The morning of the day is already a bustling day in the city. A dozen flock of birds flies over the city in accord to the breeze of the wind. Never a day has ever been so bright and so warm in the good morning. Everyone does not have to be concerned about the weather because the whole day will be a warm, comfortable one with very few clouds covering the delightful sun. The sounds of people bustling about on the streets are more dominating than the sounds of cars rolling around the concrete path.
Three certain girls are walking down the street, two mixes of blondes and a tiny child with light brown hair. The Oomuro sisters are making their way down the streets towards the store. Nadeshiko and Hanako bring their respective shoulder bags, while Sakurako opted only to wear her thin, light blue jacket that has pockets. The eldest and youngest sisters chat with each other, whereas Sakurako doesn't want to delve herself into the conversation. There's no topic she had in mind or worth to talk to the sisters about. She figured that she would've bothered them again for the unnecessary conversation.
The path that lays before them is their direction towards the store. Steps thumping forward towards their destination to the so-called Sakagawa Store that Sakurako had visited. Bakimura Store is still not opened yet hence because the building is under repair and under control of the authority. For all she knew, the police haven't found them yet. She figured that those bastards went underground… and thankfully, she understands what she meant by "went underground."
Her head slightly shook from the thought and minded at the task at hand. The walk is pretty much enjoyable in Sakurako's opinion. What's enjoyable to the sisters is that Sakurako doesn't idioting about around them. But the idea of not having Sakurako to join in their conversation felt so… left out. While the store is a few minutes away, Nadeshiko can't help but turn her head to her second sister.
"Sakurako," Nadeshiko called.
"Yes?" Sakurako turned her head to her with a raised brow.
"You've been pretty silent," Nadeshiko commented on her current status.
"Wouldn't I bother you if I talk?" Nadeshiko could only raise an eyebrow at her statement.
"We don't see how you would bother us if you talk," Nadeshiko replied to her, curious to what she had in mind to say something like that.
"I'll say the same Onee-chan," Hanako agreed as her head slightly leaned forward.
Sakurako only shrugs before putting her hands inside the pockets of her shorts. "How's Misaki-chan doing yesterday?"
"Pretty much fine, Saa-chan," Hanako replied with a small smile. "She said that you were so wise and mature yesterday."
"You know? I was expecting for you to say something stupid to her," Nadeshiko admitted as she tilted her head. "I'm surprised that you gave a good advice for her."
"Isn't that pretty much normal?" Sakurako asked, waving her hand in the air for a moment. "Who would want to see a young girl like her to read that kind of book? That's like asking Hanako-chan to read your adult novel I read a couple of days ago."
Hanako suddenly yelps at her remarks, and Nadeshiko looked at her with such revolt and blush visible on her face. "H-hey, don't give her any ideas!" Nadeshiko scolded, but Sakurako swore that there's a tone of embarrassment.
"I was just stating the analogy," Sakurako replied with such indifference. "For me? I'm pretty fine with it."
Nadeshiko sighs again with little annoyance. "What did I tell you about reading my books, especially a mature one?"
"I should have your permission to read one," Sakurako replied as her eyes rolled over to the concrete road beside her. "At least that book was 'exciting.'"
"Sakurako!" Nadeshiko paused, then took a deep sigh to avoid scolding her again. "Alright, let's just stay silent."
"I thought you said you wouldn't be bothered if I talk," Sakurako reminded them politely.
Hanako just sighed with sincere before looking at her. "Can we just drop it?"
"Hmm? You want to drop your bag?" Sakurako asked with mild confusion.
The sisters then look back at her again as they perplexed at her words. "N-no! I mean, can we just stop talking about it?"
"Oh…" Sakurako realized she misunderstood that. "Of course, Hanako-chan."
Obliviousness is the only thing Sakurako had along the way. The eldest and youngest sisters then looked at each other as they found one odd trait she had. From how they see, Sakurako, as of current, not as dumb as they thought. But she still has the tendency to ask literal questions and realize if she misunderstands that. They still wonder how that kind of trait gets stuck with her despite the lack of idiocy.
Two minutes have passed, and they finally reached the store. That particular store is red, with black vertical linings on the walls and white horizontal linings just below the ceilings. The title of the store is placed next to the glass entrance, written in yellow Kanjis vertically on a black sign. Nadeshiko is beyond happy to know there's an alternative store to go thanks to Sakurako. Not wanting to waste more time, they enter the store and grab a cart near the entrance.
Nadeshiko told her to split up and help them to find soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Footsteps drowned among the sounds of other footsteps and tapping sounds of the cashier counters. The blonde girl made her way quickly to the soap/bathroom wares aisle and began to scan each rack. Her eyes winced as she's still finding that specific brand for the soap, shampoo, and conditioner, stepping sideways along the racks to find the specific branded items.
She scans so fast that she didn't realize there's someone next to her – an employee - until she bumps into him sideways. They both thankfully able to stay stable on their feet except for the goods that fell off his hands.
"O-oh, I'm sorry," Sakurako then crouched down to grab the fallen goods; the employee did the same.
"N-no, no, it's alright," the employee then looked up to her. "I'll just pick them-"
Sakurako then lifts her head to him, and they both suddenly freeze. Her eyes were observed over his chubby face, short black hair with front slicked to the left, dark green eyes, and no facial features. Grave surprise couldn't be erased from their white skins. They both recognized and had seen each other at Bakimura store. As they stare at each other, they slowly stand up and nearly take a step back from each other.
"Oh my… you… you're the one who saved my life," it's the employee she saved when he defended the store.
"Keep it down," Sakurako looked to her surroundings before looking back at him. "I didn't know you work here."
"I didn't know you'll be shopping here too," the employee commented back before they both looked down and continue to get the goods off the floor. "I want to thank you for saving my life back there."
"There's no need to," Sakurako shook her head before helping him put the packs of soaps into the racks. "I just didn't think that's going to happen."
"I know," the employee replied before putting down the last pack of soap into the racks. "Did you steal a gun from the scene by chance?"
"Well, you did see me shoot a man who tried to kill you," Sakurako whispered to him, placing the last toothpaste on the rack.
"And you saved a girl," the employee added to her sentence before looking down at the young girl. "But did you have to flee from the scene?"
Sakurako stares at him for a moment with an upsetting frown before she looks away towards the racks. He figured that she doesn't want to talk about why. He then leers his eyes onto the racks to make everything on that rack is tidy. A moment of silence later, Sakurako had something in her mind. Something about the news she heard days ago.
Sakurako then turns her head to him. "Did you tamper with the surveillance camera?"
