After my chat with Okabe-san, all I could do was think about the pain they must be going through. I recalled seeing her clutch the shoulder of her little sister as if it would be the last time she'd see her. Okabe Kasumi-san and Nagumi-chan…were facing something horrible every day…and it was the monsters they dared call family.

The train finally arrived at my stop. When I stood up to exit the door, the cold night breeze touched my skin. It being almost an hour later than I usually get home, I expected a call from mom…but strangely enough, I didn’t even get a message from her. Instead, it was Mari-san who messaged me, asking if I was working later tonight. So, I called her on the phone.

The line didn’t even ring once before she answered the call.

“Hey… just wondering where you are, Madoka-san?”

The tone of her voice wasn’t playful like I’m used to hearing. She was a tad stern, and might I even add…aggressive if I had to be honest. This made me adjust my demeanor to fit Mari-san’s mood.

 

 

"I had a chat with my coworker, and…it went on for a little longer than I expected."

She sighed as if letting all her excess worries fade into the cold breeze.

“I don’t mind you taking your time getting home, Madoka-san, but…you should at least give me or your mom a heads up, okay?”

Mari-san certainly sounded like a mother. I expected a mischievous mood, but she wasn’t giving me that. She was worried…and she was easily expressing that to me. The guilt assaulted me even more now. I wanted to apologize, but I knew the true reason for me being out was justified.

“I’m actually surprised mom didn’t call me, Mari-san. Usually, she’s right on top of that.”

I chuckled, but I was playing it off. It was out of character for her, and I was subtly prying into it.

“Yeah…that night we watched movies together…she explained to me that she’d like to give you more space if she could.”

 

 

The fox groaned.

“And I think…this is her way not to hawk over you as much. So…she probably let it go for the night?”

“Is that what you talked about?”

“…Not only that. Now that I can chat with you…I guess I’ll say what she told me.”

I could hear her shut the door. I believe she stepped outside to chat with me in private. After a brief pause to gather her thoughts, I took it, gently she spoke.

“Ayumi…told me that she doesn’t want to hear what I have to say anymore, Madoka-san.”

“Mom did?”

She grumbled.

“I…was a little taken aback. And…I won’t lie…it felt like she was pushing my feelings down. I’m…I’m trying really hard to gather what I want to say…and she doesn’t want to hear it...”

“Mari-san…”

“Instead…I think she’d rather pretend there isn’t anything wrong…and I don’t want that. B-Because there clearly is…”

Taken back by my mom’s sudden change…I close my eyes as the night weighs on my heart now.

“What do you think changed her mind?”

 

 

“…I don’t know. Maybe something Mary-san said? I wouldn’t know because I hate dealing with anything related to Ryuji-san. But…it was Mary-san who gave her the advice to let you off the leash a bit.”

Something was stirring in me. It was like a pot of boiling water was set in my stomach. My chest aggressively warmed up as my gut began to feel nauseous. I felt...scared. That was the primal word for it. Mom was acting…different not only to Mari-san but me.

“I still plan to voice what I feel about you…but I’m not sure what’s going through Ayumi’s head. She’s not just pushing my feelings aside…”

Briefly, she took the chance to calm down.

“But she’s completely making this a one-sided affair. She’s refusing to listen to me, and…I don’t know what to do, Madoka-san.”

“Are you…sleeping in the room now?”

“Yeah…she kind of begged me to come back to bed with her. And…I promised I would tonight…But nothing feels right.”

The line went silent as we both experienced the same wind of the night.

“…Let’s talk about this another day, alright, Madoka-san?”

“Yeah…I’m on my way home right now, so I’ll see you then?”

“No…I’m going to stay on the phone with you until you get here.”

That took me by surprise as I walked down the cold street. It warmed my cheeks as if hot coal was placed on them. Mari-san was looking out for me, and it made me smile…

“Ah…”

But then those words by Takade-san came back to mind. The idea of having to separate me from…Mari-san made my stomach turn with a maddening pain…

“…A-are you sure? I mean, I’m not a little girl, Mari-san.”

