Lines in the Sand
Arc 1 - A Shinobi
Line 3: A family
The last time I was here, I was too distracted to wallow in the familiarity of my environment. But now that I was more sound of mind, they stood out like a sore thumb.
The sterile air that smelled of antiseptics and sickness. The plain bleached walls made even more sickly looking by the excessively bright white lights that verged on blue. The dour mood and sombre atmosphere of patients and visitors who want to be anywhere but here.
It was amazing how similar hospitals were regardless of where you went.
I hated hospitals. For so long it served as my prison, a constant reminder of a fate I had no say in. For months, the four walls of my room were the only things I knew. It was so easy to get lost in what a hospital represented for me.
A place of anguish, of grief, death, and heartbreak.
But that wasn't the reason why I was here today.
"Yume-chan? Are you Asaki Yume-chan?" A nurse in white came up to where I sat in the lounge. Despite her clear exhaustion, the expression on her face was opposite to almost everyone else's in the vicinity. She was giddy, joyous even.
"Yes."
"Please follow me, your parents are ready to see you now." She led me down a few hallways until we reached an innocuous looking door that looked like any other. On the way here I could faintly hear grunting and screaming leak through the doorways.
"They're right in here," she gestured to the door and gave me a polite bow, one which I returned. She began to walk away but then turned back to say one more thing. "Oh and, congratulations."
I carefully and quietly entered the room, not wanting to disturb the occupants within. I stayed in the shadow of the doorway as I watched the people inside.
Okaa-san was holding a bundle of towels, beaming serenely at it. Despite the unimaginable pain she must've been in just moments prior, she was all smiles as she cooed at it. Her happiness completely out of place with the exhaustion that rimmed her eyes and the sweat that lined her face.
Otou-san was right by her side looking every bit as elated at she was. He preened at both of them and was proud like a textbook father would.
I have never felt more out of place than I was now. I was on the outside looking in on a picture perfect happy family. A strong mother, an overindulging father, and a child they could call their own. A real child, their real child.
Not me. I was the cuckoo in the sparrow's nest.
"She's beautiful," Otou-san murmured, hypnotised by the sight before him.
"She is," she agreed, angling the baby so he could get a better look at her. "Her sleeping face reminds me a little of you, "she giggled, "the dumb smile is a perfect match."
"What?" he exclaimed, sounding scandalised. "My smile is not dumb, it's handsome."
"Nope! Its goofy!"
He pouted a bit before breaking into a grin, "Well, even if I'm not handsome, you said she was beautiful. If we're a match then it must mean I'm beautiful too."
She laughed a while before muttering something about him being such a dork.
Their exchanges only made me feel even more uncomfortable. It was a private moment, I shouldn't intrude in on them. I turned around, ready to leave the room when Otou-san's voice stopped me. "Yume?"
I gulped, no running away now. Normal, act normal, I told myself.
"Sorry! You guys looked so happy, I didn't want to interrupt."
The expressions on their faces told me I said the wrong thing. Ah crap. Why am I so bad with words. "Uhm, I meant, you guys were celebrating and I thought I'd just wait a bit and uhm…" I fumbled. I was really messing this all up. "What I really mean is…"
"Oh Yume," Okaa-san laughed. "You're so silly. Shh, just come here and see you little sister."
Otou-san turned towards me and opened his arms. The smile on his face and his hold looked so inviting that I didn't realise I was involuntarily walking towards him until I felt his grip around me. "Up you go," he said as he picked me up and gently placed me on the bed beside Okaa-san and the baby.
Slowly and carefully as to not disturb the baby, I peered over the towel she was wrapped in. She was sleeping soundly, utterly oblivious to the celebration taking place around her.
Realistically speaking, she was an ugly little thing. The enlarged head that was far too big on a body that small, the reddened skin that looked like she had a few sun burns too many. She lacked just about any of the attributes you would typically find attractive in a person.
But for some inexplicable reason, I found myself agreeing with my parents. She was beautiful.
My hand reached out to touch her inviting, chubby little cheeks, but it stilled a couple inches from her face when I thought better about it. Was it proper to touch a baby so soon after birth? Was it safe? I didn't know but I reasoned it probably wasn't. Her skin was probably still raw and delicate and I didn't want to accidentally injure her.