The employee sighs then look at her with a smile. "Yeah, I did."
"Why?" from how she sees it, that caused him more trouble than its worth.
"The only last thing I worried about is for those thugs to find out who actually killed those two gunmen that you shot," the employee replied with a nod. "That goes the same for the police. But I'm much more worried about those punks looking for you. I mean… you're still a student, right?"
"Yeah…" Sakurako hesitantly replied before grabbing a soap with the specified brand.
"To be honest, I'm still surprised you can shoot the guy who wanted to kill me that accurate," the employee commented to her.
"I'm also surprised about that," Sakurako agreed to his compliment. "I never shot a real gun before. I guess I was just lucky."
"Really?" the employee disagreed with the response. "You seemed to know how to fight."
"I mean it," Sakurako nearly wanted to spill out that she killed one with a pencil. "Aren't you should be in trouble with the police?"
"Well, I got questioned, but I'm free to go because I was defending the store," the man shrugged. "Of course, while I know what we're keeping in the storage. The owner took full responsibility for it."
She nods at him but then realizes one such plot hole. "Wait, if you got wounded back there, how did you manage to tamper the evidence before the police arrived?"
"Well damn, I have to crawl my damn butt to the office after you escaped," the man shook his head at the thought. "And then I cut out the part where you got recorded."
"I see… thanks for that," Sakurako then paused, but still… she sensed a plothole but decided to ignore it. "By the way, I didn't get to know your name."
"Buro Kurowa," the man replied with a bow. "And yours?"
"Sakurako Oomuro," the blonde replied with a bow before looking over to the racks. "Um… can you help me find something?"
"Sure," Buro replied with a nod. "What're you looking for?"
With Buro's help, Sakurako managed to find the specified brand of shampoo and conditioner with ease. She thanked him with a bow before saying their farewell to each other. The walk was a quick one as she passes each aisle and sees if their sisters are in there. She found them in the fourth aisle to the right from where she came from. The blonde girl walks over to them and puts the three goods in the carts. Nothing pleases the sisters much than the fact the Sakurako does her job that well.
Satisfied with the goods they got, they then head straight for the cashier and pay for their groceries. And without further ado, they then exited the store and headed back home. The walk is still tranquil as ever. And Sakurako never said a word along the way.
Sakurako is currently in her room, working on her homework as best as she can. The day is nearly at noon, and the temperature is getting warmer than before. Sakurako is having a nice break for today hence because today is a red date. Red date in the calendar means holiday, so the school day is off for today. Sakurako could've spent her time playing games, coming over to Himawari's house, reading manga, at least everything that she usually does.
But then again, she doesn't feel that she wanted to do that.
The blonde finishes the last query on the book before putting her pencil away and closing her book. She lets out a sigh as she is satisfied that her homework is done. The index finger is unconsciously tapping onto the table, wondering what she should do for today. It would be long if she waited for the evening to arrive. She could do what she wanted to do like her old self, but then again… she can't help but feel there's something not enough for her…
The blonde then looks up to the ceiling. Perhaps, she is feeling so lonely and might be a good idea if she spends her time with her little sister. Without further ado, she stands up from her chair and gradually makes her way out of the door. Didn't even forget to close the door behind her before heading for the stairs. Like a stalking Leopard, her foot never made a single noise that she couldn't hear her own footsteps, at least, until she could hear her footsteps again once she walks downstairs.
The living room is pretty colorful and tidy when she entered. However, the TV wasn't turned on. And yet, she could see her little sister is currently drawing and… writing…? in her book. Hanako looks pretty serious about writing that. Sakurako knew not to disturb her. But she just doesn't want to be alone for now. She sighs with her eyes closed before glancing slightly at the brunette child.
She carefully walks around the table and approaches her from the side with such silence. Even if she's not wearing any sock, there was no sound produced. Indeed odd for the former loud girl, but it seems she doesn't want to annoy anyone with the petty sounds of her movements. Sakurako bends down a little and keeps her legs a bit away from the little sister's back from touching each other. She watches with curious eyes and her head tilted when she sees that she's drawing Sakurako's abstract face that looked pretty calm and neutral.
Sakurako can't help but ask. "What are you drawing?"
"Aah!" Hanako yelped in surprise, making her sister caught off-guard by her response, and leaned back a bit. Hanako deadpans at the middle sister that is standing behind her. "Since when did you get here?!"
"Just now," Sakurako replied flatly and raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Don't surprise Hanako like that!" Hanako complained in third-person with a pouting look.
"I'm sorry," Sakurako sat down behind her. "I didn't have any intention to surprise you like that."
"Really?" Hanako didn't believe that. "You're not sneaking up on Hanako?"
"Sneaking up to you?" Sakurako perplexed at the question. "I was walking over to you."
Hanako falls silent to the answer before Sakurako continues. "I just don't want to bother you much, that's all."
Hanako stares at her as if she's looking at a cute bunny. "I see…"
Sakurako leans her head to the front left to see the drawing. "What are you drawing, by the way?"
"Well… Hanako is drawing what happened yesterday," Hanako then continued to draw for a moment with a crayon. "You know, back at the restaurant."
"Ooh," Sakurako seemed to be delighted of her ugly - sorry - childish yet abstract drawing. "So lovely, Hanako-chan."
The little sister then stares at her and couldn't tell if she's complimenting her or there's something… weird in her answer, albeit that's the first time she replied with such an answer. "T-thank you, Onee-chan."
Hanako then continues to draw in her book as Sakurako's head observes the drawing beside her shoulder. The blonde then smiles that Hanako finishes her drawing and then writing down the event yesterday. Sakurako reads every word that the brunette child wrote. This is the following passage in the diary:
"I went to the restaurant with Nadeshiko Onee-chan and Misaki-chan, but also found Sakurako Onee-chan is already waiting for us at the reserved table. I'm so happy that Sakurako wasn't so loud and annoying as usual. But, she mentioned she couldn't sleep again last night. I wonder why. Nadeshiko Onee-chan asked her what she was doing last night. I didn't know Sakurako actually read Onee-chan's book, but I can't believe she reads a grown-up book. Onee-chan scolded her about it, but it seems Sakurako didn't really mind about it. She left earlier because she remembered about an appointment with a friend. I wonder what she meant by 'doing that in the bedroom.'"
Sakurako can't help but procure a flat smile. "That's… pretty accurate."
"Hmm…" Hanako thought to herself before looking up to her sister. "Is it wrong to write that in the last sentence?"
"And lie about it?" Sakurako asked with a raised brow. "It's okay to be truthful."
"Yeah, but…" Hanako placed an index finger on the tip of her lips. "Isn't that sound embarrassing?"
