Umi stumbled into her prison cell after being forcefully pushed in by her escorts. She heard that prison was rough, but it was much more aggressive than she imagined. She inspected her new home for the next two years. There were two beds, one on each side of the room, a sink at the center of the far wall, and one toilet in the corner.
She sighed and sat on one of the beds, it was her first day and she was anxious about what kind of person her cellmate would be. She leaned back against the wall and thought to herself, "two years here..."
Her train of thought was broken when she heard the cell door slide open and turned to face it. A girl with blonde hair was escorted in and the two of them made eye contact. The girl looked away and waited until she was uncuffed before taking a seat on her bed.
"Umm... Hi, I'm Sonoda Umi. I'll be your cellmate during our time here," she held out her hand for a shake.
The girl looked at it before smiling and shaking her hand, "The name is Ayase Eli, nice to meet you."
Umi smiled back, "Your hair is very pretty."
Eli brought up her hand to brush it in response, "Thank you, yours is pretty too."
The two smiled at each other before an awkward silence between them had fallen. Umi tapped her legs with her fingers and made subtle noises with her mouth. Eli just kept her eyes on the cell door and looked to be in deep thought.
Umi looked around nervously, there wasn't much to look at in the first place, she had already gotten bored and if she had to spend two years in here, she might go mildly insane.
"What're you in here for?" Eli asked.
"What?" Umi was caught off guard and that question escaped her lips.
"You don't look like the type to be in prison, what did you do?" Eli turned to face Umi and leaned forward to listen.
"Oh... A few nights ago, my mother and I were walking home after we went to a piano concert. Some guy came up and started harassing my mother so I got mad and attacked him. He filed a lawsuit because I broke his arm and he won it," Umi took a deep breath and slapped her legs, "and that's how I landed in here with two years."
"You broke a guy's arm?" Eli widened her eyes in surprise.
"It's not that hard if you've been taught martial arts," Umi rubbed the back of her neck and laughed.
"That's still impressive for a woman," Eli complimented.
"What about you, Eli?" Umi asked.
She sighed heavily, "Well it's pretty simple actually, I stole a lot of things like food, water, and clothing for my younger sister."
"Ahh... That's rough, I'm sorry," Umi replied.
Eli smirked a little, "I'm in here for two years too."
"Two years? Isn't that a little too much for stealing?" Umi was surprised to hear how long Eli was supposed to be in here. She would have expected a lighter sentence for stealing.
"I stole a lot, Umi, everything just added up to two years," Eli raised her hands and plopped them onto her thighs.
Umi frowned, "I still don't think it's right... where's your sister now?"
"Somewhere off in Russia with an unnamed grandmother who finally decided to show up after all these years," she replied distastefully.
"... Well at least she has a home, right?" Umi tried to cheer Eli up.
"Home isn't just a physical place, it is also a feeling..." Eli spoke those words and Umi remained silent, "She may have a home now, but what can she do without me?"
"I'm sure your grandmother will-"
"She won't be able to care for Arisa like I do!" Eli yelled back at Umi and caused her to retreat backwards in fear, "... I... I'm sorry..."
Umi relaxed and took a deep breath, making sure to collect her thoughts before speaking, "I think it's great that you love your younger sister so much."
"She's all I have left..." Eli's saddened face was slowly replaced with a look of determination, "That is why I'm going to try my hardest to get out of here as soon as I can."
"Let's work hard together then!" Umi smiled and held out her hand once again.
Eli couldn't help but smile back at Umi's gentle nature and shook her hand again, "I look forward to our next two years together."
Umi and Eli spent the next year growing closer to one another. They ate lunch together, spent time in the courtyard together, showered together, and most important of all, fought for each other.
It should come to no surprise that the two of them would run into trouble during their time in prison. Their good nature was a clear sign to the vultures of violence that they were easy targets to pick on and harass.
It started off easy, they were called names and pushed every now and then. Eli and Umi didn't let it bother them though, they made many friends within the prison so if it came down to it, they had at least a backup plan if something went south.
Things escalated to a point where someone picked a fight with Eli and Umi had to step in. After Umi showed her physical superiority, the harassment slowly came to a stop and the two returned to their peaceful days in prison. At least as peaceful as it can get.
They couldn't stop the dirty looks that were shot at them, but as long as Umi was around, no one would make a move.
Being the "baddest one around" as the other prisoners called it didn't sit well with Umi. All she did was defend Eli and herself from harm. She was good natured and all she wanted to do was get out as soon as possible. Luckily, she didn't get called down by the warden for "excessive violence".
"Hey Umi?" Eli raised her hand to the ceiling and stared at it from her bed.
"What is it?" Umi put down the book she was reading and turned her head to the side.
"Thank you for always protecting me in here," Eli also turned her head to face Umi and smiled.
Umi smiled back, "I was just doing what my heart said was right."
Eli returned her gaze back to the ceiling and folded her hands over her chest, "I've been thinking about what I want to do when I get out."
"Oh really?" Umi turned her whole body and laid on her side to listen to Eli.
"I'm going to go back to Russia and bring Arisa back home," she paused for a moment before turning her attention back to Umi, "Do you think we'll stay in touch after we get out?"
