Hi... It's been a while, hasn't it. Life got in the way, I got distracted by other stuff, etc etc. This is kind of a BS chapter because I really want to finish this story. I'll try not to BS from now on (I say before I proceed to post more BS chapters).

Aiya and I were planning to meet up in the city, simply to roam the streets, blow our money on anything that caught our eye, and so on. She was coming around noon, and until then, I spent most of the morning making myself presentable. By that, I was really just covering up any bruises or scars that could potentially raise questions. The ones on my body, arms, and legs were easily covered up with my long sleeves and jeans. The one on my face was a bit more of a challenge. I was practically piling ridiculous layers of foundation on the bruise, which was still black, blue, and purple beneath it all.

At least it doesn't look too bad. It looked way worse before. I could just say I bumped my head kinda hard.

I gingerly applied the last drop of foundation on my face, rinsing my hands quickly before straightening myself out and looking over myself in the bathroom mirror. My clothes seemed acceptable for today. My makeup job is good enough. But I looked tired. Not like I could turn into Sleeping Beauty and sleep forever, but "life tired". Can't be looking like that. I attempted to smile, trying to hide my emotional exhaustion, but even so, my eyes still expressed how I was feeling. They expressed hurt; A kind of hurt that I only expressed when no one was looking; A hurt that I sometimes forgot was there; A hurt that I feel grows everyday. Can't let it get in the way today.

I left the restroom, walking down the hall, and as I stood at the top of the staircase, I saw my stepdad standing by the door, suitcases by his side, talking to Takara. One look at him, and instantly I felt my "fight or flight" instinct kick in. I found myself hopping back and out of sight, back up against the wall and trying to stifle my breath, feeling as if he could hear any sound I made. It was not only making me anxiety-ridden, but it felt funny. I mostly did this when I was younger, and I would hide from him all the time whenever I saw him or heard him coming for me. This horrifying game of hide and seek was easier then, given that my tinier form could slip and slide into any cabinets, closets, or anything in between.

Why is this coming back to me?

I paused, thinking back to yesterday's beating. Every so often, I would glance up at his face before he swung the belt down on me. There was a disgusted look in his eyes; There was a look of pure hate; But there was also a hint of bliss, as if he enjoyed my submissiveness to him; As if he just liked to see me in pain. If anything, he would more than likely love to see the sight of my corpse.

…

No… No, damn it. He may like to hurt you, yes, but he wouldn't do anything like that.

Someday this will all be over. You'll be free from him. He'll never lay a finger on you again.

I heard the door open and shut, when I peeked around the corner, he was gone, and it was just Takara standing alone. I let out a couple of deep breaths, one to relieve my tension in my chest, and the last being to rid the distress from the morbid suggestion of how dad would rather see me dead.

I started moving again, tucking my hands in my pockets and keeping my head down as I walked down the stairs. Getting out will be good for me. It's not just distractive, but healthy as well.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come down, Yuri," I heard Takara say, making me look up, "Your father just left."

"And he'll be gone for a week?"

"Yes…" She paused, her eyes roaming over me, "Are you going somewhere too?"

"Out with a friend," I answered, "But I don't know for how long."

"Oh?"

"I'll be out of here by ten or so."

"That's only an hour away then. Would you like some breakfast? Your brother's in there eating now."

I nodded reluctantly. I didn't really feel like eating, but I guess it's for the best if I don't want to pass out.

Takara followed behind me until her cell phone rang loudly. I turned around, seeing that she had stopped. She looked up, holding up one finger to me before answering the phone. I mouthed an "okay" to her before entering the dining room. The warm smell of porridge filled the room, and over at the table, Daichi had it all over his mouth.

The sight of him made me laugh, "You enjoying yourself over there?"

He said something incoherently, his mouth full of porridge, and as I dished myself a couple of big spoonfuls of the warm breakfast, I could hear Takara from the other room, sounding stressed beyond belief as she spoke to the caller, something about her cat giving birth to five kittens, and that she was still going.

"I'll be over soon enough… Yes, it's fine! He's not here the whole week! In the meantime, just keep the babies warm and the mom comfortable! I'll be there soon!" I heard her say, and seconds later, it looked as though she had came out of the wind, her hair messy, her eyes tired, and her overall stature just looking as if she was evolving into a hunchback.

"There's a slight change of plans for me today," She sighed heavily, walking over to the table, "Daichi, I promise we'll go to the park at some point, but first we have to stop by my home."

"Hmm?" Daichi looked up at her as if he wasn't paying attention, spoon in his mouth.

"One of my cats is giving birth, and the maids are panicking," Takara said to me, "I'm gonna go help them… If everything goes smoothly there, your brother and I should be back by late afternoon. If not… Well, we'll see how this goes."

"Okay," I nodded, "Tell me how everything goes when you get back."