Sakurako chuckles a bit to herself. "Do you prefer writing that or write that they are in the bedroom and both are naked?"
Hanako then looks at her with terrified and disgusted eyes, but her cheeks reddened so hard. "E-eew! S-Sakurako!"
"Oh, sorry," Sakurako quickly replied in her neutral expression. "I shouldn't have said that."
At least, Hanako could see she's still clumsy. "I can't believe you're so okay with this."
"I don't know," Sakurako then leaned close to her. "I guess I liked the book."
"But you're not old yet," Hanako stated the fact.
"I know," Sakurako replied with a shrug. "But I still don't mind."
Hanako could only sigh to her response as she closes her book, which turns out it's her diary. Weird… for Hanako, to know that Sakurako enjoyed reading one of Nadeshiko's mature book. She couldn't tell if she should be concerned about it or let Sakurako have her fun. Hanako then grabs another book about cute animals to read. But, she notices that Sakurako slumps to the back with her arms supporting her back.
Hanako then looks at her with curiosity. "What brings you here, Sakurako?"
Sakurako then leans forward, nearly touching her body with the little sister's, before replying. "I just felt so lonely."
Hanako then bows her head with annoyance before looking at her with narrowed eyes. "You want to play with me?"
"No," Sakurako shook with such a soft voice. "I just don't want to be alone."
All she received is a confused glance from her little sister. Hanako thinks that Sakurako was vague about what she said.
"Do you mean you just want to talk with me?" Hanako asked, crossing her arms on the table.
"Not necessarily, but yes," Sakurako politely replied with a nod.
"Okay then… I don't mind," Hanako replied before reading her book again.
In silence, they both sit there. One is reading the book, the other only stares into a blank space. Awkwardness engulfed both of their minds and the atmosphere they're in. Sakurako is satisfied that someone's with her. However, she felt something empty inside, telling her that this is not enough. Sakurako slowly turns her head to her little sister. She then shifts to behind her that she could smell the aroma of her hair at a particular range.
"Hanako…"
The brunette child then looks over her shoulder, finally wondering why she's behind her. "What is it, Sakurako?"
"Can I hug you?"
Considering Sakurako's current nature, that baffled Hanako enough that she dazes off at her. That, until she begins to blush a bit at her request. "W-what? N-no."
"Please?" Sakurako begged, leaning her head closer to hers.
Hanako gradually leans her head back away from her face. "S-Sakurako, stop bothering me!"
"I just want a hug," Sakurako begged, so innocent that she showed her adorable frowned face. "Is it hard for me to ask that? Please?"
So hopeless. She figured that Sakurako wouldn't stop pestering her until she gets her request. With her pursed lips, Hanako looks away to her book with a complaining groan and puffed cheeks.
"Fine, go ahead," Hanako grunted as she opened the book. "Just don't annoy me."
Sakurako then tilts her head at the last remarks; it takes her for a moment to understand that Hanako is already bothered by her presence. The blonde only tilts her head and looks over to her petite body. Still, a smidge of confidence is enough to encourage herself to hug her little sister. She shifts right behind her, hugging onto her and wrapping her arms around her tummy. Not only that, the blonde leans her head onto hers to feel the soft and silky texture of her brown hair.
For a moment, Hanako feels slightly discomforted to being hugged. However, it might be the longest time to feel that her middle sister is hugging her so tight. It's tight around her stomach, but not too tight, and she could feel the tender hands through her shirt. Hanako begins to blush red on her cheeks and stifles the embarrassment that's going to procure on her face. Still, a firm gaze stays intact at the book before her without a single word.
A couple of minutes have passed, and the brunette sister could read her book without much interruption. Her sister is still hugging her as she could feel the blonde's head shifting a bit behind her head, feeling her hair shifting along with Sakurako's head. A hug is pretty normal for a lot of people. But, since this is Japan, a hug should be reserved for a close family or a romantic partner. Hence because hugging in Japan is considered as an intimate affection like how the westerners see a kiss.
There is nothing she feels except for the weak tingling sensation on her hair and behind her neck. Hanako couldn't help but think that Sakurako is a bit… possessive, that's the word. Nonetheless, her eyes look over to her left shoulder to the hugging Sakurako. She's okay to have a hug, but not that long. The longer she hugs, the more embarrassment Hanako has.
"S-Saa-chan," Hanako called, nearly closing her book. "Are you done yet?"
"No, not yet," Hanako could feel Sakurako shook her head on her hair. "I want to hug you much longer."
"Sakurako…" Hanako turned her blushing head to look over her shoulder. "Do you know how embarrassing this is?"
What she received was a reply of ignorance to her remarks. She couldn't help but feel her second sister's head shifting gently up and down, hair to the neck. Hanako made a quiet yelp when she feels something sucked around her hair and the neck. Probably it was Sakurako's nose that's splitting the little sister's hair as it gradually lifts up to the back of her head.
Hanako barely hears the sniffing sound on her hair. "W-what are you doing, Sakurako?"
Sakurako then lands her chin on her left shoulder. "Your hair so fragrant and silky, Hanako-chan."
"W-wait, did you just smell my hair?!" Hanako nearly asked aloud and almost turned her body around.
"I did," Sakurako admitted, before sniffing onto her hair again. "You smell so nice. Strawberry, isn't it?"
Something is ominous just to hear she said that. Not only that, the tone she voiced somehow sounded so… inappropriate. For all she knew, Sakurako never says something in such an indecent way, ever. Either that, or she's messing with her.
Hanako leans her head forward away from Sakurako's head reach. "Stop sniffing on my hair, baka!"
"Huh?" Sakurako then tilted her head to show her confusion. "But why?"
"Stop messing around with me!" Hanako pouted while Sakurako is still hugging her small tummy. "Just let me go already!"
"Pardon me? I wasn't messing around with you," Sakurako then leaned forward and landed her head back to her shoulder. "I was being honest about you. And… you're so adorable, you know?"
Hanako drops her jaw and deadpans at her as her cheeks become so red like a strawberry. "S-stop saying something like that! That's embarrassing! Let me go already!"
Sakurako sighs and closes her eyes at the little sister's complaints. But then… she wants to do something Hanako. It isn't very wise from her perspective, but she just wants to do it to her adorable little sister.
"Hanako."
"What?!"
She then holds Hanako's right cheek before putting a kiss on her cheek.
Things went overboard from there.
Hanako freezes to the action she received. Sakurako never, ever, does something like that to her sisters, even to Hanako. A kiss like that is not something to be taken lightly, especially to her own family. The kiss is startling enough that she became temporarily numb for the moment. Even if Hanako could snap back at her, the function of her mind had switched off.
