1

When Kazuki opened the door to the living room, what awaited him was a scene that he did not expect.

The fragrant smell of breakfast and lively idol music set the mood, and Sana happily sat on the sofa, watching a Yuki-tan video.

In a way, it was quite a nostalgic sight, reminding him of the first day of school a few months back.

"G-good morning," greeted Sana.

Kazuki greeted her back, but what he read the previous night remained in his mind. He did not know what to do, for he did not want to start the morning off on the wrong foot, especially now that Sana seemed fully recovered and enjoying her time.

He was sure that Hikari was in the kitchen at this time, so he decided to just wait until breakfast.

---

"What?!" shouted a shocked Hikari.

Kazuki knew none of his preparations will ever be enough when he broke the news at the dining table.

"Why so soon? What do you mean we need to bring Sana back home?"

In response to Hikari's protest, Kazuki brought out his phone and made his sister read the classifieds. It was a search warrant for Sana, something that was posted just last night.

He knew this would happen and it would happen so soon.

Indeed, nothing can last forever, and eventually, they'll have to face the music.

"But Sana hates it there. Couldn't we find a way to have her stay with us for a bit longer, at least? Until she's ready."

"As much as I want to, it's just impossible, Hikari. Knowing what kind of mother she has and the resources she has, I doubt it will be too long before the police come knocking here. And when that happens, we'll be in bigger trouble."

"Can't we find another way? Anything?"

"Not in a span of a day, we can't. Hikari, there's really no helping it. When it's all said and done, it's better that we bring Sana back there and find a way to convince her mom."

"Why are we suddenly forcing these things onto Sana? Can't you wait until she's ready?"

"When will that be, then?" asked Kazuki, a slightly frustrated tone in his voice. "I hate the idea of saying goodbye to Sana or facing that mom of hers, but don't you think it's going to hurt much more when we can't do things on our own terms?"

"I'll do it."

The arguing siblings stopped before looking at Sana.

"You sure about that? Don't let Big Bro tell you what to do if you don't want to."

However, Sana gave the worried Hikari a reassuring smile.

"Yes. I have burdened you long enough," firmly answered Sana.

"That's not true at all! You've never been a burden to us! Besides, aren't you scared?"

"Yes. I really am. But I feel that if I cannot even face Mama, I will never be able to move on in life. The first step is always the toughest, but after spending my time here and learning so much from the two of you, I think I'm ready."

"So please help me, Hikari. Help me by giving me courage and promising me that whatever happens, we'll be friends, forever."

Hikari nodded repeatedly. "Of course, Sana! Whatever happens!"

"Big Bro..." Sana then turned to Kazuki.

"Why the negative mood? You're expecting to fail when Hikari and I will be there with you?" confidently asked Kazuki before he scratched his head. "I'm pretty tense myself, to be honest. But don't you worry. I'll be there, and I will have your back, Sana. And if it really doesn't work out... Heck, what the hell am I doing contradicting myself? Of course it will work out!"

"T-thank you," said Sana before going back to eating breakfast.

"Normally, people would go something like 'enjoy the time you have to the fullest' for situations like this, but we got no time for that crap," said Kazuki in an encouraging tone. "This is definitely not the last time you'll be eating Hikari's cooking. I guarantee you that!"

2

The sound of a doorbell ended the silence inside the Kurashiki household.

"Coming."

Yura walked over to the door with hesitant steps. She had a sorrowful frown on her face, but that had been the case for a few days already. She deposited her pile of paper by the shoe rack before peering into the peephole.

She gasped audibly and stepped back, unsure of what to do.

"Yura, who is it?!"

Asuka Kurashiki came storming towards the door. Yura looked at her, but before she can utter a word, the mother shoved her aside. Upon peering through the peephole, she opened the door in one swift motion.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? The rebel life turns out being too much to handle, huh?" she shouted before crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't think I'll be welcoming you back with open arms."

In front of the doorway stood Sana. The quiet girl stood with her hands to the side, her usual shy and reserved expression replaced with a stoic face. Yet, there seemed to be something beyond those eyes, something that told a message by themselves.

"I know," she answered.

"Hmph! I half-expected you to come back with tears in your eyes and begging me to take you back in, but I guess you've been corrupted too much to learn a bit of humility. We'll have to have a long talk later."

Sana only stared her in the eyes, and this caused her facial features to twitch in annoyance.

"What are you staring at?! Stop that, you hag!" she shouted. Seeing Yura coming over, she put her palm out, motioning to the caretaker to stay out of this. "So, what made you decide to turn yourself in? Afraid of the police?"

