Part 1

Hiroka anxiously eyed his watch only to then look at the clock above his chalkboard. Last time they had a meeting she was very punctual, and though she had let him know in advance there was a possibility of her being late, it still made him nervous. He had an idea of what she wanted to talk to him about, but at this rate that man will walk into the middle of their conversation.

He tried getting his mind off things by shifting through the most recent assignments of his students.

“I feel sorry for stealing my older sister’s blankets, but they help me sleep at night, I’m not a bad person!”

“I broke my dad’s vase. I said I was sorry and he said it was okay, but I wish I didn’t.”

“I ate my lunch before lunchtime. I know I needed to wait, but I was hungry.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at the last one, children have the oddest confessions to make. He kept flipping through them, smiling, until he reached the one at the bottom of the stack. Before he could think about anymore, however, a loud crashing exploded from his left.

“Ex—cuse me,” gasped a woman, staggering through the door. “I am….so sorry…….I am late…”

“That’s no problem at all Miss Asahino.”

“Yes it is, it just…….took longer than I thought to check up on our dog at the vet. He injured himself…falling down a hill….”

“One of a kind, that Toshi.”

Straightening her composure, she looked at him. “You know his name?”

“I’ve run into your son a few times outside of school. He was walking his dog one of those days.”

“One of the times he was out with that girl you mean?”

…..ahh, she doesn't waste any time.

“Well, this particular time yes. He was.”

“That is what I came to talk to you about Eikyo Sensei. His relationship with that girl.”

“Of course,” he said, gesturing to an empty chair. “I thought it’d be something like that.”

The two were sitting in his classroom, the evening sun shining brightly through the window illuminating pictures, decorations, books, and of course, the two of them.

The days were starting to become warmer, and the environment around them reflected it. The air conditioning was on full blast and the always presentable Hiroka Eikyo folded up the sleeves of his dress shirt. As for the woman taking a seat, she was wearing a light blue dress jacket over a white blouse and long beige skirt.

For a woman so serious, she had a surprisingly feminine wardrobe. It complimented her.

“Eikyo sensei, forgive me for being blunt, but while I understand that this girl is in a precarious position from when we spoke last, it is no excuse for her behavior. I want her expelled for assaulting Yuuko.”

He looked forward with interest. “Assault you say?”

“Yes, assault.”

“That can’t……….she hasn’t hurt anyone in almost two weeks, the longest we’ve ever gone without a report against her.”

“If that is so, it is all the more reason to take disciplinary action towards this girl.” She pulled out her phone, and after tapping it a few times, presented the pictures on there.

“.........when was this?”

“I found it on him the day before yesterday. When I asked, he said it was an accident, but that it had come from the girl.”

“The day before yesterday……was the twenty-ninth.” he said, biting his thumb. “But just last night I found them talking and getting along with each other just fine- better than fine actually; better than I’d ever seen her get along with anyone.”

He looked from the image to her eyes. They were still and unmoving, an eerie golden reflection.

“Eikyo sensei, I understand this girl’s background is saddening, and I understand that you can not be responsible for what she does outside of school grounds. But I will not tolerate this.”

“You want her expelled from school….knowing what that could do to her? Knowing Yuuko is trying to help?”

“I do not care for a stranger, I care for my son.”

“Evidently, so does she.”

“What are you talking about? She assaulted him, left him battered!” Her tone was taking on a familiar hostility. “What do you mean she cares for him!?”

“I mean this.”

He flipped through papers in front of him and handed her the one at the bottom of the pile.

“What is this?”

“Their assignment from yesterday’s last class. The instructions were to write about an incident they feel guilty about, draw a picture of it, and write what they wish they could do to improve from that situation.”

“And why are you giving me her drawing?”

“Read the last part.”

She scanned the paper. At the top there was an explanation over her anger at a boy in a tree, below it was a picture of her throwing something at him. And in the final section of the assignment….there was only a sentence.

“……I wish I could say I’m sorry.”

“I should’ve realized sooner. He’s the only person she speaks to, albeit rarely and never during class.”

He leaned forward on his desk, studying what little expression he could see on her face before surrendering.

“Look, Miss Asahino,” he said standing from his chair. “I understand you want to see justice carried through for your son, and as a teacher I’m determined and obligated to see—”

“‘—what a boy should or should not do?’ Those were your words.” She said, setting the drawing in front of him. With that she stood up, the bangs of her hair making it impossible to meet her eyes. “See to it that this girl receives the punishment she deserves— expulsion. That is your obligation as a teacher. Good day.”

………….nothing?

Even after she saw the girl’s feelings first hand…nothing?

“Miss Asahino…. I’m asking you to reconsider……. just until her familial situation becomes resolved.”

“Her family is no excuse. The girl reaps what she sows, both with my son and the others she has almost assuredly hurt.”

“She’s a child!”

“Then resolve it. I believe this concludes our meeting.”

“Miss Asahino……….Miss Asahino…!”

His words fell on deaf ears as she turned to leave his classroom.

No...this can’t be right.