"Hanako, you here-"
By Jove, Nadeshiko just walks into the room at such bad timing. Or, good timing in Hanako's perspective.
There's no such stare that could beat Nadeshiko's stares of shock where her eyes become shrouded in shadows, and her mouth is open and becomes stuck like a statue. While the sight of Sakurako hugging Hanako is like slapping her own head, she could see Hanako's face is so… so pale. Hanako has frightened, empty eyes that might break through the fourth wall. However, the blonde girl just sat there and stared back at Nadeshiko, showing her obliviousness at the matter.
"Ah…" Nadeshiko stayed silent for five seconds. "Why are you hugging Hanako?"
"I just want to hug her, Onee-chan," Sakurako admitted out of sincerity.
"I… see…" Nadeshiko only raised her phone to her shoulder as she looked at the brunette sister. "Hanako, is there something wrong?"
"O-Onee-chan- she-" the sight of shakiness throughout the little sister's body and the redness of her face were enough to make Nadeshiko concerned, even her pupils shrunk so much that anyone could barely see them. "S-Sakurako j-just kissed me…"
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Hippity Hoppity, Nadeshiko's phone is now the floor's property.
The eldest sister lunges forward and quickly smack Sakurako's head with her open blazing hand. The blonde girl becomes a dead fish once Hanako escapes from her embrace. Once sprawled on the floor, the brunette quickly backs away from their second sister and clings onto Nadeshiko's side. A terrified face is visible on Hanako's face while the eldest sister narrows her fierce eyes at the pained blonde sister. Sakurako keeps her head bowed as she holds her aching head without a single groan.
"What the heck were you thinking?!" Nadeshiko scolded aloud; she was thankful their mother is not here. "I knew that book must've gotten into your mind!"
"But…" Sakurako paused, noticing the glare of her eldest sister. "I only kissed her cheek."
"You-eh?!" the reply stunned her for a few seconds. "You kissed her cheek?"
A nod was all she could say for the query.
"B-but, that doesn't mean you can just kiss me like that!" Hanako pouted, wrapping her arms around Nadeshiko's waist. "That was too embarrassing!"
"I'm sorry, Hanako," Sakurako apologized as she looked up to them. "I was tempted to do so."
Nadeshiko sighs to her answer before putting her hands on her hips. "You darn girl. Why are you bothering Hanako?"
"I wasn't exactly bothering her," the blonde limply leaned onto the table and put her arms on it. "I just want to sit with her."
Nadeshiko sighs with her eyes closed before the sisters decide to sit down next to her. "Why did you even want to hug her?"
"I just felt I want to," Sakurako shrugged; when it comes to feelings, she could explain it as vague as she can. "You know… I haven't done that for a long time."
"Hmm… sounds about right…" Nadeshiko had to admit that; they haven't done that for a long time. "It's quite a rare sight to see you hugging her."
Hanako looks away for a moment in an attempt to erase her blush. "But that doesn't mean you have to smell my hair."
"Huh, she smelt your hair?" Nadeshiko asked and raised an eyebrow at her.
Sakurako leans forward with her elbows supporting the table. "I love your hair, Hanako-chan. I'm kind of jealous, somehow."
The sisters had their surprise through their glimmering eyes. Eventually, deadpanning at her but also realizing that Sakurako, for once, admits her jealousy.
"You… liked my hair?" Hanako became curious, tilting her head to the said sister. "What makes you think so?"
"I like the strawberry scent," the blonde girl had a genuine smile to answer her question. "Your hair is so silky, smooth and shiny, and so mesmerizing to touch by hand."
Nadeshiko chucks at the last sentence. "Mesmerizing? I never thought you came up with that word."
"It just crossed my mind," Sakurako replied as she looked at her. "Probably remembered that word from your book I read."
The two sisters sourly sigh at the response she got. "Can you just stop bringing that up?" Nadeshiko asked in irritation.
"We had talked about that in the morning," Hanako added to support the eldest sibling remarks.
"Looks like we're starting to talk in circles right now," Sakurako commented, still smiling as her head bowed towards the table, and then she changed expression and had her eyes looking over to their left. "Also, your phone, Onee-chan?"
"Oh, yes," the eldest sister soon got up and grabbed her phone back before returning to the table. "I'm glad my phone didn't break."
"That's better than to hear your previous ringtone," Sakurako admitted flatly, at which she earned her glare. "What?"
"Nothing," Nadeshiko started to think she was joking. "Anyway, do you have any plans for today?"
"Well… I'll be taking a stroll in the evening," Sakurako replied as she leaned back onto the sofa. "After five o'clock."
"Oh, you're going out with Hima Onee-chan?" Hanako asked with a raised brow.
"No," the blondie simply shook her head. "I'll be walking out on my own."
Well, a couple of question marks appeared invisibly above Nadeshiko's head. "Wait, you're walking out on your own?"
"You sounded concerned," Sakurako knew how obvious her question is.
"I don't like the idea of you taking a walk that late," Nadeshiko stated with the tone of her disagreement. "Why do you want to go out that late? You should take Himako with you."
"I really don't want to bother anyone to accompany me for the evening," Sakurako shook her head before leaning onto the table. "I only want to enjoy the walk peacefully."
"Sakurako," Nadeshiko frowned her eyebrows. "The last time we let you walk around the town on your own, you ended up on the other side of the town and called Himawari to pick you up."
Well, it's not like that hasn't happened for once, considering the short-term memory she had at that time. There were multiple accounts of Sakurako getting lost along the way, even at a short distance from the house.
"I'm pretty aware of that, Onee-chan," Sakurako stated, wearily turning her head at the eldest sister. "But, I'm pretty confident I can walk on my own."
"We'll ask mom later if you're so insistent about it," Hanako replied with a sour look.
"Sure, I don't mind about it," Sakurako tilted her head towards Hanako as she fiddled her fingers on the table. "If mom disagrees, then I won't leave the house."
Nadeshiko stares at her for a moment before she becomes curious. "Where are you heading for anyway?"
"To the park," the blonde then landed her chin on her hand. "And probably a few blocks around the neighborhood."
"Huh, that seems fine for me," that's pretty much a bit close to the house in Nadeshiko's opinion. "But don't stray too far."
"Yes, Onee-chan," the obedient blonde replied with a nod.
Hanako leans sideways to look at Sakurako. "We will also call you if you're out there for too long."
The blondie only glances at her. "Alright, Hanako."
"Say…" Nadeshiko then turns her head towards the clock above the doorway. "Do you want to play a game?"
