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His face contorted with frustration, Enji exclaims, “Why can’t you be more like Daiki?”
Akira’s face flushes with shame and anger. He stands glaring at his father.
That was always the accusation when things didn’t go to plan, or he had not met his father’s expectations.
“Because he’s not.” Yuta interjects. Those quiet words edged with mild amusement, spoken by Akira’s uncle, creates an uncomfortable silence.
Yuta looks calmly at Enji in the eyes. “Akira is not Daiki. If you keep comparing Akira to his older brother, you are destroying Akira’s sense of self-worth. You are asking him to be someone else. It is a pointless exercise.”
Bristling with a trace of irritation, Enji turns to his older brother and states, “Yuta, please stay out of this. This is family business.”
“Enji, this is my business. Akira is my nephew and I hate to see him reduced to a poor copy of his older brother.” Yuta holds up his hand to stop Enji, “Sure, Daiki is talented there is no denying it. Akira is talented in his own way.” Yuta looks at Akira with compassion and smiling adds, “He has talents and qualities you have not yet seen and abilities that you cannot even imagine. So why compare him to someone he is not?”
A silence like glass hovers over the room. Akira is staring at his uncle with a look of incredulity. Enji goes to open his mouth, then realising that Yuta is his older sibling and a shaman of great renown, changes his mind and sits in silence, obviously brooding.