A child like Yuuko wouldn’t behave the way he does if his mother didn’t support him. Even if he learned from his father, his mother no doubt contributed….and she’s no doubt hesitating because of that reason.

To help anyone in need, even a violent little girl, he won’t let both their dreams die!

Don’t let her walk away!

Don’t let her walk away like this!!

His hands slammed the wood of the desk—

“I WON’T LET THAT HAPPEN! I WON’T ALLOW THE DREAMS OF TWO PEOPLE BE DESTROYED!”

—and she froze against the doorway.

There was a stillness in the air; heavy but permeable. He couldn’t remember when the last time he raised his voice was, it felt alien to him. But he was desperate.

Even from a distance, he could see her white knuckles wrapping around the handle of her bag.

“What do you mean by that?”

Her tone was as still as the air.

But he could still make it.

“I!…….I know what happened to Yuuko’s father, your late husband. He said it by accident one day, though it was my fault for mentioning his father. I didn’t know…I’m sorry.”

“…………………………”

“And….and I know that you understand it too. How your son is invoking his late father’s ideals because it’s the only way left he feels attached to him.”

He couldn't read the silence, he couldn’t read her. But she was still here, and that had to mean something.

“But you’re not alone. I…also understand where you’re coming from. My wife Mizuha was just like Yuuko and, to an extent, just like your husband. She believed in doing the right thing no matter the cost, in giving children inspiration to do good, to be kind. It’s the reason I’m so involved with the children, and she’s the reason I’m a teacher in the first place.”

“……………………………………”

“That’s why…….I won’t let the dreams of two people be trampled on! I won’t allow Mizuha and Yuuko’s ideals to disappear as if they’d never existed!”

“Yuuko's childhood should not suffer more than it already has because of her!” she erupted. “It is unfair to him!”

“He’s not the only one who’s suffering, but children who cope with their grief by helping other children don’t exist!”

“So you want to destroy his childhood to help mend hers!?”

“I don’t want either one of them to suffer, that’s why I’m trying to fix it!”

“Wh—!……”

For the briefest moment, she was stunned— the words catching in her throat as Hiroka stared down at the table.

“I don’t want either one of them to suffer…of course I don’t……why would I? I want both of them to keep their innocence as long as possible…”

“…………”

“The world is unfair enough as it is……children shouldn’t be involved in something like this……….”

“……no……..they should not....”

The room, which felt so tight that the air itself was suffocating, rapidly started losing its tension. Suddenly both of them found they could breathe a little lighter, and in Hiroka’s case, he found it easier to consider telling her the last thing on his mind.

He’d already come this far….maybe she, too, needed someone to share with.

“It feels impossible to move on, right? That’s why you still keep it on.”

In shock, Hikari found him analyzing the ring on her finger; she had unconsciously been twisting it in the silence.

“My wife was ill with our child…..neither of them made it. It feels impossible to move forward after something like that— when people irreplaceable to you leave. I understand. It took me months just to do something simple like take my ring off to clean it.”

“……how did you do it?”

He stood up once more, and she had retreated from the doorway to stand in front of him.

“To be honest, I still don’t know if I have. All I know is that I made a promise to Mizuha— a promise that children will hear of knights and of courage. So they can be inspired.”

“Inspired…?”

“One day, Yuya will need to answer to her actions, to the children she’s hurt. She’ll need to change who she is…because in her heart she’s not a bad girl. And while she learns to do that, I am going to do everything I can to fix the life she’s been unfairly given.”

“Unfairly? You know you’re also including me in that phrase, Eikyo sensei.”

The two of them abruptly turned to the doorway in surprise, as a man in a formal business suit stood there to greet them.

“Hello Eikyo, I see you’re talking about my daughter again.”

Hiroka madly wheeled around to check the time. He’d taken too long with Hikari, their meeting time bled over into the appointment he had with Yuya’s father.

“Mr. Itomei, apologies, I hadn’t realized the time.”

“None needed, I won’t be here for long since I figure I know what this is about.”

“Then you have heard our conversation, yes?”

The man sighed as he turned to face a rather young looking woman. “That’s correct. May I ask who you are?”

“Hikari Asahino, mother of Yuuko Asahino who I believe is well-acquainted with your daughter.”

“Believe me, I know.”

“Meaning?”

“……could you not glare at me like that please?”

“Meaning?”

“Hey hey, let’s just all have a seat and talk this through. Mr. Itomei, you’ve already met Miss Asahino; Miss Asahino this is Mr. Itomei— Yuya’s father who’s returned to the country and agreed to meet with me today.”

He pulled up three separate chairs to the front of the classroom, and after a moment of hesitation on behalf of both parents, they sat down.

“As I understood, Yuya is part foreign but you appear native Japanese.”

“You’re correct, she inherited her eyes and hair from her Scandinavian mother.”

“Then I take it you work abroad?”

“I just returned a few days ago.”

“And since you’re here,” Hiroka interjected. “Um, I really do apologize Miss Asahino, but since we’ll be talking about his daughter I—”

“No, it’s fine,” he said looking at neither of them. “This…concerns her child as well.”

“Given what Eikyo sensei and my son have told me, this girl seems to be in quite an abusive situation. It surprises me to hear you care so much about others’ concerns.”