"What game?" Hanako asked with a raised brow.
"How about scrabbles?" Nadeshiko asked.
"Sure," Hanako then looks over to Sakurako. "Saa-chan?"
Sakurako stares at them for a moment but then gives out her happy smile. "Of course. Where's the board?"
Nadeshiko stands up and walks over to the shelf. If memory serves her right, the Scrabbles is on the top shelf. The blonde quietly shifts herself close to Hanako before their shoulders touch each other. That surprised Hanako a bit but didn't bother to try to move away from her. Of course, Nadeshiko manages to find the scrabbles and stuns herself to see Sakurako is so close with Hanako. The eldest sister then proceeds to sit down next to Sakurako (on the very right) and then sets up the board along with the letter tiles.
A few minutes had passed, and the board is beginning to be littered with words. Unsurprisingly, the game they played is the English version of the game. Hanako, who is still an elementary student, seems doesn't mind much about the game's nature of language. There's an English lesson in elementary school anyway. As a matter of fact, they're happy that Sakurako doesn't complain much about the game's language.
As they're in the middle of the game, it was Nadeshiko's turn to put out the word with the available tiles in her hand. When she's about to place the word next to the letter C, that moment replaced with Sakurako gradually clinging onto her side. The shorter-haired sister manages to create the word "COMING" before feeling disturbed by Sakurako's behavior. There's nothing much save for the slight blush on the eldest sister's face.
Hanako was already annoyed at the sight. "Sakurako, you're doing it again!"
"But you don't really mind, right?" Sakurako asked, not bothering to look up to Nadeshiko and instead stared towards the board.
She really wanted to complain, but she's already enjoyed the silence and the not bothersome behavior she had from Sakurako. "I guess I won't mind. You're not annoying, after all."
"Was that a compliment?" Sakurako asked as they watched Hanako placed a word on the board.
"It is," Nadeshiko then rubbed her second sister's head. "Your turn, Sakurako."
"Hmm…"
Sakurako is currently considering what word she should make on the board. Five letters have been put out, descending next to the letter H. It's a name, apparently. To be frank, it's not the kind of name that the sisters expect. Nadeshiko even has to blink her eyes twice to make sure her eyes did not deceive her.
The name laid out on the board was the name "HITLER."
The eldest sister deadpans at the name, along with Hanako, who had learned a bit about the German Dictator. They then proceed to turn their heads at her.
"What?"
"I don't remember you're reading too much history," of course, Nadeshiko is referring to Sakurako's lack of intelligence on the world's history.
"I ever heard about him, actually," Sakurako admitted with a shrug.
"Right…" Hanako then leered over to Nadeshiko. "Your turn, Onee-chan."
"Let's see," Nadeshiko managed to come up with the word "Jacket."
"My turn," Hanako then laid out the word that she could come up with. "Sheep."
"Hmm…" Sakurako is still thinking as she is clinging onto Nadeshiko. But then, a word came up in her mind. "Got it."
The next procured word is "SPAMMING."
"Spamming? What does that mean?" Hanako asked in her high tone.
"It means when someone uses a messaging system, they use it to send the same messages that anyone didn't ask for in large or small scale to many message receivers," Sakurako explained to her little sister.
Thus, the eyes of her eldest sister became wider as Hanako baffled at her knowledge. "O-oh… so that's spamming?" Hanako asked again in doubt.
"That's spamming," Sakurako nodded to her. "Everyone doesn't like that."
"I'll keep that in mind," Hanako responded with an innocent smile.
Nonetheless, the game goes on. In Nadeshiko's turn, she manages to come up with the word "PINK." Hanako, on the other hand, manages to come up with the word "BITE." And then, it's Sakurako's turn. She takes quite a time of consideration to think of a word before laying them out on the board.
The word is "BOOBS."
The sisters stare at the indecent word for a moment before looking up at her. Sakurako ignores their stares but did lift her head to the answer.
"It's Déjà vu all over again."
17:10
Sakurako had left the house for the evening, wearing only her posh white jacket, cream knee-length cargo shorts, and a light yellow T-shirt. Alongside her waist is her small satchel containing her wallet, tissue, small utilities, and the pistol magazines in the very bottom of it. A pistol is hidden underneath her jacket on her back. Her jacket is thin but left unzipped to make sure that the gun is not showing itself through the layer of the jacket. It's somewhat appropriate clothing for this slightly cold evening, or she is instead not having a skin-burn due to the evening sunlight.
Footsteps rang along the road she had walked through, albeit, a single kind of footsteps at that. Nothing occupies the current path she has taken save for the occasional Middle Students who happened to pass by and a couple of adults. Eyes look down to the ground as she observes the unmoving shadows of walls, trees, houses, and buildings on the ground. Nevertheless, she could see the shadows moved less than an inch as seconds pass by.
The path she has taken is not valid with what she said to her sisters. She'll be heading off to Shiba's hideout, the weapons dealer's hideout. She didn't grin, nor did she smile, but she's feeling so astonished with herself that the gift she would receive from Shiba is the AK-103. Of course, she has no idea how heavy that rifle is, apart from what she sees from the movies. But she could guess she better sticks with the sidearm than a rifle.
Sakurako doesn't have to start walking from that restaurant, fortunately. She remembered the roads towards the said warehouse. It took her time to notice that she wasn't paying attention to the time of the day and how long she had been walking. But on close inspection of the shadows around her, she figured it's nearly at six o'clock. Probably, next time she'll ask George for his phone number so he can pick her up if he doesn't really mind. That man is the chief-security for Himawari's sake.
Ah-hem.
Nevertheless, Sakurako reaches her destination inside the said road. The building still looks the same as yesterday, windows shut, a bit neglected, and shows no much activity from the outside. She's standing by the building and has her eyes on the wooden door with the metal slit. She was nearly tempted to knock on the door. Hence, the last thing she'll expect is to have someone guarding the door to tell her to get off the place. So she takes a careful approach by pulling out her phone and calling Shiba's number.
*DRRTT-DRRTT* *CLICK*
"Hello?"
Yep, it's Shiba. "Shiba-san, I'm waiting at the front here."
"Oh? Just wait there for a moment. I'll send George to pick you up. I'm gonna close the call."
"Alright, Shiba-san."
After the call cuts off, she tucks her phone back into her jacket and waits by the front stairs. Twenty seconds took her waiting until she heard the door open. George peeks out from there as she turns around. Sakurako greets him with a smile and a small bow to him.
"Come on in, girl," George said with a warm smile, though she noticed he's wearing his sunglasses. "The boss is waiting for you in the office."