"I will… Will you be okay?"

"Of course."

"Alright… I'll see you soon. Daichi, honey? Get your shoes on."

I watched as Daichi hopped away from the table, still licking his spoon as he and Takara walked out of the dining room, and by the time they were out the door, the feeling of warmth and comfort that was once stirring softly in my core vanished. I was alone, with a violent silence being my only company along with the sound of the clock ticking in the other room. I ate the porridge slowly, hoping the time would somehow pass by quicker.

I never really liked the city. In my childhood, it was such a colorless and dirty place. I can't say much has changed as Aiya and I walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. The blue sky and sunshine didn't really make it look any better. The city is far from the rich neighborhoods and schools, so we ended up taking a train here. Looking around, I knew we weren't gonna stay here for too long like we did in that small town. I don't want to imagine what this place is like at night.

We walked into a coffee shop, glowing with warm colors and filled with a scent of coffee beans and tea. I stood by Aiya as she ordered a drink high in sugar and topped with whipped cream. I ordered a hot tea, which came out first.

"Small earl grey!" The barista cried out.

As I wrapped my fingers around the warm cup and attempted to pull away, the barista still held on, his knuckles turning white. What's up with him? I looked up to meet his gaze, only to feel my insides freeze. That barista; That man…

I knew him clearly from the beach. He was one of the boys who tried to harass the girls. It felt as if time froze as I found myself looking directly at his stubby face, the hairs standing on the back of my neck. I could remember that day as if it had happened yesterday. I remembered what his face looked like before throwing me off that rock, and how his lips formed into a sinister smile, which was soon blurred by the water that filled my vision.

I managed to pull the cup away from him, and even after Aiya and I slipped out of the shop, I could still feel as if he was glaring right at me. We stood not too far away from the shop, but I was already antsy to get a move on. It's as if every atom in my body is simply telling me to get away from him.

"Hey uh… Aiya," I began, awkwardly, "Let's go over there."

Distracted by her sugary beverage, she let out a small, "Hm?" Before I held her hand, being careful not to simply drag her over to the next corner.

We now stood in the shade, leaning up against a brick wall, and still holding hands. Aiya gave me a squeeze, "Your hand is kinda sweaty."

"Huh?" I let go, looking at my palm only to see how it was dripping with sweat. I could feel my face go red. Just play it off. Make something up.

"It's pretty warm though, don't you think?" I commented.

"Yeah, but you also got hot tea," Aiya commented.

That just made me feel even warmer than before, and I could feel myself sweating in more places than just my palms now. I really am quite the train wreck today…

"Let's change the subject…" Aiya said, as if she could feel my embarrassment.

She took another sip of her drink, "I don't come to the city very often. Do you?"

"I uh…" Lightbulb. "I actually lived in the city for a while."

"You did?" Aiya tilted her head, once again grabbing my hand as we began walking away from our spot, "Tell me more! Was it somewhere around here?"

"Pretty close, actually."

Soon, every anxious feeling that was bubbling inside me simmered away. In the next several hours to come, I was going share fragments of my past with Aiya, showing her places I used to eat at, the park I used to play at, and the ice cream bar my mom took me to on special occasions. At some point, Aiya made an interesting comment on how these places were very "commoner-esque". I don't think she caught on to the fact that I was a commoner for the first several years of my life.

The last stop we walked to was the old daycare my mom used to work at. All these feelings of nostalgia overwhelming me made me excited to see that place again. But as we turned to the corner, all that we saw was a vacant building and a "for rent" sign posted on the window. The excitement in me died, and I fell silent.

"This uh…" I began, "This is where the daycare used to be…"

We were now walking slowly. Aiya at some point stopped walking to peer inside the windows, staring into the dusty darkness.

"I never would've been able to tell that this was a daycare at some point," She commented, looking back, "And you said your mom worked here?"

"Yeah," I replied, "She really enjoyed it."

It seemed as if I had unlocked memories I didn't know I had. I saw Mom, reading a story to the children, a faint smile on her face as she showed the pictures to the other children. Another memory I conjured up were times when she helped kids that scraped their knees or bumped their heads, and there was always a smile on her face, as if to reassure and comfort the ones she helped. It was that same smile she gave to me.

"At least, I think she did," I added.

Aiya gave me a light grin, walking back to me and taking my hands in hers. She rubbed them, gently and slowly. Whether she was doing that to comfort me or not, my anxiety heightened once more, my heart beating faster.

I let out a nervous chuckle as the breeze got cooler and the shadows of the big buildings loomed over us, "It's uh… It's getting late."

Aiya blinked, her grin fading. She looked around, up at the sky, back at my hands.

"Right…" She nodded, letting go.

I cannot stress this enough, but thank you all so much for your patience and for sticking around. I think I was a freshman in high school when I started this. Now I'm an adult (kinda). Wow...