She didn’t say it outright, but he could pick up on the tone of her speech.

“Please don’t confuse me for my wife or get the wrong impression of me, I care about my daughter and what she does.”

“Speaking of which,” Hiroka said before she could respond. “I take it Yuya’s grandmother will be staying in your home as per normal for your arrival?”

“While normally she helps…mitigate……my wife’s tendencies, this time—”

“Then it is true. Your wife abuses your daughter with full knowledge of this on your part.”

“….correct…”

“And you do nothing to stop her?”

“Don’t confuse my inaction for a lack of love for my daughter!”

“And yet you claim to love her, your daughter, who looked to you to protect her!”

Hiroka hadn’t known her for very long, only since the school year started, but he could tell of the love and care she had for her son. Her teeth were grit from the strain of holding back her words, even the reddening in her eyes was barely noticeable.

There was certainly a protective love in her golden eyes, but something else……something from her own life.

“I’d kindly ask you to refrain from speaking that way. You don’t know anything about my family or myself.”

“I do not need to know anything in order to understand the responsibility a parent has towards their child.”

And indeed he was right, her expression became replaced by something he didn’t quite know how to describe. Something personal.

“A child is meant to grow with their parent, they are to learn about right and wrong and feel they can depend on them for anything!”

Narrowing her eyes, her grit and tears had gone, but they left a genuine expression. An expression that poured everything into one single phrase.

“What kind of a man are you?”

Yet, even with this, nothing in the room seemed to change. There was no tension, no gravity, nothing around them that could be exploited to see the true reaction on the father’s face. Though they couldn’t put it into words, both understood the reason why.

The man’s face was one of acceptance, the tension was nonexistent because he couldn’t argue against those words; there was nothing to exploit because it seemed that he had long since accepted the fact he was a father in name only.

A smile in name only.

“This was a waste of time after all.” he sighed

“Please wait a moment!”

Hiroka quickly stopped the man before he could open the door all the way. The man stopped, but said nothing; he took his silence as a queue to continue.

“Mr. Itomei, on what you heard before, I was serious. I plan to help Yuya break away from her mother’s custody, and should you keep refusing to do anything— yours as well.”

“Good. My daughter staying with her grandmother should be a fine opportunity for you.”

“Staying with…what? Her grandmother always stays at your home while she’s in the city doesn't she?”

The man turned back. “Someone had to take the first step, so I rented an apartment. A stable household is a requirement for custody changes, and it’ll be necessary for when you help me take the second step.”

“The second step..?”

And in the shining light of the reddening sun, the man introduced to them a very old woman standing behind the sliding door.

“A very good evening to you both,” she spoke, bowing. “And thank you for looking after my granddaughter all this time.”

Part 2

He really was an idiot.

Normally he’d have tried talking to her a dozen times by now, but the school day was almost over and he hasn’t said a word. Granted, she doesn't normally respond to him……but she might’ve today. Hearing the whispers surrounding them, she knew what people were saying.

Not about her, but about him.

Yuuko had been so popular the first few weeks of school, everyone in the class talked to him at least twice, but now they keep their distance. She couldn’t tell when it started, she just picked up on today since he hasn’t said a word.

It’s probably my fault……everything always is.

That’s why, today, maybe she might’ve considered talking to him, but he was mute.

Looking to the desk on her left, she could only see a single word highlighted on his word search handout even though he kept scratching the back of his head in frustration looking for them. She was nearly finished with her own and would’ve shared if he acted like normal.

So, on top of being an idiot, he was also a dumb idiot.

“…….keeps looking at him…”

“….kinda gross……..right?”

She could hear the girls from the front rows talking while looking back at her. They quickly turned around when she glared, but that didn’t stop them from talking. And, of course, Yuuko didn’t notice. He was still scratching his head trying to find words, but this time he used both hands.

She wondered if he even knew what people were saying about him. And just like that, the answer hit her sudden and hard.

“Alright everyone!” declared their energetic homeroom teacher. “Pass your papers and word searches to the front! Please be careful not to fold them!”

Yeah, that’s why he stopped talking to me...there’s no way he hasn’t noticed… it was just a matter of time.

Sulking, she felt someone tap on her left shoulder. She hesitantly turned to find Yuuko pointing to a folded piece of paper by her feet.

“It’s not mine! And sensei told us not to fold them, idiot!”

In silence, he responded by pointing at it once more with much more vigor. Sighing, she picked it up and unfolded it.

“Oh no, someone found my note! I hope this someone has green eyes so I could tell them to meet me by the tree after school today! I have something super important to tell her, so she definitely needs to be there. Please?”

“Wha—what the heck is this!?”

“Yuya,” Eikyo pointed out. “Let’s try to use our inside voices, okay?”

She mumbled her words as the boy next to her returned to paying her no mind.

* * * * *

The sky was a mix of slate gray tinted black as she waited by her tree. As soon as class ended, Yuuko disappeared and she’d been unable to find him. She could’ve if she’d waited at the entrance, like she’s done before, but the note told her to meet by the tree.

