Part 1

She remembered. All the times she’d done as her mother asked, she remembered why she did it.

The way she instantly pacified and calmly approached Yuya didn’t match the way she gripped her wrist, dragging her out of the futon and into the light of the living room.

“Meyoshi, leave the child be! This is between you and myself, that girl has no—”

“He is a boy,” she said, staring at her child. “And boys do not wear hairpins, do they Yuya?”

She stood in silence, her eyes wide. Her mother tried yanking the pin from her hair, but it caught on the course tangles of the interwoven hair. With no other choice, she wrenched it straight from the source, tearing the hair strands from her scalp.

“IIAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

“Meyoshi, enough! Leave or I will call the police!”

“Call them.” she said in her ever stoic tone. “Let them investigate, I have nothing to hide. Everything I do is legal in this country, and if not, it’s a simple matter of cultural difference.”

Yuya could see her tossing the pin to one side. Blood streamed down the side of her ear; she could feel coarse patches of prickles beneath warm liquid.

“Yuya, dear, come with me! We’ll be able—”

“Yuya, you know the punishments for disobeying your guardian, don’t you?”

The little girl was still hyperventilating from the pain. When she didn’t respond, her mother crouched down, grabbing her cheeks with one hand.

“Boys don’t cry. Are you crying Yuya?”

“N-No. I’m not.”

“You remember your punishments then?”

“………yes.”

“Good, now calm down and toughen up.”

The elderly woman watched in horror as Yuya’s pain became replaced with fear. Her breathing was much too quick, much too silent.

“…I’m ready.”

“Good.”

The old woman couldn’t see the backside of Meyoshi’s hand, she swung too quickly. But she saw her granddaughter’s head twist horribly to the side as spit ejected the side of her mouth, plastering the wall. She heard the sound, clear as day— a visceral secondhand pain filled her while Yuya didn’t make a sound.

Azuka nearly vomited.

“Now tell your dear old grandmother where you’re going to go.”

“Home………bye grandma.”

Without another word, and without so much as looking at her grandmother, Yuya left the apartment, not bothering with her backpack. The door closed with a loud clasp, and the two of them were alone once more.

“One day you’ll thank me. It may look ugly now, but good things can come from mistakes. In my case, the good would be making progress on Yuya.”

“By the Lord Almighty— Meyoshi, that girl will be out of your hands by next week. I will make sure of it.”

“Whatever you say,” she said, blithely. “Now, I need to get that boy home. I have important business later.”

With a coy smile, she waved goodbye and slipped through the door. All that was left in the tattered apartment was Azuka Itomei picking up her phone. Yet, the person on the other end couldn’t understand her through her tears.

Part 2

Yuuko hesitated asking the question of his teacher; he had a look on his face he’d never seen before, and he kept mumbling to himself.

“……bad….this rate it’ll………”

“Umm, sensei?”

“Can I?……courts wouldn’t………”

“Sensei, umm..?”

Maybe he had trouble hearing him, but the school day had already come to an end and there were no other kids in the classroom. He had trouble thinking that it was because he wasn’t loud enough, but it happened to his mother once, so he had to try.

“EIKYO SENSEI!”

“OH!...oh Yuuko. Can I help you with anything?”

“Sensei………Yuya was not at school today. Is she okay?”

Hiroka knew he’d have to deal with this sooner or later. It’d be better to get it out of the way now rather than Yuuko doing something impulsive. He let out a heavy sigh as he pushed himself away from his desk, leaning down to confront his student.

“Yuya……is in a difficult spot. We’re close to permanently helping her, but she’s having some trouble. She might not be at school for a little while.”

“Is she in trouble with her mom?”

“She….talked to you about it?”

“No sir, I saw. I went to her house and her mom was going to hit her.”

………so much for him doing something impulsive.

He was at a loss. The only thing he’d told Yuuko was that she had special circumstances, yet he managed to get right into the thick of her problems. To say that he threw a wrench into his expectations would be an understatement.

But at the same time, from a legal standpoint, this doesn't affect anything. Azuka Itomei can still take custody of Yuya if an ironclad case is presented. It would be so much easier if—

“Sensei..? Does this mean she is in trouble?”

It came back again. Her words always did.

“One day they’ll face cruelty. Hiroka, please, tell them they can change. Tell them about the brave knights from the stories, be a role model for them.”