"I don't see any reason not to," Umi replied.
"That makes me happy..." Eli yawned and stretched herself out across her bed, "I'm going to get some sleep, goodnight Umi," she turned herself so that her back was facing Umi.
Umi reached over for the lamp next to her and brought it down to a faint dim so she could continue reading her book. It had been a year since they have been in prison and they have gotten to know each other quite a bit.
She couldn't fight the desire to stare at Eli's back as she thought about her. Eli's parents had died when she was still a teenager and ever since then she had been raising Arisa on her own. After losing their home because they couldn't keep a stable income, Eli turned towards stealing to provide for her younger sister.
She always talked about how Arisa was able to smile through it all and how it kept her going for all those years.
Despite Eli's best efforts and good intentions, Umi frowned upon what Eli had mentioned earlier before she went to sleep. Of course she wanted Eli to be reunited with her younger sister, but that would mean that they would go back to the lifestyle that tore them apart in the first place.
"Maybe they can stay in our dojo...?" Umi started whispering a number of solutions to herself. She decided to leave it for another day and closed her book. She brought the dim light down until the room was enveloped in darkness and she laid in her bed. Silence fell into the room and all that could be heard were the soft breaths of Eli who was already in deep sleep.
Umi closed her eyes and awaited slumber.
Six months passed and the two of them were called into the warden's office. The guards escorted them into the room and onto some chairs that sat in front of the warden's desk.
"Sonoda Umi and Ayase Eli..." he said softly. "Where do I begin...?"
"What do you need from us, sir?" Umi asked timidly.
"There is nothing I need to ask of you two. You have shown excellent self control and refused to resort to violence or rash behavior unless needed. Particularly you, Sonoda Umi," he pointed towards her and her heart began to race.
"Since you two have abided by this prison's rules & laws and carried out all duties given to you without complaint. I am rewarding the both of you an early dismissal from this prison," the warden stood up and held out his hands.
"Sonoda Umi... Ayase Eli... you are now free women."
The two glanced at each other in excitement, big smiles crossed their faces and the two of them jumped up to hug each other.
"We did it, Eli!" Umi cheered.
"We did!" Eli cheered along with her.
"We already have your belongings ready to go and we arranged for someone to pick the both of you up," the warden added.
"I willing to bet it's my mother coming to pick me up, but what about Eli?" Umi asked.
"We got a taxi service to drop her off at a local homeless shelter," he answered.
"Oh..." Eli's mood sank almost instantly.
Umi scrambled for Eli's shoulders and held her tightly, "C-Can she come back with me?"
"There's no law saying that I can't allow that," he replied.
Umi nodded and looked back at Eli, "If you're okay with it, you can stay with us at our dojo..."
Eli smiled for a moment before frowning, "Umi... Thank you, but... What about Arisa?"
"She can stay too! It's just me, my mother and father in the home. We can fit you two in just fine!" Umi tried her best to convince Eli to stay with her. If she failed, Eli could turn back to stealing just to barely get by.
"Are you sure it's okay?" Eli asked with a hint of concern.
"It'll take a little bit of explaining, but I promise you that I will find a way to let you two live with us!" Umi said with determination.
The warden snuck into the conversation, "I don't mean to interrupt, but Sonoda Umi, your pickup has arrived."
"Oh! Let's get going, Eli!" Umi picked up her bag and pulled on Eli's arm. She barely grabbed a hold of her bag and slung it over her shoulders. She was dragged through the prison and outside of the doors to see Umi waving at an older woman who resembled her but with short hair.
"Umi! I've missed you so much!" the woman ran over and embraced her.
"I missed you too, Mother. Did you get my letters?" Umi let go of Eli's hand and made her way to the trunk.
"Yes, I did. This Eli gal you mention a lot seems like a great person," her mom added commentary as Umi pulled the trunk open and tossed her bag in.
"That's her over there," Umi pointed towards Eli and her mom turned to see. Eli waved and smiled back.
Her mother recalled a very specific detail in one of Umi's letters, "Ohhh you're right, her hair is very pretty."
"Mother, I have something very important to ask you..." Umi focused on the problem at hand. She explained Eli's entire situation to her mother and watched as a sympathetic look came across her face. Umi recognized that face anywhere, "So is that a yes?" her mother nodded and Umi jumped in celebration.
She jogged her way over to Eli and held her hands, "Welcome to the family, Eli!"
Umi grabbed the bag from her shoulder and led Eli to the car. She opened the door and motioned for her to get in. Eli slid into the car and Umi closed the door, quickly making her way around the back and to the other side. She took a seat next to Eli and smiled, "Just wait until you see the house!"
Umi's mother smiled and looked at the two women from the rear view mirror before bringing her foot down to get the car moving at an easy and steady pace.
They arrived at Umi's home shortly and Eli was amazed at how large it was. Aside from being a larger than average home, the other half of it was an entire dojo. Eli could hear grunting from the inside, "Welcome to the Sonoda Dojo, father must be teaching a judo class right now."