The time between class and the end of school gave her time to think about whether or not she should meet Yuuko. Part of her wanted to ignore him and leave for home, since at least her dad was there, but he’d probably show up and bug her all over again.

“Wait a second—! How’d he find out where I live anyway?!”

He never ended up telling her how he found her house even though she’d asked. Granted, they had more important things to do at that time, but still.

…whatever……

The thing she couldn’t take her mind off of was him ignoring her all day today; after helping her so much yesterday, today it seemed like she didn’t exist at all. She was sure it was because of the bad things people were saying about him, because he hangs around her, but then he suddenly throws a note at her saying he wants to meet her.

“Geez…what’s wrong with him……”

She started kicking at the ground, but it didn’t take long for her to stop because of the ridiculous sight happening in front of her.

“No seriously…what’s wrong with him?”

Just beyond the convenience store was a kid with a gray backpack and messy hair walking backwards towards her. He had to look behind every once in a while to make sure he was going the right way, but he never met her eyes. He kept at it until he was a few feet away from Yuya, and then just stood there without looking at her or saying anything.

“What are you doing?”

“………………”

“Hey— you complete dummy! I’m asking you what you’re doing!”

“………………………………”

“Pay attention to me when I’m talking to youuuu!!!” she declared as she threw her backpack with all the might she could muster.

Books and papers scattered everywhere, but the actual bag seemed to have hit her target perfectly.

“Oww!” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “You did not need to throw that!”

“You were ignoring me! Even after telling me to come here!”

“Aah! That is right, I can talk now since you were the one to see me first and we are not at school!”

“What do you mean ‘now’? And what does being at school have to do with anything?”

Yuuko paid her no mind as he began picking up the papers scattered about the ground, which caused another outburst on behalf of the girl.

“But Yuya, if we do not pick up your papers they will get dirty.”

“W-Who cares!”

“I do.” he said as he handed her a stack and grabbed another. “Hnm? Wait, is this the drawing assignment Mr. Eikyo gave us two da—”

“—aaAaAAAHHHH!!” she yelled, nearly ripping the paper in half. “Fine! Whatever! I’ll help you!”

The two wordlessly collected Yuya’s belongings, dropping them in her bag. She tightened the string along the seams at the bottom, securing everything inside.

“Why do you not buy a new backpack?”

“Because mom says it’s a waste of money.”

“Ooh. Then, did you make the string at the bottom?”

“No, my grandma sewed it on cause stuff kept falling.”

“I see. Then why do you not also learn sewing?”

“Because sewing is something girls do, idiot!”

Yuuko scratched his head. “But you are—”

“—plus,” she interrupted. “She tried to teach me one time, but mom told her never to do it again……boys don’t need to learn that kind of stuff.”

“Oh…”

“What did you want to tell me?” she said as she stood up.

He opened his mouth to respond but felt something wet against his tongue. He looked up and another drop fell against his forehead. Then his cheek. Then everywhere at once. The two quickly ran underneath the tree, and in no time at all, rain began falling at a steady pace from the slate gray sky.

“Great, just great.”

“The rain might get worse……OH! Yuya, come over to my home! We can wait for the rain to go away and I can show you!”

“What?! No way! And show me what?!”

“I do not live far from here. Plus, I did not bring an umbrella.”

She was about to reject his offer again before the sudden thought of the alternative crept into her mind.

And at least he’s talking again…

“Fine. I’ve got no choice so whatever, let’s just go.”

“Alright, follow me!”

The two bolted out of the tree with bags above their heads, racing along the concrete. The bottom of their pants began soaking up the water, but it didn’t weigh them down. Running as fast as their tiny legs could carry them, they arrived just as the rain began picking up force. Yuuko briefly struggled with the lock before the door flew open, spilling both children inside. He had a much harder time closing it due to the wind, but once locked, the sound of muffled rain was the only thing heard from the inside of the home.

Yuuko looked down at himself, then at Yuya, and began to laugh.

“Hey wha— what’s so funny!?”

“I-I meaahahah, w-we—we’re so wet ahahaha!”

“It’s not funny!”

“Itahah-it— it kind of is hahahaha!”

“It’s not!————”

“Ahahum...um, Yuya? What’s wrong?”

“…………………………”

“Yuya?”

“………that’s…………the first time I’ve heard you laugh…”

He looked shocked at her words before looking at his hands with the faintest smile.

“I guess it is.”

“Guess?”

“Wait here, I’ll bring some towels!”

He hurriedly took off his shoes and rushed into a door further down the hall. The quiet gave her time to take in the surroundings of the home. There was a small kotatsu and sofa in the living room, and a table in the kitchen, but other than that it wasn’t well furnished; in fact it had a lot less furniture then her own house.

But there were so many more pictures.

There were pictures on the hallway, by the stairs, in the living room, even one hanging beside the front door— though it looked more like a drawing than a photo. Squinting, she could make out one particular frame with three people hanging by the kotatsu. She wanted to investigate but—

“—here you go!”

With a beige towel on his head, Yuuko handed her a fluffy green one.

“Thanks….”