“Mizuha….I can’t—”

“I’m sorry you have such a selfish wife…but if it’s you, I know my dream can come true.”

She held tight to his hand. He could barely feel her strength.

“Yuuko, what do you know about Yuya’s family?”

“Um, nothing really. I know her mom hits her, and she calls Yuya a boy, but I do not know why.”

“And when did you visit her home?”

“I….a few days ago I think? I do not remember very well…”

He let out another sigh at what he was about to say, but went forward anyway.

“Yuuko, I told you Yuya had special circumstances, right? Her mother isn’t like yours. Instead, she sees Yuya as a mistake that can be used.”

“…I don’t think I get it.”

“It means her mother hurts her, and for reasons I don't know, also wants Yuya to become a boy. What I’m doing right now is working with her grandmother so Yuya can live with her from now on, not her mom or dad. We’re so close to succeeding, but there are still problems left.”

“But…you can fix it, right? You can definitely help her?”

“Things would be so much easier if she had two Japanese parents, but having a foreign one complicates things.” he said, as if he didn’t hear him. “No lawyer has the gall to take on a case like this without indisputable evidence since the process of custody becomes infinitely more complicated with a foreign parent!”

Yuuko eyes his teacher as he began pacing back and forth.

“And of course discrimination is an easy defense to hide behind, much easier to dispute than anything else! Not to mention being in the position of teacher means media attention, then the school gets in trouble because they believe we’re discriminatory! It’s so frustrating not being able to help a child that just needs someone to care for her!” He slammed his fist against the wall, making a hollow *thud* noise.

“I’m sorry Yuuko,” he said, fully aware of what he’d just done. “Just...forget all that.”

“Can I help?”

He turned around, holding a composed smile. “Yuuko, you’ve done so much more than anyone could ask of you. But this time, it’ll be up to us. We already have a plan.”

“But..I want to help her.”

He leaned down. His student’s face was one of sincerity and something else. He recognized the early signs of bearing another’s burden.

“There are things a boy should, and should not, do. It’ll be alright, Yuuko, and I’m glad to see your heart is in the right place.”

And……I’m sure your father would be very proud of you.

Part 3

It was Saturday morning when Yuuko’s mother rejected his proposal.

“But I want to help!”

“The answer is no.”

“Why not?”

“Because I do not want you near this woman.”

“But I already met her!”

And it was Saturday morning when he said something he shouldn’t have.

He regretted the words as soon as they left his lips, as his mother set down the ingredients she was using to prepare breakfast.

“....Yuuko, when did you meet this woman?”

“No I—! That isn’t what I meant!”

“Yuuko,” she said slowly approaching him. “When and where?”

“No I…!”

His eyes darted around the kitchen; anywhere was better than meeting his mother’s eyes.

“Yuuko.”

He clenched his fists. “I!……will tell you if you tell me how to help you and Eikyo sensei!”

He didn’t look up, not daring after that outburst. He knew what he said, but since his teacher wasn’t willing to let him do anything either, this was his only option.

“You know that I am…? Yuuko, does this mean your teacher told you about Yuya living with her grandmother?”

“He said… that you are helping them, but he wouldn't let me do anything.” He sulked. “He said there are things I should and shouldn’t do. Helping Yuya is something I shouldn’t do anymore. He said I did everything I could.”

“I see,” she said, trying to hide her parting lips. “He said that….what a relief he said that……”

To his surprise, his mother didn’t look angry. That’s right…. his mother never really gets angry with him. For a second, he didn’t trust her.

Even though she only wanted to help him.……

“Then,” she continued, “you should listen if both your teacher and mother want you to stop, right?”

“I……I should………but I still want to do something…”

“My my, what a selfish child I have.” Hikari sighed, wiping her hands on a dry rag. She turned the stove heat off and took a seat across from her son. He sat up a little straighter, knowing his mother became serious.

“You wanted to help, so you were at that woman’s house the day Toshi got hurt?”

“I was…yes.”

“And I take it she is the one who injured Toshi?”

“………yes.”

“So you lied to me? He didn’t get hurt falling down a hill.”

“……………yes. I am…I am so sorry I lied, mother.”

Her son sounded so distraught.

And still………still, he does not cry…

She knew she’d have to punish him later, but now wasn’t the time.“I will make a deal with you.”