Those cold words came out as I did…what I needed to try and do. Put a wall up between us, I used my age as the first barrier.

“I know…but I’m too worried about you this late to just hang up. It’s either that, or I’m driving down there to pick you up.”

She didn't have a hint of humor in her. For the months that I've known Mari-san, I certainly read that from her. If anything, she reminded me of my mother.

“…Are you…”

I stopped myself before I gave in. Maybe this is what Takade-san would be against, but Mari-san wasn’t budging. So, I nodded gently.

“Thanks. I won’t lie…it’s a little strange being out this late…alone.”

I confessed even though it made me feel that much more dependent on her. I don’t think I was ready quite yet for mom not to worry about me like this. It wasn’t because it was Mari-san who was staying with me right now. No, it was more that she was an authority figure who kept me, in a sense, safe.

“Yeah…when I was your age I would have felt the same way.”

The corner of my cheeks rose, and the night felt a tad bit brighter.

“Hey…do you have a plan to help your friends out this weekend? I believe it was this upcoming Sunday, right?”

"Oh…yeah. I've been thinking about the concert all week. I'm thinking that I am going to get everyone together tomorrow to discuss the plan."

“Wow…you’re a really cool girl, you know that, Madoka-san?”

“Eh, where’s this coming from?”

She chuckled.

"I was just thinking…when you want things to change, you go for it…"

She sounded a tad melancholy.

“…I guess.”

“That’s a wonderful trait to have. I…need to take some pointers from you. Then maybe things wouldn’t have gotten so complicated.”

I could hear her adjust herself from the other end of the phone. Likely moving from leaning on the wall to standing upright.

“Mari-san…don’t say that.”

“No, this isn’t about me right now. Right, Madoka-san? If you need any help with anything…remember I’m always willing to support you. How are you girls getting to your concert?”

“I believe Sophia-san’s guardian will be taking us. She has a car large enough to fit us.”

“Oh, I haven’t met her, but I think you told me about her before. Is that the Simpson Eleanor-san who is assigned to keep them apart?”

 

 

I nodded even though she wouldn't be able to see me.

“Yes. She’s the one who might be affected if we do this.”

“I see…”

“But, Sophia-san promised she’d fight for her if things go that way.”

"Wow, that little dirty blonde is tough, isn't she?"

“She really is…but she’s also emotional and gentle. You met her on my birthday, and…there’s just a lot to her that makes me want to protect her, you know?”

“Yeah, she sounds like she’s a wonderful friend. If you’re doing this much for her…I hope everything works out.”

“Me too.”

I turned the corner and could see the side of my house from here. Casually, I was making my way down the sidewalk, but it felt as though Mari-san was beside me the entire time. As if I could look over my shoulder, and my knight would be guarding me until I got home.

But no….that was wrong.

Mari-san wasn’t my knight.

She couldn’t be anymore; I’ve accepted that when I asked her to stay with my mom.

She already had a title that I had to accept, and that was stepmother. She was nothing more than an authority figure who was watching over me right now. And that wasn’t a bad thing. I…still had her by my side.

“The biggest advice I can give you, Madoka-san…is expect everything to not work out flawlessly.”

“Okay…”

“Keep it simple, your goal is to get your friends on stage safely, right?”

“Yeah. That’s all I want to do. I need to get them on stage.”

“Then no matter what happens, that goal needs to be accomplished, or else the plan you laid out is a failure no matter what else succeeds.”

When I turned to my house, I saw her leafy green eyes. In her sweater and shorts, she looked me in the eyes. The astonishment of her beauty still captures me. With that beaming smile that mirrored the bright moon in the sky, I stepped towards her.

“Hey, you.”

She whispered on the phone. I shot my eyes away from her. It was hard looking at her as her snow-white skin glistened in the moonlight. To calm my nerves, I spoke candidly.

“Hey, I got to go.”

“Already? We were having such a nice chat, Madoka-san?”

“Yeah, my…my stepmother wants to have a word with me for staying out too late.”