Sakurako didn't say much but nod before entering the building, followed up by the chief-security who shuts the door behind him. The blonde lets him lead the way to the office for two things. One, she doesn't know the way around the warehouse yet. And two, her paranoid feelings about the other men currently reside in the warehouse. She's feeling so glad that no one is bothering her on the way. An exception is that the men did wonder why Sakurako-which they called little blondie-is here.
It wasn't long for them to reach the office. The blonde was the first to enter before George. The first thing she takes notice of is that Maru wasn't inside the office. Shiba, on the other hand, is preparing some kind of a big, black, rectangular bag. Two big pouches are visible on the front side of the bag. Nothing much she could tell from the bag.
Shiba zips the bag up before turning around to Sakurako. "Ah, good to see you here. I was just finishing your rifle here."
"Didn't think it'll be such a fuss to bring around," Sakurako commented on the bag.
"Hey, this is not your everyday stuff to bring around," Shiba replied to her comment before turning around and patting on the bag. "And hey, you need the bag if you want to bring this damn thing around."
Sakurako then approaches the bag before Shiba adds in. "Of course… if you're that strong to carry it around."
The blonde turns her head at her. "How heavy is it?"
"3.4 kilos," Shiba replied, then gave a slight shrug. "That's without the magazine. There are other stuffs here like magazines and some attachments. So… you think you can pick it up?"
"Hmm… never carried that much, to be honest," Sakurako then pursed her lips at the thought. "But, it's worth a try."
The violet woman only laughs at Sakurako's response before patting on her shoulder. "Don't worry about this one. George will handle the bag."
"Really?" Sakurako asked George, who replied with a nod. "Mighty kind of you, George."
"No problem, Sakurako," George replied before he tilted his head. "Should we get going?"
"Right," Shiba then, with difficulty, lifted the bag up and gave it over to George. "Bring this thing to the basement, will ya?"
"Sure, boss," George nodded before leaving the office with the bag in his hand.
"Why to the basement?" Sakurako asked with a raised brow.
"We have our very own shooting range in the basement," Shiba told her with a happy smile.
The blonde can't help but to feel mildly surprised by her generosity. "I half-expected we're going somewhere to use that gun."
"Oh, I have considered that Oomuro-san," Shiba then pointed her finger to the side of her own head. "But for now, I think this range should be enough for you. Not too far from home, not too close to home."
"And two steps away from alerting the authorities," Sakurako added to her sentence, half-intended to be a joke.
"That's right," Shiba then gestured at the door. "Shall we?"
"Sure, Matsubara-sensei," Sakurako replied with a tilted head.
Shiba chuckles at her remarks. "Alright, very funny. Come on."
"I was complimenting you," Sakurako admitted with a blank stare.
"Doesn't seem that way," Shiba responded before they both left the office.
Shiba walks ahead of Sakurako, occasionally looking over her shoulder to make sure she's still behind her. Along the way, some of Shiba's men greet her with such respect, but a few of them were greeting her casually by waving a hand to her. The men found odd about the blonde girl that's trailing behind Sakurako, but they only keep watching them. It didn't take them long to reach the ground floor before Shiba leads her to a corner of the apartment building. There is a metal door a bit far from the corner, leading them to the basement, and a guard is standing by the door.
"Good day, boss," the guard greeted before looking at the girl. "That's the girl?"
"Yeah, she's the one," Shiba replied with a nod.
"Nice, boss told me about you," the guard replied with a smile. "George and Maru are waiting for you downstairs."
"Is the range ready?" Shiba asked the guard.
"I think Maru is almost finished setting up the targets," the guard replied before he opened up the metal door. "Come on in."
"Arigato," Sakurako thanked her, and then they entered the door.
The guard shuts the metal door as the girl and the violet woman walks downstairs. They pass a semi-circle platform before reaching the basement floor and enter through another door. After entering, however…
*DAR-DAR-DAR*
Sakurako startled to be greeted by the sound of gunfire. It took her a while to calm down when she saw that was Maru, who's firing his pistol on the range. Loud? Yes. But she's pretty thankful it's not too loud. Well, she noticed that Shiba wasn't stunned by the sudden gunshot.
Shiba and Sakurako walked over to Maru, who's trying out a semi-auto pistol. "Dammit, Maru, can't you just wait for Sakurako to start shooting before you?"
"Hey, that cardboard target is meant for me to shoot, alright?" Maru then pointed his open palm at the other targets next to his. "Those are her targets."
"Huh, that's good," Shiba then put both hands on her hips. "But you just startled Sakurako, for God's sake."
"Well, it's not her first-timer to hear gunshots, amiright?" Maru asked cockily.
"So you're saying you're okay to spook a girl who recently survived a shootout?" George asked out of mild irritation.
Maru didn't reply, but he surely chuckled at his question.
"You're a dick sometimes," Shiba vulgarly stated.
"What's a dick?" Sakurako asked with a raised brow.
Maru can't help but to chuckle aloud while George looks away in surprise by her sudden probable literal question. Of course, Shiba knew she meant the slang of that.
"That actually means jerk, Sakurako-san," Shiba replied, trying not to smile as she said that.
"Something tells me there's another meaning to that," Sakurako did pay attention to the face Shiba was trying to restraint.
"Well, there is… but we better don't talk about that," Shiba then clasped her hands together. "Alright, you wanna start?"
"Yes," Sakurako nodded. "Eto… are you sure-"
"Oh, don't worry about it," Shiba calmly replied. "This whole range is soundproof, so we'll be fine."
"Oh, okay then," Sakurako then placed her fists on the table.
"Alright," Shiba then turned at George. "Open up her AK."
George obediently opens the bag with firm agility, zipping open the bag on the table. The bag splits open and reveals its inside. The unloaded AK-103, colored in all black, but it has some lighter tones on its foregrip, the stock, and the polymer handguard. Even the magazines in the bag have a lighter tone of black. Sakurako somehow noticed something different with the stock. Instead of the usual AK-wooden stock, it's replaced with a polymer frame stock with a triangle void in the stock's middle. Aside from that, the AK doesn't have other attachments aside from the replaced stock.
"Seems different," Sakurako commented with mild confusion.
"It's still the same AK," George said confidently. "What makes you say that?"
"That…" Sakurako then pointed at the stock. "What's that called?"
"It's called the rifle stock," Shiba replied as she grabbed the rifle from the bag. "I changed it on purpose because I want to see if you're comfortable with it. This is a Magpul Original Equipment Carbine Stock. Lightweight, dependable, comfortable to use, and can be extended or shortened. Also, it's attached with an AK to M4 stock adapter to make it compatible."