In silence, the two dried themselves off as best they could. While their hair and clothes were still damp, it wasn’t nearly as bad as when they entered. Yuuko threw an extra towel on top of the puddle of water that had collected at the doorway before turning around and inviting Yuya inside.

But to his surprise, she didn’t move.

“I can’t.”

He scratched the back of his head. “But...why not?”

“I..don’t want to make a mess.”

“But we’re all dry—”

“—my socks.”

“....huh?”

“My socks!” she repeated vexingly. “...my socks are wet. I tried drying them but….”

He looked down at his own— dry and snug as can be. He hadn’t noticed his shoes didn’t let any of the rain in, he took them off without thinking as soon as he got inside. On the contrary, even after drying, hers looked moist and uncomfortable.

“Wait here!” Without stalling, he rushed down the hall and came back with another, smaller, towel. “Dry your feet with this! I’ll be back!”

He didn’t wait for her response before running up the stairs, leaving her, much to her annoyance. She did as she was told, making a fuss as she wiped her feet, but it wasn’t long before he came back down holding the fuzziest pair of socks she’d ever seen.

The design was strange. They had what looked like silver twine at the ankle and a cat with the widest grin she’d ever seen stitched to the side. It wasn’t until he brought them closer that she saw a giant hat at the front of the foot attached to the twine by a silver lining.

“pf… pfff……. pppffffFTTTAHAHA! WHAT IS THAT AHAHAHA!”

“Don’t laugh! These are the only ones I haven’t worn!”

“But l-l-look at them ahahaha! They’rehaha, so weird hahahaha!!”

Yuuko began to blush. “These came with the book my mom bought! Just— put them on..”

She did as requested, to which Yuuko asked, “How do they feel?”

She moved her toes around, making the design move in odd ways.

“They feel……warm.”

“I’m glad,” he said, giving her a smile. “They look great on you Yuya!”

“………………”

“Yuya?”

“HMPHH!”

“OWW! What’d you kick me for?”

“Don’t say weird things like that all of a sudden!”

“It wasn’t weird!”

“Yes it was!” she huffed. “Anyway, are we going to finish reading the story?”

“Can you…ask nicely? Please?”

“I don’t need to——!”

“……………?”

“…………………”

“………………………?…”

“………………………………”

“…………………………………?……”

“Can we………finish the story……please?”

He gave a soft grin. “It’s in my room, come on.”

Part 3

She didn’t mean to awe at the room, but she couldn’t help herself. There were shelves of books lining the entire right side of the room, and at least half of the left side. A table with worksheets piled neatly on top was in the middle of the wooden floor while a bed sat idly behind it. Everything was much brighter than her own room.

“It should be somewhere on the shelf, I’ll look for it!”

She completely ignored him as she reached for the table and found completed homework. For multiple classes. Some of which weren’t due for another few days.

“You have books everywhere and all your homework done! How are you still so stupid?!”

“What does that even mean!?”

“You couldn’t even find two words in the wordsearch Eikyo sensei gave us!”

“I!……don’t…know why I couldn’t….” he admitted. “But you don’t have to be so mean about it Yuya….”

“Nhhng!”

Hurriedly putting the notes away, she walked over to the other side of the room, pretending to browse through the books.

“H-Hey..”

“Yeah?”

“H-How’s…um..how’s Toshi doing?”

“Oh……Uhh, he’s good, I guess. My mom took him to the vet people yesterday, they said he would be okay but might need to stay there a long time.”

“Why?”

“He was sick when I found him. Back then, the vet people said that maybe it was something the last owners did. Or maybe it was because he was all by himself for so long. I don’t remember what, exactly, but they gave me medicine that I have to give him.”

“Oh…” She swallowed her saliva. “That’s……I hope he gets better.”

“Thanks.”

“…………”

“………………”

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

“About earlier I…………………………… I’m sooaaAAGHHH!”

A cascade of books cut her off as they overwhelmed her. She’d pulled too hard on one particular book lodged in place, and when it fell, so did the others around it. Yuuko immediately rushed to her side.

“Yuya, hey! Are you okay!?”

“Stupid books!” she said, rubbing her back.

“Sorry about that, but you need to be careful. Are you okay?”

“Yeah yeah,” she said getting up. As she smoothed out her clothes, Yuuko began picking them up. She’d started to help, but one book in particular stood out from the rest. Yuuko noticed her curiosity, saying *wait!* but it was too late.

“The Promises of a Hero?”

“It’s…an old story.”

“But what’s it about?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s not about nothing, what’s it about?”

She violently shook the book, demanding a response, when three separate sheets of paper fell out of the cover. Each one of them had handwriting she didn’t recognize, filling each line to the point there wasn’t any blank space left.

“What is this?”

“Don’t touch that!”

She barely had time to reach down before Yuuko threw himself on top of them. Grabbing each one, he stuffed them back into the cover after snatching the book away from her hands.

She’d never seen him react that way before.

“What’s your problem!?”

“It’s nothing okay! Notes— that’s it!”

She silently fumed, her face and neck reddening; she could feel heat radiate from her hands. She wanted to say something. Something to get back at him.

