The tension was heavy inside a room of a young teenage girl. She felt shame and anger bubbling inside her, but most of it all, she felt pathetic as she sat on the floor with her head low.

It's hard to breathe.

"I give you everything you ask for and what do you do for me in return as payback?" A deep and harsh voice asked to which made her body flinch. She knows that he has a deep scowl on his face even without raising her head. She knows him too well.

"Disappointment! You keep disappointing me! family!" Her shouted as the sight of papers slowly falling on the ground caught her eyes. Her father threw them at her.

The papers, specifically the low numbers written on all right corners of it, are the reason and cause of her father's anger and expectations that lowered even more, and what led her to this situation.

The girl's lips trembled slightly. She felt the tears building up in her eyes but she fought to not let them fall whilst she felt this heavy feeling inside her chest. It's suffocating.

"If this continues, you might influence your brothers! You're the so you should set a great example to them!!" The man seethed, a clear digust shown on his face.

The brunette flinched upon the harsh and loud call of her name. She bit her lip. 'But I'm trying. I really am!' Was something she wanted to tell the man, but is afraid that it'll only anger him even more.

'It's just that no matter how hard I try or no matter how good the results I show to you, it's still not good enough for you!' She shut her eyes tight as she felt the sweat form on her face and body. Even though she felt cold under her father's gaze, they were still forming. This conversation's making her stomach churn. It's nauseating.

'Why are you and mother so strict and so harsh on me? Even if I'm the so what? I'm still I can't be you expect me to!' She sucked in a sharp and shaky breath while recalling the night and days she forced herself to stay awake just to study, even if it meant making her nose to bleed, starving herself, or feel dizzy due to the lack of sleep; overall, ruining her health and body completely just to pleasure and earn her parents praises.

That is how every child are, right?

They do whatever to have their parents attention, love, and praises. It is the most wonderful feeling after all, but sadly, not every parent or family is the same.

'Is reputation, honor, and achievements more important to you than me? Your wellbeing?' She slightly raised her head to get a small glimpse of the look on her father. As expected, his gaze was icy cold, sharp and held many feelings that are all visibly nothing good. It made her shiver.

'Don't look at me like that!' She pursed her lips, her shoulders trembling while she felt tears prick the corner of her eyes. 'I want to leave. I want to escape. I don't want to be here. It's so cold.' She dug her nails into her palm before several faces came flashing in her mind. Her friends.

Even if some of them were annoying at least they don't look down on her, treat her coldly, or fake. They're all warm and kind. They treat her genuinely without any hidden ill intentions underneath.

'Emma, Hina, and everyone else!' She swallows the lump in her throat that felt dry all of a sudden. '[Y/n]!' She holds back the urge to sob or sniffle.

"And how many times do I have to repeat myself? your friendship with those delinquent friends of yours, including their siblings, and girl!" He shouts once more, teeth clenching as he adds, "I am certain that they're the reason on why your grades are dropping." He peered at her with clear disgust in his eyes and voice.

"They're being a bad influence to you!" He slammed his fist down on the table next to him. It made the girl flinch again. "We've talked about how vicious and revolting delinquents are also before, have we not?" He rubbed his temples as another sigh pass his lips.

The man walked to approach daughter. "As you continue to tarnish and ruin your reputation," He whispered to her after putting a hand on her shoulder that suddenly tightened and made her wince in pain. "You're also ruining your chance to find yourself a wonderful man who is suitable for you and enough to get into this family." Releasing his grip on her shoulder, his hand went to grab her chin. He forced her to look at him in a harsh manner.

Upon meeting his dark and hollow eyes, the tears she was fighting to hold in, cascaded heavily down her face while the man retreated his hand and stood up.

"But, father!" The brunette burst out while clutching to the fabric on one of his legs after gathering the bits of courage she has in her body. "N-Not every delinquent is as bad as you say! Mikey, Draken, Kazutora, and the others are not like that!" She fights with desperation in her glistening eyes.

"H-Hina, Emma, and Yuzuha are good and k-kind, too! As well as [Y/n]!" She takes a deep breath to make her breathing even while internally encouraging herself to speak her thoughts and to persuade the man. "It's just my fault on why my grades dropped, but I promise that it won't happen again. I'll stay in my room and study for days again if I have to, so please!" She halts to try and catch her breath after speaking her reason without noticing that she's held in her breath. "Please don't tell me to cut ties with them..." she pleads in a small voice as she sobbed.

"This is exactly what I meant about those kids being a bad influence to you." She hears her father state, and the way how his voice dropped an octave. Her blood run cold at the sight of the man holding her favorite instrument. "I did not raise you to be disobedient nor disrespectful towards your father." He snarled as he raised his hand and strongly threw the violin on the carpeted floor of her room.