Instead, I tilted my head towards my parents. "What is her name?" I asked. I had caught them talking about names a couple times before, but I didn't know what they had settled on.
Okaa-san shared a look with Otou-san and he nodded back with a smile. "Yanagi," she answered proudly. "Her name is Asaki Yanagi, spelt with the word for willow."
"Yanagi," I repeated as a whisper. From what I knew, it was a fairly unorthodox name, but it sounded cute. "I like it."
Something about watching her sleep enthralled me. It might've been her weird and mysterious beauty that the three of us agreed she contained. Or perhaps it was how soundly she slept, completely ignorant of the world surrounding her.
Whatever it was, it made me want to protect her. To shelter her from the brutality and heartlessness that you could find so easily in the world. Something that was compounded more so by the fact that we were in the Narutoverse.
But would I be able to? The monsters here were genuine. They far exceeded anything I could possibly hope to protect her from. Between the merciless ninjas capable of superhuman feats and demonic beasts that could flatten an entire city, I was just a girl. A girl with a bit of a head start.
Okaa-san, who'd been content with watching me interact with Yanagi until now interrupted my thoughts and asked, "What are you thinking about Yume?" Her voice was affectionate with a hint of her usual mirth.
Unprepared for the question, I just gave her a confused look.
She shared a knowing smile with Otou-san before answering, "I've been your mom for nearly five years now, I think I know when you're thinking about something." She bent forward and kissed me on the forehead. "Your brows always do this cute little furl."
Did I really? I looked towards Otou-san for confirmation and he held the same knowing smile Okaa-san had. "She's right dear. You also purse your lips a little bit. Kind of like this." He then did an exaggerated pouty thing that elicited some giggles from Okaa-san.
Busted, I guess. Do I share what is on my mind? Would it be too strange a thing for me to say?
"I don't know," I admitted, settling on playing it safe. "I am not sure what I am thinking."
"You don't want a sister?"
"No!" I exclaimed before wincing at how loud that came out. "No," I said again with a softer voice, still surprised by how vehemently I denied it. I turned back to Yanagi, worried I startled her awake with my shout just now.
To my relief, she showed no signs of rousing from her sleep.
"I like Yanagi. I mean, I don't know her very well but I am sure I would," I rambled, "she's cute and well, I don't know. I want to be a good sister I guess," I paused for a bit before saying in a quieter voice. "I guess maybe I'm just not just not sure I can be a good sister."
This time, it was Otou-san who reassured me. He reached out and gave me a pat on the head before gently running his fingers through my hair. "I'm sure you'll be a great sister."
"How do you know?"
"Because you've been a great daughter." He smiled, "I have confidence you'll be a great sister too."
I felt something in me break.
My breath hitched. Not now, I realised. I can't deal with this right now. I need some time alone to recollect myself.
I ducked my head so that they couldn't see my face and scrambled to get off the bed. I didn't get far before Otou-san caught me and held me to his chest. I struggled a bit but his hold was too tight so I gave up.
Seeing as I wasn't fighting him anymore, he turned me around and gave me a comforting hug. He rubbed circles around my back in a soothing manner. "Yume?" He asked, worry dripping from his voice. "Is something wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
I shook my head against his shirt. No, he didn't do or say anything wrong. I couldn't have him thinking that he did. He was a great dad, and Okaa-san… Kaa-chan, she was a great mom.
No, there wasn't a thing wrong with them. Only me.
"Please don't cry Yume. What's wrong? You can tell me."
I'm ruining the moment. They should be celebrating, basking in the moment of a new life coming into the world. They should be commemorating the occasion of adding a new member to the family. Not consoling an adult impersonating their daughter.
I backed off his chest, slow and steady so that he didn't think I was going to run again. Deflect, deny, and lie. You're alright. There's nothing wrong.
"I'm not crying, see!" I smiled, showing him my tearless face. I knew he didn't buy it, it was too sudden a change in behaviour. However, spontaneous mood swings were an allowance given to children. I just have to double down. "I guess I just wanted a hug," I beamed, stretching my smile as wide as I could.