"I see," while Sakurako doesn't understand what's an adapter means, she knew it is needed to attach the stock.
"Well, you can ask me to replace the stock to its original if you want," Shiba said as she inspected the rifle.
"No, no," Sakurako shook and waved her hand to her. "I'm fine with this."
"Alright, but…" Maru then raised his index finger. "Before we get to the rifle, I want to see you shoot with that pistol of yours."
"I'm pretty lucky to bring my gun around," Sakurako then pulled out her gun and unconsciously pointed it at Maru.
The sassy man reflectively dodges out of her pistol's aim. "H-hey! Watch where're you pointing that thing!"
"O-oh, sorry," Sakurako sheepishly pointed her pistol towards the ground, just to be safe.
"Maybe you should've unloaded it next time before meeting up with us," Shiba commented with a grin. "But I think you don't even know how to unload it."
"Actually, I know how," Sakurako replied as she walked over to the table.
"Is that so?" George asked with a curious look, touching the corner of his sunglasses with the tip of his finger. "Can you demonstrate it to us?"
Sakurako didn't reply but proceed to demonstrate it. First, she presses the two small levers down on the trigger guard, at which the magazine drops from the pistol's mag slot. She didn't forget to take notice of the pistol's unopened barrel. With her right open hand, she grips it onto the slide and pulls it all the way back that a bullet jumps out through the ejection port. The pistol is then put down on the table as the bullet lands next to it.
Maru only nods to the sight, while both Shiba and George are impressed by her demonstration. "Looks like you've done your research," Shiba commented with a smile.
"Only a little," Sakurako then shrugged and tilted her head.
"That's already one of the basic knowledge, girl," Maru then looked over to the human-like cardboard targets and chose one that is ten feet away. "Now, shoot that target."
Sakurako patiently inserts the ejected bullet back to the magazine before she loads the pistol up. The pistol's slider cocks by itself and is ready to use. She grips the pistol with her right hand first before putting her whole left hand underneath it, both thumbs facing forward on the left side of the pistol. She then aims the P99 at the cardboard target.
Before firing, she asks. "How many shots?"
"Empty the whole thing," Maru replied as he waved his hand at the target.
"Alright," Sakurako nodded and then finally firing off her rounds.
*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*
A kind of surprising to see Sakurako wasn't flinched by the sound of her own pistol. Let alone able to control the small recoil of the P99. The pace is precisely at the medium, not too fast but also not too slow. Sakurako has to admit; she has a small problem with aiming through the iron sights. It's rather damning to realize how she could shoot the criminal with a quick aim.
*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*
The pistol becomes empty after the last four rounds. Sakurako releases the magazine before putting it down on the table. Maru walks over to the target straightaway as the blonde stretches her hands. Shiba and George look at her with such a compliment.
"You got a nice grip, and you managed to handle the recoil that well," Shiba commented as she crossed her arms.
"What's a recoil?" Sakurako asked with curiosity.
"You felt your pistol kicks back every time you shoot, correct?" Shiba asked her.
"Oh, you mean…?" Sakurako then pretended that she's holding the gun, shoot it, and shook her hands backward as if she just shot a gun.
"Yes, that's it, that's recoil," Shiba gave a thumbs up to her. "Each gun and each caliber has different recoils. But remember, the heavier the gun, the easier to tone down the recoil. Can be said for the opposite as well."
"I see," Sakurako nodded to her before they both turned towards the target where Maru is at.
Maru counts how many shots on the target before turning around to the three of them. "I count 13 shots here. I thought you emptied the clip!"
Sakurako raises both hands on her sides. "Well, that's already the whole mag. There were 13 bullets on the twenty-rounds magazine I just used."
"Huh, I can see why," Shiba stated, recounted about when Sakurako shot the criminal.
"Don't need to say it," Sakurako, as she loaded in a fresh one, but also saw Maru coming over to her. "What about hits?"
"Not bad, little girl," Maru snickered before turning around at the target. "Two in the head, one in the throat, the rest on the torso. But, about six of your shots are a little far from the center."
"Impressive," George commented with both eyebrows raised. "This is the second time you shoot, and you're already that good."
"How about a little challenge?" Shiba then pointed at the target farther from the one she shot, about 20 feet away. "Shoot that target. That's a little farther."
"How many?"
"Five shots."
"Alright."
*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*
Sakurako had a steady grip on the gun, but it took her a bit longer to shoot. At least about one second different from the original pace. She then lowers her pistol before putting it down on the table. Maru then walks over to the target to inspect it. They stand by the table, waiting for the result Sakurako gets.
"Four shots on torso. One miss."
Sakurako sighs to herself with her eyes closed. "One miss."
Shiba laughs a bit before patting her shoulder. "That's still good for me. Now, do another five shots, but make it a little faster."
"Alright," the blonde then grabs her gun and aim at the target.
*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*
And alas, Sakurako shot her rounds a little faster. Fast enough in Shiba's opinion. Maru is pretty way casual to stand next to the target as she fired. Probably because he does this pretty a lot. Maru, again, checks the same target she shot. Sakurako is even curious about how Maru knows which holes are the recent ones and which holes are the previous ones. Maru then turns around to let them know the results.
"Two in the chest, one in the left shoulder, one outside the right stomach, last one in the head."
That's still a good result for Sakurako. George and Shiba smile at the result they got. From how the violet woman sees it, Sakurako has proven her point. This blonde has shown her potential, albeit a dangerous one. Guess giving her a chance to do this training is a good option after all.
But that doesn't mean Shiba isn't concerned with Sakurako's well-being.
"Alright, how about you empty up the ammo before we're moving to the AK?" Shiba suggested. "Five shots on the previous target, another five for the other one."
Sakurako nods, at which Shiba looks at Maru in the distance. "Move away from there."
"Got it, boss," Maru gave a thumbs-up as he walked away from the targets; the last thing they want is to have Sakurako accidentally shot him through the cardboard target.
Sakurako then aims at the first 10 feet target. "Firing now."
*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*
And then, the second one.
*DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR-DOR*
Sakurako then quickly unloads the current mag and puts the last fresh one. Taking note of the two empty mags, she begins taking a note of concern of being out of ammunition. The blonde turns her head at Shiba, who is still smiling at the results. She swears that Shiba's face looks like one of the teachers in Nanamori. Specifically, Shihoko Azuma.
"Something's up?" Shiba asked with a raised brow.
"It's my last ammo," Sakurako stated, looking at the two empty mags on the table.
"Don't worry about it," Shiba waved a hand to her. "I got a lot more if you need them."