“I knew it.” she seethed. “I knew you were a liar!”

“A liar?”

“You’re nothing but a liar! I never asked to be here, and I never asked for your help!”

“What are you..?”

“YOU’RE A TERRIBLE PERSON! FOR SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO HELP, YOU’RE A TERRIBLE PERSON AND THAT MAKES YOU A LIAR!”

“…………”

She sat there, gasping for breath and noting his reaction. It felt so good for her to say those things, and for an instant she felt lighter, even happy.

But only for an instant.

She noticed the redness around his eyes as he frantically wiped them with the towel still resting on his hair.

The happiness began disappearing, replaced by something...dirty. It felt like something was rotting inside her. It was nasty, filthy, and it reminded her of—

“Haggh!? Why the hell would I read to you? Boys don’t do that, so suck it up and act like one!”

Still wiping his eyes, he opened the cover and tilted it in her direction, showing her the contents of the notes. But she closed it almost immediately, causing him to look at her in confusion.

“I…………don’t talk to people. So………Yuuko………………thank you…for being my friend.”

He wiped the redness away from his eyes before speaking.

“You’re supposed to say ‘I’m sorry’.”

“I—”

“—mother says that you should only say sorry when you won’t ever do the bad thing again. If you’ll do it again, could you just be nicer?”

“I…………don’t want to do it again…”

“……that’s like a promise then.”

She found it odd he brought up promises all of a sudden, but didn’t ask what he meant. As the two of them held the book between them, Yuuko asked. “Do you really think I’m a liar?”

“No……and I don’t think you’re a bad person either.”

“So if you didn’t mean it, shouldn’t you say sorry?”

“…………”

“……………………”

“S….soo…….so…”

She looked down, trying to hide her face as best she could. Her mouth twisted into odd shapes as she formed the word.

“Soooooooooooo………cks!”

“H..uh?”

“Socks! Look, the picture on the cover! Here!” she said, kicking one of the books on the floor. “The cover has the same weird cat as the socks! Is this the book you talked about?! This is it, right!?”

Her tone was frantic, but lighthearted. Yuuko wiped away the remaining redness stinging his eyes and after putting away the book he held, picked it up with a soft, and amused, smile.

“Yeah, this is the book my mom bought that the socks came with. I didn’t like it since there’s not any heroes, but it’s a weird story.”

He handed her the book which she read aloud. “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland?”

“We can read it if you want. The main character is actually our age, so it’s pretty cool to read!”

“She is..?”

“Yeah, I’ll show you!”

The two of them sat down on his bed, but not before Yuya picked up her fallen towel, positioning it precisely on her head once more.

“Why are you putting it back on? Isn’t your hair already dry?”

“I hate this part of my hair!” she said, tugging at an ahoge firmly standing in the middle of her hair. “It never goes down, and I can feel it pointing up! It’s annoying!”

“You feel it...pointing up?”

“Yes! So I’m keeping this on to push it down.”

He had a feeling she’d tried that before, but remained silent. The two of them sat on the edge of his bed, opening the first pages of the Wonderland book. Yuuko read the story, further adding detail to certain parts by repeating what his parents had told him when they first read it. After going through the first few chapters, Yuya made a remark over the dress in the pictures, calling it old fashion and ugly.

“Look at it! You can’t hit people in that thing!”

“I-I don’t think you’re supposed to hit people in the first place.”

“Whatever. The point is that it looks ugly and makes her look weak.”

“Really?” He said, bringing his face closer to the book. “I don’t think she looks weak. Actually, she looks a little like you.”

“Wh—! Haaghhhh?!” She yanked the book from him, holding it against her face. “I look nothing like her! I have black hair— this girl is blonde! Even our eyes are different! She’s blue, I’m green!”

“Well, yeah” he said, taking hold of the book. “But look at the face. You guys kind of look alike……OH!” he hit his fist against the palm of his hand, though not noticing the girl next to him flinch. “Look, she has a ribbon...err, I think it’s a ribbon? But if I find one, I bet you’ll look more alike!”

“I DON’T— BOYS DON’T— HEY—— WhERE ARE YOU GOING?! HEY!!”

He’d already fled the room by the time she finished talking, leaving her to herself.

“What an idiot…” she said, pulling her knees to her chin and crossing her arms. “A ribbon…”

“Yuya, sweetheart, look what I found! Oh you’ll look absolutely lovely in this, I know you will! All the boys will be flocking, aah! You’ll have to beat them away like I used to!”

“Grandma!”

“Ohoho, forgive me deary. But say, don’t you want to try this on? It was my own hair pin you know, I wore when I was your age!”

“You wore that?”

“Of course! Back then, clothes were expensive, and accessories more so! That’s why your grandmother hand-knit this passion flower to wear in her hair!”

“Will….mom say it’s okay?”

“Maybe not, but let’s just keep it a secret between us, okay?” she winked.

A few days after that, mom ended up finding it. She kicked grandma out and made me cut it apart with scissors...even though grandma made it so long ago……

“Is this…okay?”

“FOUND IT!” he said, stumbling into the room. “Well, I couldn’t find a ribbon, but I found a hair pin! Look!”