He shared a bewildered look with Kaa-chan, obviously a bit perplexed and at a loss as to what to do. That was fine, confusion was good. Spread their focus, make them divert their attention away from worrying about me. Confusion wasn't concern.
And then, while they're distracted, steer it back to where I want it. Salvage the situation.
"I'm still not sure how to be a big sister," I said as I steadily backed out of his hug. "But I'll try my best."
Smile.
"I'll be the bestest big sister in the world."
Lines in the Sand
For the dozenth time that day, I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. With each long measured breath, I emptied out more and more of my mind.
Feeling ready, I gently placed my hand on the tree just in front of me. Then I let my senses take over my being. I felt the way the small warm patches of sun formed as it trickled past the swaying leaves. I took in the earthy fresh scent of the air as it gently brushed past my skin. I memorized the way the rough and hard bark of the tree pressed back against my palm and fingers.
For a while, I let these sensations encapsulate my whole world. As I did so, a familiar warmth inside my body steadily made itself known. It was so subtle that if I weren't searching for it, I wouldn't even have known it was there. I hadn't known it was there, not for nearly 5 years of my life.
But something changed during the fox attack. I could feel something bubbling just underneath the surface. It was still faint, but as I shut out more of the world around me, it became more and more prominent.
It was a different feeling from body warmth. For one, you couldn't actually feel temperature underneath your skin because there were no thermoreceptors there. Another was that it wasn't a temperature kind of warmth. I only referred it to a warmth as I had no better term to describe the feeling.
When it became sufficiently strong enough, I tried to pull on it and push it to my hand. It wasn't actually pulling or pushing, more like molding and directing it to where I wanted. It resisted me, fought off my attempts to accumulate it into my hand.
I continued to try and coax it there, and slowly, I felt my efforts paying off. More of that indescribable warmth cumulated into my hand. When it hit a critical mass, I shifted my focus from channeling it into my hand to getting it do something.
Stick, I thought. Stick to the tree. Glue, adhere, attach.
As I fumbled with getting it to do what I wanted, I felt my concentration waning. It was already a massive strain just to keep that undercurrent of energy in my hand, to do anything more was pushing the limits of my current capabilities.
It was now or never. I couldn't hold it any longer. Before my concentration slipped entirely, I slowly removed my hand from the bark. I was hoping that even if I couldn't feel the energy doing something, that maybe it still was.
However, my hand left the bark with no less resistance than if I hadn't spent the last few minutes trying to force that mysterious energy to my hand. It truly was nothing. Again.
I let out an exhausted sigh and plopped myself onto the ground next to the tree. It was draining me with every attempt, mentally and physically. This was probably the last time I could try today. The last time I stubbornly kept going after being this tired, I nearly blanked out.
Chakra, what a fleeting concept.
Some time after I discovered I was in the Narutoverse a year and a half ago, I convinced Okaa-san to take me to the library. The goal was to learn more about this world and the superhuman entity known as shinobi. The search quickly led to an energy known as Chakra.
Supposedly, this was what made the impossible possible. It was what enabled shinobi to move at supersonic speeds, what let them surpass the constraints on the human body, and what let them cast magic.
Well, they were called jutsu.
Naturally, the first thing I did after uncovering the existence of this mysterious entity was to try and learn all I could about it. However, the texts on the topic available at the library were extremely limited. Grade school level at best.
It was described as a culmination of physical and spiritual energies which could be molded to form jutsu or channeled in the body to augment it. There was also mention of chakra coils, what the two energies were believed to be, and some common jutsu. However, all of it was cursory information.
There was no depth, no details. Everything was glossed over, probably by design. If information on something like this became rudimentary, the foundations which held society together would unravel. So the ones with power put it behind a wall to ensure only those they screened would have access to it.
A conclusion substantiated further when I was informed by the librarian that further information on the topic was available only to those who were training to become shinobi or were already shinobi. There were even tiers to the level of information you could access, with higher ranked ninjas having more.
And so, if I wanted to learn more, I had to figure it for myself. And I do want to know more. A mysterious energy unique to the Narutoverse capable of manipulating what I thought I knew of the laws of physics? How could I resist.