No words left Hatsumi's mouth as she watched in horror at the sight of her instrument getting destroyed even more by the man's foot. With each stomp he did, it felt like he was trampling on her heart instead while feeling that something else in her was getting destroyed, too.

"You are to spend the weekends by studying in your room!" Her father shouted. He was huffing and panting while making his way towards the door, still angry.

Leaving the room with a loud slam of the door, Hatsumi remained on her spot. She was blankly staring at the broken violin, seemingly trying to process completely on what just happened.

"Talk some sense in that worthless daughter of yours or who knows what I might just do to her!" The man's raging voice boomed and entered the walls of her room.

"I am greatly disappointed in you, my dear." The girl raised her head at the sound of the soft and gentle voice that spoke and entered her room. "You should've just been the obedient and kind child you are and followed your father's order." Just like her, her mother was beautiful. She mostly resembled her in fact but instead of having black hair, she has the color of her father's.

The latter smiled tenderly as she sat down on the carpeted floor. "We are your parents," she starts, a soft hum following. "We know what's best for you, so you should listen and heed our advice, my sweet child." She gently wrapped her arms around the girl's figure.

"You may not understand now but when you grow older, you'll be grateful to us once you look back to these days." Her mother caressed her back, gentle as always with her touch.

Pressing her lips against each other, Hatsumi hugs her the woman back. "Yes, mother...I'm sorry for being a shame in this family." she whispered shakily with no expression on her face whilst tears streamed down her face once again. "I shall do as what father told me to do. I will not disappoint you both any further.."

The woman pulled away from the hug, the smile on her face growing a little as she wiped the tears on her daughter away with her thumb. "Good girl."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The lovely tune on what seemed like playing from the violin stopped. "How unpleasant." Hatsumi grimaced while making her way to the table that's beside the window of her room.

She took a glance outside the window and saw birds flying in the bright blue sky. "It's so peaceful..." she whispered, her expression turning blank as she put back her instrument inside its case.

"How tedious."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Inside a cozy cafe a relaxing but faint tune was playing out of the speakers inside the place that smelt of a rich aroma of coffee as soon as one enters it.

As of now, the cafe only has a few customers they have to serve. [Y/n] and Hatsumi are both one of the said few.

"So," the brunette starts while setting her drink back down on the table, her eyes peering at the person sitting across her from the table with a mischievous glint in them. "How long do you intend on keeping me wait, my dear friend?"

The [e/c] blankly looked at the smiling girl in front of her. "It's been nothing but peaceful lately, well, boring." [Y/n] took a bite of dessert then another one while letting the brunette do the talking with sarcasm in her tone.

"It's Emma's birthday today, right?" She asks, hoping that she'll get even the smallest reaction from her but sadly, the [h/c] has become absolutely good at maintaining her expression. "Should I attend the party by making a surprising appearance since they all still don't know that I've returned?"

Hatsumi released a giggle before showing a tight lipped smile, one that's obviously sly as she watches [Y/n] put down her fork and meet her gaze. "If you aren't going to start something exciting then I'd be more than happy to do it instead." She smiles brightly at the still emotionless face girl.

"I know life your life is boring," The [h/c] says while lifting her drink to take a sip. "But behave yourself and be patient for a bit longer." She sees Hatsumi pout her lips but she remained uninterested or unbothered by her antics.

"It is not the right time yet for me to proceed with my plans." She sets her drink back down on the table while ignoring the brunette's intense staring by eating the wonderful dessert again.

"As you know, my patience is not that thick nor too thin." the latter hummed with a smile. "And let's not forgot the fact that we have a leash on the loose and isrunning wild free as we speak. Who knows who he might attack~" She chortled at the thought of a certain ravenette getting what he deserved after the stunt he's pulled to his target.

"He's an essential to my plan so leave him be and let him do his " [Y/n] lets out a breathy laugh, a devilish smirk showing next on her face to which Hatsumi seemed pleased to see. "He plays an important role after all."

Blinking her eyes twice, a huge smile crept on her porcelain feature. "Ahahah! This might be worth the wait after all. I cannot wait." She stands up from her seat while the [h/c] went to the counter to quickly get the cake she ordered for takeout.

Now outside the cafe, Hatsumi glances pulls the [h/c] girl close to her. "If you ever need any assistance in anything, like helping in hiding a body due to an accident," she pauses with her whispering as a giggle erupts. "I'm just a phone call away." She pulls away to take a step further ahead.

"Don't hesitate to ask for help as I'd always be delighted in aiding my king."

"Yeah, whatever."