than Kaito but it still doesn’t change the fact that I had to grow up sooner than I should have. Besides… I’m not going to rob him of all of his fun. He’s very happy coming here. I figured it would be a nice reward whenever he brings home good marks on his scorecard. That’ll also teach him that rewards feel better when they are earned rather than just given to you whenever you want one.

I still don’t fully approve but it’s not like I don’t understand your reasoning. We can try it the way you want to. I just hope it doesn’t end up doing anything negative to Kaito. I’d hate for him to lose his precious smile.

As they sat there, the sun that was high overhead began its slow descent into the western horizon. The once bright, blue sky began to reveal the slight hints of dusk. The air became just that much cooler as the day’s heat source was fading away by the minute. That was their cue to call it a day.

Yuujiro stood up and called Kaito to come out of the water. Kaito pouted as he knew that playtime was over. He defiantly splashed his way over to his parents where Akane handed him a towel so he could dry himself off. With a perturbed look on his face, Kaito accepted the towel and wiped himself down before scurrying behind a bush to change back into his normal attire. Once he was ready, Yuujiro led the way while Kaito stuck close to Akane.

There was a small dirt trail that cut through the forest which led back to town. Karuizawa was quite quaint with a lot of homes settled in and scattered about the forest. There was a ‘downtown’ in the southern region that played home to a few businesses as well as the local schools. In the eastern region, there was a shrine where a local festival would take place to pay homage to a statue that was erected there. It was a wonderful affair where the townspeople would gather in their traditional kimonos to enjoy a day of food, socializing, and worship. The festival was a time-honored tradition for the town and it was recognized with great importance.

Beyond that was a lone road that led up into the mountains where there was another shrine embedded deep within it. Several times per year, people would make the trek up the path to pray, make a wish, bring an offering, or ask for the strength of the gods to protect them on their ventures. Since it was out of the way, visitors were often sporadic. Since the town had many elderly residents, the new shine in town was created to make it easier and more accessible for them. The old shrine was said to predate the town itself but was left there out of respect for the gods it symbolized.

The three of them reached the end of the path where Yuujiro had parked his car. Here, it opened up on the western side of the southern region of town. Kaito lived in the northeastern region in a small house beset inside of the edge of the forest. The drive home only took around five minutes as one of the nice things about Karuizawa was that everything, with the exception of the mountain shrine, was within easy walking distance. It could take someone only thirty minutes to walk from one side of the town to the other. Despite that, Yuujiro often drove them around as he felt using a car was a bit more convenient and time-saving.

After arriving back home, Kaito was the first to dart into the house. He opened the front door and unveiled a small, yet quaint home with a bit of a minimalistic feel to it. The first stop was the small foyer which had a single step leading into the main part of the house. Here, it was customary for the residents and guests of the home to remove their shoes so as to not track dirt throughout the home.

Once you entered the main house, you were in the kitchen. There was a small square table set in the middle with all of the cooking appliances to the left against the wall in which a small window was beset in the middle. To the right were a few pieces of furniture in the living room and a small CRT color television kitty-cornered in the back-right corner of the room. Going straight led to a small hallway. The bathroom was straight at the end of the hall. On the left was a set of sliding doors leading into Yuujiro and Akane’s master bedroom while there were two sets of sliding doors on the right. The first at the start of the hallway led to Kaito’s bedroom while the second at the of the hall led to a small laundry room.

There was no door to exit through the back of the house. If one wanted to do anything in the backyard, they would have to walk around the side. Realizing this, Yuujiro had laid down some small stone slabs that indicated a pathway around the left side and to the back. Their backyard wasn’t much to brag about, either. Being set inside of the woods, there was just a small clearing before you ran into a thick and dense patch of trees. 

It wasn’t uncommon for homes to be this small in Karuizawa. Most homes there were around the same size as it was a belief that you only needed a home and land sufficient to support your family size. Anything bigger than that would be considered wasteful. 

Once everyone was inside and settled, Akane instructed Kaito to go wash himself off while she began to make dinner. Akane decided to make grilled tuna fillet with wasabi and edamame for dinner. Kaito often enjoyed the taste of either pan-fried or grilled fish so she figured that this would be a good dinner to make. Kaito didn’t care for spice all that much; however, Yuujiro couldn’t get enough of it. Because of this, Akane would always leave the wasabi on the side, rather than garnishing the fish with it. 

It only took Kaito a few moments to get washed up. Dinner wasn’t quite ready so he decided to scamper over to the living room and sit down where his father simply sat there, relaxing. Taking notice of Kaito joining him, he decided to strike up a conversation.

Ready for your first big day of school tomorrow?

Akane let out an eternal sigh as she knew exactly where this conversation was heading. Kaito, on the other hand, was oblivious to his father’s intentions and simply shook his head ‘yes" with excitement.

Great! I’m happy that you’re excited to begin school! You’re going to learn a lot of basic things but you’re also going to learn a lot about the world. You must remember, Kaito, that no matter how big or small the things you learn are, all of it is important. Even some things that may seem boring are important, too. The reason why is because the more knowledge you have, the brighter your future will be. Just remember, Kaito… you can be anything you want in this life. Whatever you want to grow up to be, you can do that… but you can’t do it unless you have the knowledge.

Kaito simply smiled and nodded. The thought of being able to do whatever he wanted in life made him feel good. He knew that he was going to have to work hard in order to impress his father and to achieve the goals he would eventually make. 

Shortly after, Akane called the two of them over to the table for dinner. Having their fill, Yuujiro noted the time as it was around 7:30 PM. Feeling that Kaito could benefit from a good night’s rest, he suggested that he turn in early for the night. Of course, any child would pout over the thought of going to bed earlier than normal but Kaito recalled his father’s words and knew that going to bed early meant he would be fresh and ready for this first day of school. It still didn’t change the fact that he didn’t like the idea.

While Kaito laid there in bed, the dusk sky had faded into darkness. Only pale moonlight poured through his bedroom window, filling his room with a soft, ambient glow. Kaito’s mind began to race with thoughts about all of the possibilities that could open up to him once he learned about the world. Of course, only being six, Kaito’s thoughts weren’t as constructed as one would think. Simple thoughts of grandeur popped up one after the other… some of which made Kaito giggle to himself. It wasn’t uncommon for kids to shoot for the stars in their dreams and then change their minds later on when they grow up and become a little more mature. It appeared that Kaito would be no different.

Eventually,