He perked up, caught off guard by the shift in her voice.

“If you promise not to interact with Yuya’s mother anymore, then I will tell you what we need in order to get Yuya to her grandmother.”

“I…” he said, still a little confused at her calming tone.

“After I tell you, you need to promise me. Okay?”

“Okay—er— yes! Yes mother!”

“Good,” she said, folding the wrinkles out of her clothes. “Well, as your teacher told you, I am helping Yuya’s grandmother take custody of her.”

“Mother?”

“Hmm?”

“What is ‘custody’?”

“It means that Yuya will live with her grandmother from now on, instead of with her mom or dad.”

Her son giggled.

“What is funny?”

“You said ‘mom or dad,’” he said impishly. “You always say ‘mother’ and ‘father.’”

She smiled noting that she hadn’t caught herself. “Yuya’s mother is not from Japan, which makes it harder for Yuya to go with her grandmother.”

“Is she allowed to live with her? Not with her parents?”

“Grandparents can take custody in what is called ‘shinken,’ so it is allowed.”

“I see… but you also said that you can almost do it. Eikyo sensei said so too.”

“Everything is prepared, yes, but before we are able to present the case to change custody, we must give proof that definitely shows Yuya’s mother mistreats her.”

Her son seemed lost in thought for a moment, taking the time to absorb all the new information. “Yuya’s arms are hurt; sometimes they have bruises. Can you show those and Yuya can say they are from her mother?”

“We could, but that is not enough. The people in charge need something that definitely proves it, otherwise they will not investigate,” she explained. “That’s actually what Eikyo was trying to do before you started helping, but Yuya’s mother threatened the school and he was forced to stop.”

“……E-Eik…yo..?”

“Huh? Oh, I mean— Eiyko sensei.” She faltered, embarrassed at forgetting his title and dropping her guard again. Still, it seemed her son hadn’t really noticed.

He dropped his gaze, looking straight ahead. It was as though he was staring straight through her, or like he was staring at nothing at all.

“………can Yuya not just say she wants to stay with her grandmother?”

She couldn’t help but give a soft smile to her son.

“I truly wish, but it is not that simple.”

“Then… what is left?”

“Left?”

“You still need to do something for Yuya to change..um….customy.”

“Custody.” she corrected. “And Yuya’s grandmother contacted your teacher and I yesterday night. She says she has proof that will serve as the last push we need.”

“Ohhh, so she can finally go with her grandmother!”

“Exactly.” she smiled. “Now, remember our deal?”

“Yes….but mother……am I really……… am I really not allowed to do anything?”

“There are things a child should and should not be involved in, Yuuko. You know that. And you have already done so much.”

“I guess…”

“Now, look me in the eyes.”

She put her palm under his chin, pushing it gently upward so his eyes would meet her own. She couldn’t help but think for a moment how he truly inherited her eye color, but his face resembled that of his father.

….his late father……

Gentle melancholy washed over her as her son began to speak.

“Er….mother. I pro—”

*knock knock knock*

A noise at the door interrupted his words, startling Yuuko for a moment before his mother checked the time and cursed herself.

She climbed out of her seat with Yuuko following closely behind. Opening the door, she greeted an elderly woman who looked oddly familiar.

His mother beckoned the lady inside, where she spotted Yuuko peeping from behind the wall.

“Hello there young man,” she said, bowing slightly. “I hear you’re the fellow who’s been helping my beloved granddaughter.”

Part 4

“Is Yuya going to be okay?”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” explained the elderly woman in front of them. “She doesn't think of Yuya as a child, but as leverage.”

“Even so, to do such a thing to your own child…” Hikari took a seat on the far end of the sofa, across from the woman who explained the events that happened the night before yesterday. All of them were distraught, though Yuuko noticeably less so.

“Perhaps because he doesn't understand everything she said.” Hikari thought.

“If she is in trouble, should we go?”

“We will go,” the boy’s mother emphasized. “That woman, Meyoshi I believe is her name, she is clearly distraught at losing a grip on her daughter. She is taking measures that make it impossible to cover up her actions, it is reckless, and that is an opportunity to get her daughter to you.” she said, turning to her elder. But it seems she was focused on someone else.

“Yuuko dear?”

“Yes ma’am?” he said, looking up from the kotatsu on the floor.