He held out a small hair pin in the shape of a flower. A deep purple made up the bulk of the outer petal, while white and yellow colors made the inner layers.

“The girl doesn't wear any hair pins.”

“I know, I couldn’t find any ribbons but then I thought, ‘hey— I know what she could use this for!’”

Before she could ask, both of them turned towards the direction of the front door downstairs; the sound of a key being turned in a lock was the only thing they could hear.

Part 4

“HELLO— ahh, h-hello mother. How..are you?”

“Hello Yuuko, I am glad to be home.” she said sternly. “Now, please explain to me why the first thing I see when I come inside are two towels dropped on the floor.”

“I…um……was wet.”

“Uh-huh. So naturally you grabbed three towels to dry yourself?”

“Three?” He spoke in a confused tone before looking up and removing the third still in his hair.

She sighed. “Clean this up, I’ll go get the washing machine ready.”

“Y-Yes! I will!”

As soon as she was out of sight, he bolted up the stairs, lugging a fairly large carrying bag with a green towel over the top. He made sure to be extra careful pulling it along the edges of the stairs, and thankfully managed to make it to the bottom without his mother noticing.

At least, he thought she didn’t notice.

“My oh my, what have we here?”

“IIIT’S, aH, nothing mom— honest!”

“Mom?”

“Mother!”

He tried his best to hide it behind his legs, but it was no use. His mother loomed over the bag before tugging back the cover.

Had she seen this scenario under different circumstances, Hikari couldn’t help but think she’d be laughing. Before her was a girl, clearly the same age as Yuuko, but far, far older. Her cheeks had a slight hollowness to them while the tender skin around her eyes already had signs of baggage. Her clothes were too big for her, on top of being severely aged and worn. But what hurt most was seeing the skin wrapping so tightly around the bones of her wrist; she was so frail…this child.

Like a flower that’s been left all by its lonesome.

“Mom please, I brought her here, it’s all my—!”

He quieted his words as soon as his mother held a finger out to him— a gesture of silence, yet she didn’t even look at him. She folded her lengthy skirt as she crouched to meet the girl’s eyes.

“You must be the girl who hurt my son.” she said, oddly stoic.

The girl wouldn’t meet her eyes. She just stayed in the bag, covering her arms. But Hikari saw something she definitely recognized— the trembling; the look when someone tries to control their shuddering body. It took her years to control her own.

“If I recall, your name is Yuya— yes?”

“……………………………”

“Yuya, my name is Hikari. Hikari Asahino. I think your last name is ‘Itomei,’ right?”

“………………………………”

“Hmmm……Yuuko?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Can you bring me a mirror please? In my bathroom, one of the small ones?

“Yes…I am on it….” he hesitated for a moment, looking to his mother, then Yuya, before taking off.

Once he was gone, Hikari made a difficult face before commenting to a confused Yuya. “I forgot that he takes after me when it comes to looking for things……” She took off her bag and rummaged through before handing something to the girl.

“Here, hold this please,”

“Umm……………why…?”

“That’s a beautiful hair clip.”

Yuya’s eyes went wide as she retreated further into the bag. Without looking, she timidly opened her hand to give the clip back to its rightful owner, and braced herself for what she knew was coming.

Her eyes squeezed impossibly shut as she waited. And waited.

Her body reacted with confusion when what came wasn't a sharp pain, but warmth, pressing softly against the side of her head.

Though instinctively flinching away, she hesitantly opened her eyes, and in doing so, her fears disappeared. Because she saw a beautiful woman with bright golden eyes smiling as she played with her hair.

“There, all done.”

She stared in confusion until Hikari put her hands underneath her own, helping Yuya lift the mirror in her hands. Her hands moved away on their own, but the woman continued helping, ever so gently. In her reflection, she saw on the right side of her head a small, purple flower made of glass; holding a piece of hair in place. Using the mirror to follow it up, she noticed something at the top of her hair was missing.

“Us ladies need to do our best to look sharp after all.”

The woman said that with a smile on her face.

She couldn’t find any words to respond with, but fortunately she didn’t need to.

“Mother, I am sorry it took me so long but I found…it…..”

“Thank you Yuuko. Oh, I need to go somewhere with Yuya, okay? I will not be long.”

“YUYA YOUR HAIR THING IS GONE!”

The girl stared at him in confusion, but Hikari could tell she wasn’t completely in the moment.

“Yuuko, Listen when people are speaking to you! How many times do I need to say?”

“S-Sor—err….excuse me mother. But, um, isn’t it still raining?”

“The rain let up quite a while ago, it seemed it was only a strong shower.”

“Aaah! In that case—in that case can I come with you guys!”

“No.”

“Pleeeassssseee?”

“No. You still have cleaning up to do.” she said, pointing to the towels.

“But—”

“No.”

“Hpphmmmmmm!…………fine.”

“There’s my son.” she said, placing her hands together in a small laugh.

The girl followed the mother and son with her eyes before touching the side of her hair again. It was then that the woman offered her hand.

“Now then, Yuya, would you come with me? There is someone I think you will want to see.”