“I hope she doesn’t take it too hard on you…I’m sure she knows you’re a good girl.”

I glared back at her now as she tried to keep a straight face. Mari-san burst into laughter as she held her stomach.

"A good girl? Is that what you think I am?! How does everyone get that impression of me, Mari-san?"

“I couldn’t help it. Wow, you're so innocent.”

Finally, we both hung up and stopped playing that ridiculous telephone game. When I approached she put her hand on her hip.

“You must be tired, huh, Madoka-san?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, a little…”

Just the idea of Mari-san caring enough for me to give me this warm smile. It…made me feel a bit guilty knowing what Okabe-san and Nagumi-chan were experiencing at this very moment.

“…You okay?”

Suddenly, she asked, petting my head. I turned back to her, and with a heavy heart, I confessed.

“…I’m just happy with the kind of family I have.”

“Oh, where’s this coming from?”

The bitterness seeped into my mouth as I gave her the bare minimum of what happened. 

“…Someone I know…is having a hard time…with their abusive parents, Mari-san.”

I closed my eyes and recalled...Okabe-san again. My stomach began to become upset thinking about her situation...

“…I take it that’s why you stayed so late, to chat with them about it?”

I nodded.

“…People are monsters…”

Mari-san scorned as she shook her head.

“That’s a hard situation to be a part of…but for the time being, to have a friend in that kind of situation does wonders, Madoka-san.”

“…Yeah.”

“…You should get some rest. You have had a lot on your plate recently, and you don’t want to get rings under your eyes tomorrow. That’s not cute for a girl your age.”

“Oh shut up, dummy.”

I kicked her playfully. She kicked back. After letting me in, she waved me goodbye as she walked back into her room. That pit in my stomach still wouldn’t go away as I made my way up the steps. My feet were getting heavier as I thought about how close everything was getting.

Was I getting cold feet? Is that what they’d call this situation? Was the magnitude of everything starting to get to me because suddenly, my feet were too tired to keep walking. It took me a bit of wondering to come to the true reason for my exhaustion. Of course, I'd be tired, hearing all of that happening to…those two.

“I couldn’t imagine mom…being against me like that.”

So, I pulled myself together and walked into my room. After getting undressed, I changed into something more comfortable. When I lied in bed, the chat with Okabe-san went right into my mind again.

“…No wonder.”

It started trickling in…the reasons for her crude behavior towards everyone. Treating others' kindness, including my own, with distaste. The pieces of everything started coming together. From her overwhelming tiredness to her harsh and demonic tone towards others and their, what she’d call, minimal problems.

“She’s constantly hurting…”

 

How would I be able to help with something like that?

She’d already admitted that she's tried to bring in a child protective service and they concluded that everything was alright. That she was…lying.

“Okabe-san…Nagumi-chan…”

 

 

Despite me thinking about them…the fact of the matter was that they were stuck in a situation like this. So, the best thing I can do for now is to help Nagumi-chan every moment I can. And when there’s a chance…I can help.

That’s what I concluded. After tossing and turning for a bit, I pulled out my phone and messaged a sexy older woman...the one with the nice butt.

[What time will you be going to the concert on Sunday?]

The reply was almost instant.

[I have to be there around 2 PM. So don’t worry, I’ll see you there.]

“I guess it makes sense if she’s a sponsor of the show.”

Saitou-san will be working as well as enjoying the show too. She was something else…

[Good night, cutie. <3]

She messaged me once again. My body warmed up as I replied back.

[Good night!]

“I think tomorrow is the best day to put the plan together. To end this between Sophia-san and Taylor-sensei.”

One goal at a time. If I can solve this….if we can save our friends…that will only open up doors for everything else.

“I think it’ll be best to get everyone together tomorrow. I can put the plan together, and we can exchange ideas.”

Mari-san’s warning came back to mind. Keep it simple, aim for the goal and that’s it.

 

Overcomplicating things will only backfire. Expect things to go wrong, and work accordingly.

So, I closed my eyes and started putting all the pieces together.

Like puzzles, everything started to reveal itself…