“I am so very happy that you befriended my granddaughter, but why? Why do you go so far to help her? Even after what she’s done to you?”

The words sounded familiar as soon as he heard them.

“You wanted to help……You wanted to help me after everything I said to you? After everything I did to you?”

It was crystal clear to him, like it happened just a few hours ago. He only made her sad then, even though he tried to help. That isn’t what a hero does.

Father would say that’s not okay……………but in his notes……

“Make sure to have an answer for Ms. Itomei when we return okay?” He must have been quiet for longer than he thought.

“Oh, Miss Asahino, I’m so sorry; you mentioned measures that she could not cover up, yes?” the old woman stated. She put her bag on the floor and began rummaging through, pulling out a small ziplock bag with a pin inside. “I picked this up with a glove. I do not know much about investigation, but I hear the police can do marvelous work with very little evidence now.”

Hikari took the bag she offered, examining the pin and hairs still attached.

“There are bound to be fingerprints on it at the very least, you did well to pick this up with a gl—”

She froze. Cold needles spread throughout her whole body, like icicles tearing away at her nerves.

Even in her disgust with herself, even though she knew the answer, she asked.

“This is blood on the roots…is it not?”

The woman on the opposite end of the sofa said nothing, wiping away the dampness in her eyes.

“This is……then………it is my fault.”

“Wh—? No no no my dear, why would you—”

“I gave her the ornament,” Hikari said, unable to meet her eyes. “I put it in her hair and had I not done so she would not have had to have gone through so much pain.”

She blinked. Horrible, cold weight guilt welled in her body. Her throat closed up at the thought she was the one responsible for the awful event Azuka told them not ten minutes prior.

No.

Please no.

No no no no no no no.

Again.

It’s her fault again.

If only she hadn’t.

No.

If only she’d done more.

Everything became blurry.

Her vision tunneled.

If only she noticed back then.

No no nO NO NO NO NO.

She couldn’t stomach it.

Everything spun. She was going to faint.

But someone steadied her shaking hand.

She looked up. Eyes older than her own were staring back at her. Eyes that have experienced life.

“It’s not your fault dear.”

She didn’t understand when or why she started crying, but she could feel the tears rolling down her cheek.

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, you don’t understand—”

“Maybe I don’t. But Asahino dear, it isn’t your fault.”

Those words. She lacked the ability to accept them.

No. It was better to say she wouldn’t.

“It’s my fault he—”

“Have you ever had someone important, someone precious, hurt you?”

“……yes.”

“Did that person mean to hurt you?”

“He…I-I don’t know.”

But there was no fooling the eyes of the woman in front of her.

No. That was a lie.

There was no fooling what she knew, what she felt was the truth, in her soul.

“He didn’t mean to….but he did……and it still hurts so much…”

Azuka moved to put the head of the woman against her bosom. She let out small, bitter tears with every breath.

“Even after almost a year!…it still hurts……I should’ve done something!”

The elderly woman picked Hikari up by the shoulders, addressing her worn eyes.

“Dear, I just need you to answer one question. If you haven’t yet, do you think you can forgive him one day?”

“I….”

“Because this man made your life better in ways you never thought. He helped you, and he cherished you. Just as you have done with my granddaughter.”

Her tears gradually became smaller with every word the woman said.

“For however brief a time, my granddaughter found shelter and comfort in your home. And for however brief a time, you let her see the kindness and gentleness a mother can have for their child.”

And the cold within her, too, began to fade.

“Right now, she needs your help. She is in a place all by herself, a child with no person to call her mother or father. And I am sure that, as you will be able to forgive your husband one day, so too, will Yuya be able forgive you.”

She didn’t have any words, yet some still managed to fumble some into the air.

“H-How did…?”

“Your son has his father’s hair, and his very strong cheeks.” she said, standing and pointing to a frame by the kotatsu. “He is still a blessing, and I know you will cherish him.”

Hikari closed her still agape mouth and stood up. She wiped away the dampness on her cheeks and eyes with her sleeve.

“You are very wise Madam Itomei.”

“It comes with age, dear.” she said, flashing a cross design on her necklace.

Hikari picked up the frame, staring lovingly at the picture.

“...do you think you can forgive him one day?”

She set it down, twisting the ring on her finger. She was confident she knew the answer to that, which made her think of the second thing the woman mentioned.