Hence why I am now following an exercise described in one of the books that was said to promote the growth of your chakra control. Well, saying that the book 'described' the exercise was a stretch. It quite literally said, 'mold your chakra, channel it to your hands, and make it stick to things'.
What amazing detail and fabulous instruction. Truly, I am at awe.
"Trying to bring down the tree again little missy?" A jolly voice called out from the distance. "It's all well an' good but, whatcha going to do when the tree falls down on your house," he laughed as he made his way down the street with grocery bags in hand.
"I am not trying to bring down tree," I huffed with an offended, haughty tone. However the smile on my face betrayed the offense I was trying to portray. I did a quick stretch before hurrying over to offer my help with the bags.
Tachibana Ryoki was a senior man in his late sixties that lived next door. He pretended to be grumpy and gruff, but everyone in the neighbourhood knew he had a heart of gold.
He handed me a bag, the smallest and lightest of the four he carried. "Do you have time today?" he asked as we made our way over to his house. I nodded excitedly with a skip in my step. "Do you want to come over for some mochi? It's been a while since you've been over."
It really had been a long time. His late wife used to invite me over to treat me to handmade candy and snacks at every opportunity. When he lost her, he became despondent for months. This was the first time since the incident that I saw him smiling.
"I'd love to."
When the door opened he hesitated at the door for a while. As if he were waiting for something, for someone. Unsure of what to do, I hesitated a bit too. Eventually, I decided to take the opportunity to help bring his groceries in. However, before I could even the lift the bags he had put down to unlock the door, he stopped me. "Go get comfortable little missy," he smiled a little sadly, "I'll have the mochi over right away." His smile got sadder. "Its red bean."
The house was a mirror of my own, differentiated only by the choice in furniture. As I made my way over to his living room corner, I noticed a new addition to the room that wasn't there the last time I was over.
A legged Go board rested beside his low dining table. There was a game in progress on top of it, about 40 or 50 moves in. Beside it was an opened book, depicting a finished game with the stones numbered in the order they were played. A closer glance revealed it was the same game.
He's studying a game, I realised.
Seeing the familiar board game for the first time in years, I studied the position on the board closer. It was still very early into the match. If the game he was studying was played by professionals, then there would be nuances involved that were far beyond the level I could understand. However, I did know enough to form an educated opinion on the game state.
White looked like he had a comfortable lead. A lot of potential for territory even if they're not confirmed yet. Black was playing very solid; however, in a game like this that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Solid was safer, stronger, but it was also slower. It was reminiscent of the way you would play as black before Komi was invented.
"Ah, the game of Go caught your attention did it?" he said as he carried a plate of mochi over. He sat down on the other side of the board and put the mochi onto the table. "Did your parents teach you how to play?"
"No," I answered. It technically wasn't a lie, they didn't teach me how to play.
"I see, I see," he said as he scratched his head a little. "I used to play Tsumi a lot." A wistful smile grew on his face. "It's been a while since I've touched it, but, well… I figured she wouldn't want me moping all day doing nothing."
He started clearing the stones from the board. "Playing Go helps me remember her. She always was better than me. Little missy, do you want to learn? I'll teach you."
Did I? I wondered as I watched him sort the stones. I enjoyed the game; however, I'd have to raise the level of my play steadily as to not catch suspicion. Just like in chess or shogi, you don't suddenly become good at the game because you're smart. As with every game in the world, if you wanted to be good, you'd have to practice and play. Intelligence only better equipped you to learn and improve.
I wasn't looking forward to 'relearning' the game. Especially if I'd have to fumble around and make beginner mistakes to play the part. More importantly, I have enough on my plate. Learning and experimenting with chakra, my ambitions with figuring out how I came to be here, staying alive.
No, I didn't have time to waste on pretending to be a beginner. Maybe when I'm older I could lie and say I picked it up somewhere. It was much less suspicious to have random skillsets when you're 20 than when you're 4 and a half.
I readied a smile, prepared to deny my interest, but I stopped when I saw the expression on his face.
It was a familiar expression, one I've seen before. The eagerness to teach and share something you enjoyed. The hope that the person will like it just as much as you do. The desire to have someone keep you company. The desperation for an excuse to not be alone.
For a few seconds, another person overlayed on top of him.
When I blinked, it was gone. Come to think about it, it was also him that taught me Go.