Sana shook her head, all traces of her past hesitation gone from her voice. "I returned because I have found the courage to face you."

"Pff! Pathetic. What are you blabbering about? Get in here, now!"

"Not without them."

Sana stepped back before Kazuki and Hikari appeared from the side. Asuka's eyes squinted in disdain the moment she saw them.

"And who are you?" she asked sarcastically. "You two better scram before I call the police on you."

"Big Bro and Hikari were the ones that took me in when I ran away. They cared for me and helped me realize what I have been searching for. It is also because of them that I can come back and face you. Please, give them a chance to explain their sides and show you that they're not bad people."

Despite looking as displeased as she possibly can, Asuka stepped aside.

"Kazuki and Hikari? Oh, you mean those two you've told me about. So, this is what they look like, huh?"

She locked her eyes on the two of them before giving them a glare that seemed to sap the air from the hallway.

"Yura, prepare the table."

3

"What you're saying is that when you ran away, these two found you and took you in. They let you live in their place for a couple of days and took you to lots of places instead of making you repent for your sins."

Asuka sipped her glass of juice before slamming it on the table with a bang. She leered at the three people seated across her. Kazuki looked elsewhere while drinking his juice, while Hikari held onto hers nervously.

Sana nodded in response, and she then turned to Kazuki and Hikari.

"You two know that it's a crime to take in a minor like that. You don't even have a supervising adult in your house. Not only have you two poisoned the mind of my daughter and caused her to lose her focus, you also threatened her life with a crime worth imprisonment."

"If that's how you see it, yes. I'll apologize if I need to," answered Kazuki. "But please, understand Sana and listen to her just this once."

"Who are you to tell me that, you degenerate?"

"With all due respect, Hikari and I have learned so much about your daughter in the past few days. What she has bottled inside, how she feels, her uncertainties, the list goes on, and I think she deserves your ears, Ma'am."

Without another word, Asuka frowned before scoffing.

"I-it wasn't their fault," Sana interjected.

"I am not talking to you, Sana! Stay quiet like you're supposed to! Don't you know how much trouble you've caused in a matter of a few days? Geez, I come back here for a week only to be greeted by this... this... this nonsense!"

With Sana not replying, she continued her tirade. "What were you thinking, anyway? You had one job, Sana. Be a good girl that I can be proud of. At least bear some responsibility after... after..."

Asuka's body shivered before she pointed at the ceiling and the whole extent of their dining room. "... After I worked my butt out for you. To let you go to the best private school, to give you the best caretakers, to let you have a comfortable life! And this is how I get repaid?!"

"You don't know anything," softly answered Sana.

"Hah?!"

"You don't know anything, Mama. All the things you said... it's not what I wanted. I don't care about all that money if y-you're never home for anything."

"I do that because I only want to give you the best. Do you think that if I were to be a housewife while your dad works some little job in a faraway town, you'd have this kind of house to live in? All while having Yura here attending to you? And being in a private school where you get to meet her?" finished the mother, pointing at the noticeably startled Hikari. "The money won't come by itself."

"But that's not what I needed, Mama!" answered Sana, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "There's no warmth to it. Everything you did. I-i-it's all empty!"

Asuka palmed her own face upon hearing that answer from her tearful daughter.

"Geez, would you quit being a drama queen already? You're already in middle school! You think we'd be in this position if I was anything like you at that age?"

"I-I-I was so happy... that you came back, Mama," sniveled Sana. "I had so many stories to tell, but all you cared about were my slightly lower grades. While you were gone, I met so many people who helped me and gave me joy, and all you can do was tell me to stay away from them, to not attend events because they're dangerous."

"It's for your own good, Sana! Enough of this charade, okay?!"

Before Sana can respond, Kazuki brought his own glass down the table a lot more gently than the mother did.

"Unbelievable. And you're supposed to be a what? A devotional leader? Motivational speaker? With those inspirational talks and all?" he said, having caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"Sana's my daughter, and how I deal with her is none of your business!"

Kazuki raised both arms while maintaining eye contact.

"Easy, there. I come in peace, Mrs. Kurashiki. I just had enough of sitting here doing nothing while you go berate Sana in front of us."

"What did you just say?" she said as her eyebrows twitched.

"As I said a while ago, in the few days that Sana is with us, I've seen what she's like inside. I learned of her desires, her fears, her dreams, all of that. I've seen a tender girl who had one desire: understanding and care. Someone who's vulnerable and has attachment issues."

"Tch! You think you know her better than I do?"

Having grown agitated himself, Kazuki sternly spoke in reply. "Have you ever asked Sana what she really wanted or how she felt? Or do you just throw money at her and leave her out to dry, or worse, forcibly pull her away from the things she held dear, before patting yourself in the back and telling yourself you did a good job?"