That child, by her lonesome, with no one to call her mother or father. Hikari understood that feeling very well, only ever having shared her family history with the person in that very picture.

“She reminds me much of how I was at her age.” she said, turning around to the woman behind her. “So I will help her, just as I was helped.”

She smiled. “Then we must hurry. I will tell Mr. Eikyo to meet us at her home; no doubt she will put up a fight after having so much piled against her.”

Hikari nodded. “Yuuko,” she called out. “I’m going to be out for the rest of the day. The breakfast is almost done, I’ll leave money in case you want to buy something!”

Both of them waited for the response of the child who long since disappeared from the kotatsu.

“Yuuko!” she called out once more.

And again the silence answered them.

She quickly rushed up the stairs only to quickly return.

“Is everything alright?”

“No,” she replied upon seeing the backdoor open. “Of course he left……he did not promise yet.”

“All the more reason for us to hurry!” emphasized Azaka.

“I need something first.” she said as she began tearing through the drawers in the kitchen.

“Miss Asahino? What are you looking for?”

“I will not give her time to lie about her crimes.”

She held three objects, placing the first in her back pocket while tying the second and third in the seams of her shirt.

Yuuto, please lend me the strength to do this.

Part 5

Yuya used to hate sleeping on her mattress, so much so that she tried sleeping on the floor. The wooden boards at least bent to fit her body, but her neck would hurt in the morning. Likewise, the mattress was fine at first, but it wore thin to the point she could feel the bars of metal underneath it. It didn’t get any better until she had the idea of folding it one day, even so, she could feel it wearing down.

Not to mention that it creaked and smelled bad.

One night she had a particularly bad nightmare and told her mom the next morning. She gave her a bucket of water and some soap, telling her to clean it. She did the best she could, but the stain was still there. Now, she just folds the mattress to cover it and sleeps on the opposite side.

The knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I want you outside in ten minutes.” her mother didn’t wait for a response before walking away, the fading sound of wooden creaks letting her know she was alone again.

Her eyes began to water; she bit her thumb to stop herself from going further.

She hated it.

She absolutely hated it.

“……not fair grandma! I hate it there! I hate going home, my mom…!” she huddled in her warm embrace. "…I!..don’t want to..please don’t make me…”

“Sweetheart, I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t.”

“……grandma?”

“Yes dear?”

“Why does she do that! Why...why does mom say I’m a boy?”

*CLINK*

“………?”

*CLINK CLINK*

It was coming from her window.

She quickly rubbed the tears away and pulled back the curtains blocking the morning sun. And there, hanging from the ledge of her window, was an idiot with a determined and worried look on his face.

“Hi Yuya.”

“What are you doing?!” she frantically whispered.

“C-Can you help me up? I think I am slipping.”

She tugged at his arm with all the might she could muster, and the two children flopped into the room.

“Get off me,” she said, still whispering. “What are you doing?! How’d you get up here? How did you know this is my room!?”

“The curtains were closed and I know that you like to be in the dark,” he said dusting off his pants. “I wrote so in my notes.”

“…wha……what?”

“Maybe I can show you sometime. So this is your room?”

The young boy looked around the dusty room. There was a western style bed with a folded mattress, a desk with chipped wood, a backpack, and one lightbulb over their heads. It was turned off.

“Yuya,” he said, turning to the girl. “I’m going to get you out here!”

“I don’t…………I can’t leave.”

“Sure we can! We left last time and—”

“No.” she said, her voice becoming flat. “No. I can’t.”

“But my mom and your grandma are on their way to help! Plus, I think they said Eikyo sen—” he stopped his sentence dead in its tracks. “Yuya...what happened to your head?”

“Just…go.”

“Yuya…you’re kind of scaring me. You sound like…”

She took his arm, dragging him to the window. She looked at him in an odd way, a way Yuuko had never seen before.

It made him……. so sad.

“You’re here….of course you’re here……… but you shouldn’t anymore……you shouldn’t because of me.”

“Shouldn't what? Yuya, I want to help!”

“I’ll be okay.” she said with that same odd look. Like a faint smile. “Please hurry, or my mom will—”

“—not take kindly to trespassers, even if they’re kids.” said a voice at the door. The two children quickly turned to find a woman with black hair holding a belt at the door. “I believe I mentioned that to you last time, dear child.”