* * * * *

The woman made a phone call before they left the house, though Yuya couldn’t make out the faint words.

“Now,” she said, holding out her hand, “it is dangerous to walk alone at night. Thankfully the place we are going is not very far, but still.”

The girl looked very much like she wanted to object, but something about the woman made her think it was okay. It wasn’t like when her own mother tells her to do something, those times she felt too scared to disobey. This felt more like……even if she said no, it would be okay. But she didn’t want to say no? But she also wanted to?

Her head began to spin, and she reluctantly took her hand for support. As they walked, even when the dizziness had stopped, she didn’t let go.

“Your teacher speaks very highly of you Yuya.” she said, making conversation.

“…………?”

“He says that you try hard in his class, even though you do not like other teachers or the subjects he teaches.”

“…………………”

“It makes him, Eikyo, very happy.”

“………………………”

The familiar streets around her changed into something a bit more urban. There were still houses, but a lot taller, with a lot of doors in them. It was a bit unfamiliar, but was close enough to where she’d always lived that she could probably find her way back without much of a struggle.

“We have arrived.”

Before them was a brightly lit street with occasional stores and a few people walking about in the hours of the early night. One particularly familiar woman stood by the swing set next to a tall building with lots of doors. That woman was—

“—grandma!”

An old woman with gentle wrinkles spread her arms wide as the girl ran into her arms.

“Ohhh deary, it’s so wonderful to see you again!”

“Pardon me it took so long to arrive. I have only been to this area a handful of times.”

“No need to worry yourself my dear, I’m just so happy you’re kind enough to help my granddaughter.”

“Grandma grandma!” the girl bounced. “What are you doing here!?”

“Your dad and mom have to work some things out, so you’re going to sleepover at my apartment for a little while!”

“Aaaah! Grandma, this huge place is called an apartment? We have it all to ourselves!?”

“Oohohoho, no no my dear, many people live in this building— we just get a room all to ourselves.”

“Oooh, that’s okay too!”

The elderly woman gasped all of a sudden, frightening Hikari, but it wasn’t long before she understood its purpose.

“Yuya! Oh my goodness dear, is that a pin in your hair? You look absolutely beautiful with it!”

The little girl blushed at those words, but her grandmother continued.

“It’s lovely! Where did you get it? Your mother hasn’t seen has she?”

The girl slowly turned to face the woman silently standing to one side. She found it difficult to meet her eyes, and opted for staring at her knees. Thankfully, her grandmother knew exactly what this meant.

“Oh, Miss Asahino dear, thank you ever so much for the kind gift! Yuya, did you say ‘thank you’ to her for giving you the nice hair pin?”

“I………n-no…”

“Yuya, that’s no way for a good girl like you to act. Go on then, what do you say to someone when they do something nice for you?” She nudged her granddaughter forward, taking tiny paces forward.

Yuya fidgeted at the fingers, thinking of what to say. Even if she could think of something, she just couldn’t meet the woman’s eyes.

“………but you need to stop looking down……”

He’s so annoying……and that’s why………

She took a deep breath, and looked up.

“Umm…t-thank you Miss Asahino……for the pin. I…really like it.”

“My my,” Hikari said, putting a hand to her cheek. “You are most certainly welcome Yuya. I do hope this means you will not bully my son anymore.”

“Hngh!...I…..um………”

“She’s going to do better,” said her grandmother patting her on the back. “Can you promise that to Miss Asahino, Yuya?”

“……I…………”

“Before you decide,” Hikari interrupted, “I want you to ask Yuuko what a promise means. Can you do that for me?”

“Okay…I can ask.”

The smile was her response before addressing the grandmother once more.

“I should take my leave before it gets late.”

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. Please, pray that my son is able to get me custody of Yuya. Against that woman, it may take a miracle, but I believe in miracles.”

“Miracles huh………o-oh, yes, of course,” she said, bowing.

“Yuya, where are your manners?”

“Aah, right. Thank...thank you very much Miss Asahino.”

“Not at all.”

With that, Hikari departed their home, leaving the two alone. As they were about to enter their apartment room, Yuya’s grandmother pointed to a strange looking flower. At her request, Yuya plucked it, only for her to return and see her grandmother smile.

“A miracle.”

“Grandma?”

“That’s one of the meanings this flower has,” she said, putting it on the other side of her granddaughter’s hair. “It’s the same one as your pin.”

Part 5

It was the middle of the night when Yuya woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling. For a moment she panicked, but the scent of her grandmother’s perfume alerted her to the fact she wasn’t home.

Yes. She panicked because she heard her voice. That’s what woke her up.

“Wretched old hag, I KNOW HE’S HERE! WHERE’S MY SON!?”

“Meyoshi, calm down. Yuya is safe, but I will not—”

“—don’t you lie to me Azuka.” Yuya’s grandmother could practically see the venom dripping from her words. “I see the way you look at me, your hateful rejection of anyone who’s different. My son will be the change this country needs and you will not stop me from taking that first step.”

Yuya could hear clothes, trinkets, even furniture being tossed and thrown around. It didn’t stop, not until she opened the last door, the one to her bedroom.