"This is amazing..." Eli looked around with her mouth gaped. Umi decided to show Eli around and they observed some of the martial arts classes the dojo had to offer. There was a judo class dedicated to the Sonoda style, an archery class, a polearms and weapons class, and more.
They walked further into the dojo to see a bunch of students making their way inside. Umi's mother taught calligraphy, flower decoration and other traditional arts like dance and music.
When they were done with the tour, Umi showed Eli to her room and set down her stuff, "Don't worry about not having a place to stay, we're always open for you from now on."
"Thank you so much Umi... I don't know where I would be without you," Eli hugged onto the girl and started to cry.
Umi patted the back of her head, "There there... Let's hurry and bring Arisa back, huh?"
A few weeks passed and a young girl stood in front of the Sonoda Dojo. She rang the buzzer and a motherly voice came through the speaker, "Hi, welcome to the Sonoda Dojo, we're closed at the moment."
The girl opened her mouth to speak up, "H-Hi, I'm looking for my big sister? She said to come here."
"Would your name happen to be Arisa?" the voice asked.
Arisa nodded, "Yes, I'm Arisa."
The gate unlocked, "Please come in."
Arisa watched the gate open slowly and she sheepishly made her way inside. The largeness of the home intimidated her, but the voice she heard earlier was very gentle so it calmed her down a little.
When she reached the front door, she knocked on it and heard someone call out, "Come in!"
She did as the voice said and opened the door, once she stepped inside she was blown back by loud noises and cheering, "Welcome home, Arisa!"
She stumbled back from the sudden yelling and looked up to see a partially decorated hallway and a family standing in front of her. She was unfamiliar with them, but she spotted her older sister among them.
"Big sis!" she ran forward and tossed her bags to the side. She kicked her shoes off and lunged to hug her beloved older sister.
"Welcome back, Arisa," she patted the young girl's head and smiled.
The small girl looked up at her with tears in her eyes, "I missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too... Hey Arisa?" Eli looked at her and smiled, "Welcome to our new home."
"We're staying here?" Arisa looked around and observed the house. It was very neat and clean, much different from what she had been living in for many years of her life.
Eli nodded and looked back at Umi, she motioned her over and Umi knelt on her knee next to them, "I want you to meet Umi, she's a dear friend of mine."
Arisa looked up and wiped her tears away, "So this is the Umi that you've written so much about in your letters."
Eli blushed and covered the young girl's mouth. It was too late though as she noticed Umi was looking away and blushing as well, "A-Anyways, welcome back Arisa, we'll be living here for a long while."
Five years have passed since Eli had moved into the Sonoda household. Eli was working hard now and stayed away from crime and stealing. The two of them were now in their late 20s and Arisa is just about to head off to University in the city.
"Hey Umi! Have you seen my keys?!" Eli yelled out as she got ready for work.
"They're over here on the kitchen counter!" Umi yelled back.
After a few seconds, Umi heard Eli rushing in and grabbing the car keys. She was up early to start on breakfast for the family so everyone was still asleep other than these two.
"If you wait for a few more minutes, I'll have breakfast ready," Umi called out.
"I would love to but I have an important meeting today," Eli frantically got herself together and checked her wristwatch.
In the midst of her scrambling, her eyes landed on Umi. She was standing by the stove and stirring something up in the pot in front of her. She was wearing a white apron over her dress and the sunlight peeking through the windows made her hair shine. The sunlight brought out her complexion and made her look even more beautiful than she already was.
"M-Maybe I'll have one bite..." Eli walked up behind Umi and hugged her.
"You don't have to be so shy, we're married now," Umi giggled.
"I know, but..." Eli's sentence was cut off by an unexpected kiss. She blushed and Umi brought up a spoon.
"Here, at least put something in your stomach before you leave," Umi held up a spoonful of rice porridge and blew on it to cool it down.
Eli enveloped the spoon in her mouth and swallowed the food, letting out a satisfied groan, "Your cooking never fails to taste amazing."
"I have to make it good to feed my beloved wife," Umi replied.
Eli kept her arms wrapped around the girl's waist and rested her head against her shoulder. Umi hummed to herself and kept cooking, "You should get to work before you're late to that meeting."
"I don't want to go anymore..." Eli hugged onto her tighter.
Umi sighed and shook her head, "I've married such a troublesome woman."
"But you love this woman," Eli teased.
"Indeed I do," Umi placed her free hand on top of Eli's wrapped arms, "But this troublesome woman needs to get to work if she wants to keep eating my food."
"Do I really have to?" Eli was starting to become childish.
"I'll do the thing you always wanted me to do," Umi said seductively.
"You mean the...?" Eli started to imagine Umi standing in front of the doorway when she returned home. She would be in her apron holding a soup ladle and say to her, "Would you rather have dinner, a bath, or me?"
"You mean it this time, right?" Eli let go and turned Umi around.
"Who knows? Only if you go to work and come back," Umi teased.
Eli puffed her cheeks before finally giving in, "Fine... I'll see you when I get home," Eli straightened her tie and made her way to the foyer.
"Oh wait! One more thing!"
Eli turned around to see Umi rushing out of the kitchen. She ran up to Eli and pushed herself up with her toes, landing a soft and loving kiss on her lips,
"I love you."