"I am not letting some teenage criminal lecture me on how to raise my daughter!"

"You have a great daughter. I've also seen how people who have great, supportive parents end up like, how the love ends up being reciprocal between the two sides."

He paused, making sure to leave a break for possible responses.

"Everyone, from children to people like me, have our share of insecurities, and we need a pillar of support. Sana's been looking for that for ages, and she just wants it to be you. She wants someone to be there for her, someone she can open up to, and someone she can share her joy to."

He took a deep breath, but his eyes never left Asuka's.

All the while, Kazuki fought the temptation to check on both Sana and Hikari at this very tense moment. He felt his fists wanting to clench into balls, but he can't get himself to do it.

Not in front of Asuka.

At the end of the day, he still recognized who this person was, but he just couldn't stand the scene in front of him anymore.

Not after seeing the contrast between Mrs. Amagi and Mrs. Kurashiki. Not to mention the stories he heard about Yoshihiro Ishida, then seeing how the three children turned out.

"In fact, do you even know how much courage Sana had to muster just to face you right now? She knew that she did something wrong, and deep inside, she longs for forgiveness. But it can't be a one-way road. Yura can't do that on her own, and Hikari and I are not her real family. Only you can do it, Mrs. Kurashiki," finished Kazuki before giving a bow.

"Perhaps you don't know who you're talking to."

Those words cut through Kazuki, sending a tingling sensation racing down his spine.

"Do you know enough about my history to tell me what to do? Has Sana told you about the story I always told her? About how I brought myself out of poverty? Let me tell you something. The key is a concept you young people nowadays are not familiar with: surrender and resilience."

Her voice trembled, and when Yura approached, all the caretaker got was the signature palm to her face.

"I listened. To my superiors. To my mentors. And to the voice of God. And I gave all control up and strived to find inner peace, leading me to my job. Without that job, do you think I could afford everything now? Do you think I can give Sana such a comfortable life, while feeding her and my useless husband who works in a ditch? Heck, Sana owes me everything, and it's a debt she won't ever be able to pay through adulthood!"

When she slammed the table, a collective echo could be heard inside the room. Kazuki felt a strong grip on his hand before he calmed Hikari down with a reassuring hand gesture.

"In this world, there are those sitting atop who make the rules, and you young people can't seem to wait your turn. What's with the rebellious attitude and 'sticking up for yourself,' huh? Even going the lengths of illegal activities and the horrible taboos like fortune telling and witchcraft?" continued Asuka, her face now looking completely disgusted.

Kazuki was more confused at where those occult terms came from before remembering the mom's background.

"Mrs. Kurashiki, we're—"

He was quickly interrupted by the mother.

"I can't believe the audacity of young people nowadays. You kids always think you know more than you do, and it shows. Is that the effect of the social media thing? How you now feel so entitled to the point of minding someone else's business?"

"With utmost respect, I—"

"Stop. I have made my decision. I have pruned many bad influences from Sana's life before, but you're by far the worst. You, take your sister and get out of my house! Now!"

"Mama!" shouted Sana.

"Sana, we'll have a long talk afterwards. In your room. But just let me say that it won't be pretty. The least you can do is prepare your heart to say goodbye to Shiroki City."

"Please, not that, Mama!"

Those pleas fell on deaf ears, however, and Asuka stood up, having heard enough.

"Yura," she called in a snappy tone before walking away. "Escort the two out. I don't want to ever see them again."

"Ma'am..."

"I said escort them out, Yura!"

Her stomps did little to faze the caretaker, who stood unmoving. When she turned back, her jaw dropped open, and she swung her arm wildly before tossing a clipboard towards the table.

With wide eyes like those of a demon, she walked back to the table.

"Even you, Yura?! Fine, I'll do it myself."

She turned her eyes on Hikari, but Kazuki stood up and blocked her way.

Before their confrontation, everything stopped when Sana let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Stop it!"

The room seemed to shake along with the high-pitched sound of despair, and everyone paused to look at the surroundings.

The stunned Kazuki found his heart thumping when he felt the jolt of electricity and the bone-chilling cold envelope him.

Struggling to find his balance, he felt the burst of energy slam at him from Sana and Asuka's general direction. That was before the world started swirling, and he stumbled back right before he could get back to his feet.

"Hikari! Sana!"

"You listen to me now and stop this, Sana!" yelled Asuka.

However, those yells did little to stop Sana. Before Kazuki can find a chance to respond, the whole room melded into a swirl of darkness.