Neither said anything as Meyoshi addressed her child. “I’ve told you before that you’re to call me your guardian. I am not ‘mom’.”

“What did you do to Yuya!?”

She cocked her head to one side. “I don’t like your tone, boy.”

“She’s hurt from the side of her head! There’s blood!”

“I disciplined her. Same I’ll do to you.”

As the woman approached the pair, both stepped back. Much to Yuya’s shock, however, she didn’t touch her. She instead reached for—

“—AAGH! OOOWWWWW!!”

“I think I’ll start with you,” her mother said, pulling Yuuko’s ear. She then turned her attention towards her. “Come.”

She couldn’t find it in her to disobey her mother’s, her guardian’s, wishes. Even as Yuuko shrieked in pain, she followed closely behind, shivering.

She could never control her shivering.

Her mother flung open the door to their backyard, yanking her friend’s ear to throw him in place in front of her.

“What are you doing trespassing in my home?”

She received an angry glare in response.

“That’s fine, I have all the time in the world.”

Yuuko hurriedly stepped back from the approaching woman, not noticing as his feet tangled against each other. He fell, back-first, into the dirt.

The woman sternly clutched Yuuko’s shoulders, picking him up and fixing him into place in front of her. She couldn’t help but notice how much his teeth grit at having his shoulder touched and pulled down his collar.

“Oho, that’s a pretty nasty bruise you got there. Or it was. How’d you get it?”

“………………”

“I asked you a question.” she said ever stoic. She clasped the boy’s purple shoulder, squeezing it until the entirety of her hand turned red.

“AAh——AhAHHHHH!” Yuuko fell to his knees, trying to escape the pain.

“Now be a good boy and tell me. It’s a simple questio—no. No no.” she immediately let go, and with swift steps rushed through their fence’s backdoor.

For however brief a time, the woman was gone. And Yuya stood at the back entrance of her home, still staring.

And still shivering.

She could see her friend writhing on the ground, clutching his shoulder with silent whimpers. She felt cold, everything was so cold. Her arms found their way around her chest; she wanted to get closer to Yuuko, but felt if she did, she’d throw up. Her eyes kept wandering to the open door. Her mother would return any second.

And when she did, she would hurt her.

But if I don’t………Yuuko will be the one to get hurt.

Why was she so cold?

The fence door rattled open, and her mother returned with a wide smile on her face. Her words…….they didn’t sound flat anymore.

“Kid,” she said almost laughing. “The first time around you came with a plan, but now— now you came here a second time without the thing that protected you last time?” She’d never heard her mother talk like that before.

“Say, are you retarded? You don’t look it, but seriously, you should’ve brought that dog of yours…………actually, he’s probably still limping around huh?”

“……hy…”

“Hmm? Sorry, can’t hear you.” she closed the door and crouched next to Yuuko, who looked up at her from the dirt.

“Why……do you hurt Yuya?”

“Aaaagh, is that what this is all about?” she stood up with a sigh. “That’s why you broke into my home? Kid your priorities are pretty screwed up, you know that?”

“She didn’t…do anything……”

She walked past him, looking up to the clouds with steps that ended in a heavy sigh.

“I guess it wouldn’t be a bad time to tell you since, pretty soon, Yuya will be starting his journey all on his own.” she turned around, first to Yuya, then Yuuko.

“I do it for a few reasons, the first being that when Yuya disobeys me, I discipline him. A child who goes unpunished will become disobedient in the future, and that becomes a burden on me. I don’t want any more of a burden than I already have.”

She looked directly at her child when finishing her sentence, but Yuya didn’t meet her gaze. Her eyes were focused on the ground with intensity.

“Secondly, physical pain is a mark of strength. Men need to be strong and capable, it’s pathetic what the men of this generation have raised. Think of the men who’ve changed the world, they’ve suffered the worst in pursuit of their ideals, in pursuit of their goals!” she shouted. “Pain is a measure of greatness! Ah, but only when correctly and properly administered. That’s why whenever Yuya strays from the ideal he’ll follow, I have to remind him why he mustn’t.”

As she spoke, she went about slowly removing the belt from her waist; walking in circles around Yuuko, who’d recovered enough strength to lift himself onto his hands and knees.

“She doesn't………want to be hurt.”