"Then that shouldn't be a problem then," Sakurako replied as she tilted her head.
"Yeah," Shiba smiled and tilted her head. "Unless you don't mind paying for them."
Sakurako then stares at her with such empty stare. "Nah, nah, I was jokin' with you."
Sakurako then stares back forward before asking. "Can I get a hold of the AK now?"
"Sure," Shiba grabbed the unloaded AK-103 off the table and gave it over to her. "Now, show me how you aim that gun."
Sakurako has some doubts as to how to hold it. Determined and a right-hander, she places the stock on her front right shoulder. Her left-hand holds the handguard on the barrel as her right-hand hold onto the pistol grip, finger off the trigger. She has to say, and a three-kilogram rifle is heavy for her arms. It's not that she's too young to hold it, she almost expected to be that heavy.
"Heavy, isn't it?" Shiba asked as Sakurako tried her best to get used to the rifle.
"Pretty much," even with the honest answer, she managed to handle the weight.
"I'm still surprised you could hold with that weight," George commented with concern.
"Well… I'm an athletic one," Sakurako replied, then shrugged to herself. "At least, that's what my friends told me."
Also, Shiba notices a couple of mistakes Sakurako made. "That's not how you put the stock on the shoulder."
"Oh?" Sakurako has the stock over the shoulder.
"Here," Shiba pushed the stock down until it's right in the center mass of the shoulder. "That's where you put the stock if you don't want your rifle to fly backward."
"I see," Sakurako then pulled the gun until it pressed against her shoulder, her left supporting hand take the most role for a firm grip on the gun. "So, I aim like this."
"At least you got the grip right," Shiba nodded with her arms crossed. "But you're not going to shoot while you're standing like that. This bad boy has greater power than the pistol you use."
Shiba then circles around her left and places a foot ahead of her. "Put your left foot here. Should be shoulder-width apart."
"Okay," Sakurako did as instructed, never sway for once from her grip on the gun.
"Alright, now bend your knees a bit," Shiba said, at which Sakurako bent her knees a bit. "Good, also…"
Shiba then gently pushes her back a little until she reaches her correct adjustment. "There, lean forward a bit, and you're done. That's how people aim a rifle."
"Hmm…" Sakurako lowered her rifle and looked at the violet woman. "Seems aggressive to me."
"It meant to be aggressive, girl," George added with a smile, fixing his sunglasses for a bit. "It also offers maneuverability and a much accurate shot. You're also probably flexible with this stance, considering your athletic figure."
"I'm glad to hear that," Sakurako genuinely smiled to the advantage.
"Come on, boss!" Maru shouted from the nearby targets. "Give her a mag already! I wanna see her pop some caps!"
"Alright, here," Shiba gave a mag to Sakurako. "Can you reload it?"
Sakurako looks over to the full mag first before inserting the mag. Of course, she knew that is not done yet. She tilts the AK to the side and sees the bolt and the safety selector lever on the right side. The lever is then brought down before slinging her left arm through under the rifle before cocking the bolt her fingers. When she cocked the bolt, it felt like she's pressing a small air pump.
Shiba can't help but feel astonished by her demonstration. "Damn, since when you become a fast learner?"
"I have the same question as you," Sakurako admitted, and George chuckled at the statement.
"Oh, before you press the trigger…" George then pushed the selector lever down to the bottom, which is the semi-auto setting. "There, now we don't have to worry that you're wildly shooting at everything because it set on automatic firing."
"So that's the lever is for…" the blonde thought the lever was only for the safety of the bolt.
"A'right, blondie, shoot these two," Maru patted the two untouched cardboard targets, about 15 feet away. "Two shots each, thrice."
"Thrice?" Sakurako never heard that word.
"It means three times," Shiba explained; Sakurako acknowledged it with a raised chin. "You understand what he said?"
"Mm-hmm," Sakurako nodded before aiming the rifle through the sights at the target.
The petite girl figures that she should shoot as fast as she can, so she did.
*DAR-DAR*-*DAR-DAR* *DAR-DAR*-*DAR-DAR* *DAR-DAR*-*DAR-DAR*
Soon, she lowers the rifle down and set the selector lever into safety before pointing it down to the ground. Truth to be told, the kick of the gun was pretty unexpected save for the controllable recoil. Nevertheless, her aim was still accurate, thanks to the pose and the grip she had.
Maru walks over back to the target to see the shots she made. "One shot to the head and another to the shoulder."
Maru then circles his finger around the stomach of the cardboard targets. "The rest is in the dead center of them and around the waists. Hell, she can shoot."
"Jeez, that's astonishing," Shiba complimented with disbelieve. "You have more potential than I thought."
"I have to say, thank you for letting me train with you," Sakurako said with such a genuine happy tone, albeit the expressionless face she had.
"No problem about it," Shiba replied with a smile, then leaned sideways against the table. "Do you think you can train by yourself from here?"
"I think I can," Sakurako replied confidently.
"Good then," Shiba then looked over to her men. "Can you guys keep an eye on her?"
"No problem, boss," George replied with a respectful bow.
"Alright, I'll be heading back to the office for a moment," Shiba replied as she turned around for the exit.
"Matsubara-sensei."
George and Maru, who is afar at the target, chuckle at the name. Shiba, ignoring the name, turns around to Sakurako.
"Yeah?"
"Could you…" Sakurako paused for a moment. "Could you buy me some airsoft weapons?"
Shiba raised an eyebrow to the request. "That's… a strange request. Why?"
"If I were to bring my weapons to the house," Sakurako stated. "Would you rather have my family found the airsoft weapons first or real firearms first?"
"That's a good point," Shiba agreed with a nod. "But still, it feels like there's something else about what you asked."
"Just in case, actually," Sakurako replied. "Probably, I need them for my friends, or probably to deal with a nuisance."
"Hmm… I might know a couple of people for that," Shiba placed an index finger no her chin. "Okay, I'll let know you about it when I have made a call with them."
"Arigato, Matsubara-sensei," Sakurako thanked with a bow, still aiming her AK to the ground.
Shiba chuckles before turning around towards the exit. "Don't forget to get your finger off the trigger."
"Hmm," Sakurako grunted to herself before turning back to the target before firing off some rounds as fast as she can.
*DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR-DAR*
Sakurako spends another half-hour to train to shoot with the AK-103. And also to learn how to change mags with George's assistance. The longer she shoots like this, the more she's familiar with the firearm and more steady her aim. She is so thankful that she has given this chance.
One thing she doesn't realize, however… she's one step away from getting into the darkness she shouldn't delve within.
Note:
New chapter is up. Time to take a break before working on the next chapter.