“Well, no one wants to be hurt, save for a select few people who’re my type, but that’s what builds character and discipline. For example, now you’ll understand never to cross into my home again.”

The belt in her hand moved in a blur, but she didn’t need to see it. She heard it.

The air split apart, crackling like harsh wind; it was just loud enough to cover the sound of Yuuko’s first wail. Goosebumps covered her entire body, and the cold washed into her stomach.

She threw up, but managed to catch it in her mouth.

“Seeeee? You don’t forget that kind of discipline. Now you know what happens when you invade my own, or Yuya’s, life. I didn’t want to do this, but clearly your mother has never taught you better.”

She didn’t get any response from Yuuko, who’s fetal position covered up his head but only slightly muffled the sound of his whimpers.

“Now that one was a lesson on interference. Since you also broke into my home, you also need a lesson in what that punishment entails. You broke in twice, so I think two times is appropriate.”

Yuya put her hands over her eyes, but she couldn’t cover them up. She stared through open fingers at the sight of her mother striking Yuuko’s body; the clothes folded horribly wherever the belt struck, but the sound was just as piercing. She could feel needles prodding her back in response to the slitting air.

She didn’t know whether it was good or bad, but she felt those needles sink into her skin, forcing the air out of her lungs.

“MOTHER!”

“QUIET!” she said, pointing the belt at her. “I will deal with you shortly, and decide a proper punishment for bringing such a loathsome child into this home.”

Yuya was about to respond, but the needles were gone. The air caught in her throat, and she couldn’t speak anymore.

“You wanted to help.”

That’s what I said.

That’s why he was at my house at that time.

And that’s why he’s here this time too.

The first time I heard him say anything, he said “I want to be a man.”

I always said the same thing.

It always reminded me of what grandma would tell me.

“One day, Yuya, you’re going to meet a boy who makes you feel like a girl.”

I didn’t believe her then.

“And one day, you’ll make friends who will stay by your side forever! But friends have to be there for each other, to help each other. That’s what makes them precious.”

“Grandma…”

“Yes dear?”

“I’m…….scared.”

That’s where you would say that stupid thing.

“You need to stop looking down.”

……you idiot………

“Yuya”

What?

“Do you like hero stories?”

The wind cut her face, her head hurt, but her body was light— she’d never felt so light. She ran with everything she had, and the slowness of her body from earlier, the cold feeling, everything disappeared the moment she jumped onto Yuuko’s body.

“Pf….pffffttttt! Ahahaha! Yuya, w-what are you doing!? Get up from there.”

Yes. The cold was gone, but her head was spinning so fast, she felt like she wanted to throw up again. Time was moving fast, too fast, everything was in fast forward. But she felt herself cling onto Yuuko’s body with every ounce of strength in her own.

With her eyes squeezed impossibly shut, she could feel the warmth of his body gently seeping into her own, his quick breaths, even the smell of his hair.

A sudden burst of sharp pain dug itself into her lower back. She knew what it was, she didn’t dare turn around to look.

“That was a warning. I’m going to give you until the count of three. One.”

She felt her mother’s heel dig into her spine, it made her head spin. She could feel the prickling sensation of her hair, the part that was ripped out, in pain again. She was so dizzy.

“Two.”

The pain went deeper. She knew it was going to hurt, but the warmth underneath her gave her the strangest comfort. She moved her legs in such a way they covered more of the boy underneath her.

“………I expected better of you. Three.”

Her hands tightened around the boy’s body, and her eyes shut even more, preparing herself.

Whereas time had moved in fast forward not too long ago, now it seemed everything returned to normal. Everything felt slower, and the only things she knew for certain was the warmth from the body underneath hers and the feeling of having her eyes closed tight.

So she waited.

And time kept moving forward. Yet the feeling she prepared for never arrived.

The only thing she could gather from the moment was her mother’s voice.

“Excuse me, but who are you and what the hell are you doing in my home?”

Yuya opened her eyes, tilting her head in the direction of the voice. There were three people. Her grandmother, her teacher, and a really, really pretty woman.

“You know the other two, so allow me to blithely introduce myself.” The lady was holding out some kind of…spoon? No, it was a ladle, her mother’s belt was wrapped around it.

“I am Hikari Asahino. And I fully intend to see you spend the rest of your life in prison.”