I looked back to the board. Already, it was filled with puzzles and examples you would use to teach a beginner the basics. Well, now that he's got it all set up, I couldn't say no now right?
Besides, Tsumi told me it was actually him that made the candy and sweets. He only pawned it off to her to give it to me because he was too shy to do it himself.
"I'd love to learn."
His widening smile already made it worth it.
"Okay, so we take turns playing a stone, like this…."
Lines in the Sand
"Time to open your presents Yume!" Kaa-chan singsonged, ushering me towards the three wrapped gifts laden next to the stairs.
"But, but there's still some salmon left!" I protested. It was a lie, she knew as well as I did I couldn't eat another bite. However, I had to do it for the spirit of it. It was part of my identity now.
"You ate half the fish!" she laughed as she gently guided me to the presents. "You need to leave some for you dad. He's already a weakling. If you eat all his food he won't be able to hold you anymore."
"Hey! I resent that!" he huffed across the table. "Yume can eat as much as she wants, I'll be able to lift her no matter what," he said before flexing his arm for emphasis.
Ignoring his outburst, I gave Kaa-chan a devastated look. "You're right," I mock gasped. "He was struggling with the bag of rice earlier. Maybe it's already too late." I followed it up by pretending to sob onto her shoulder.
"It's okay dear. Even if he can't pick you up anymore, at least Ojii-san can." She patted my back, pretending to console me.
"Ryoki-san, my wife and daughter are bullying me again," he complained in a dejected tone.
"Hah!" Ryoki guffawed, "If you think this is bad, soon you'll have another daughter joining in. Then you'll understand real terror. Take it from someone who knows."
"I'm doomed."
I laughed at the exchange and finished making my way over to the gifts. It would be the first time I opened gifts in this life. Although we have celebrated birthdays before, it was usually a very modest affair. Happy wishes, a little more affection than usual, and a slightly more extravagant dinner.
I thought it would be the same this year; however, apparently the fifth birthday was a milestone. And so, they're pulling out all the stops. Salmon, a few pieces of sushi, and presents.
"Open mine first," Ryoki said with a smirk, "It's the big one."
"Okay," I answered as I crouched down next to it.
I took my time with the wrapping paper, careful not to tear it. "Little missy, just tear it," he laughed, "I want to still be alive when you see what I got you."
I stuck my tongue at him, still refusing to tear it, but I did try and work a little faster. Inside the box, I found a legged Go board with two fancy looking Go bowls rested atop it.
My eyes widened at the sight. Not because he got me a Go set, I had my suspicions when I saw the size of the box, but from the quality of it.
"You're getting really good at the game now," he remarked as I took out the Go bowls. "It was about time you got a set of your own." When he saw me struggle to get the Go board out, he laughed and gave me a hand. "Go on little missy. try it out."
If it wasn't confirmed before, feeling the stones in my hand did. They were made from slate and clamshell, a material reserved for expensive stones.
I placed several stones down in a rudimentary opening game pattern, each one making a very satisfying klak sound. Expensive wood too.
Tou-chan must've noticed it too because when I got up to hug Ryoki to thank him for the gift, he was looking a lot more nervous. "Uhm, Ryoki-san, that's not Kaya is it?"
"It is," he laughed.
"That's too much! You didn't have to!"
"Ah, but I wanted to," he smiled as he waved off Tou-chan's concerns. "I see the little missy like my own granddaughter. Sure, a cheaper set could've worked just fine, but Yume here deserves the best." I hugged him a little tighter and he gave my head an affectionate pat. "Besides, I'm serious when I say Yume here is a prodigy, consider this a small investment for the future Meijin."
Tou-chan still looked unconvinced. I didn't blame him. Short of the house itself, it was easily the most expensive thing in our home now. Ryoki just laughed it off again, "Don't be so tense, let an old man spend his money."
"Thanks Ojii-chan. I love it. I'll make sure to take care of it as best I can."
"I know you will," he said as he gave me another head pat. "Go on now, open your other gifts," he dismissed casually as if the gift he gave wasn't worth tens of thousands of ryō.
"Looks like my gift is next," Okaa-chan said as she gestured to the small, neatly wrapped rectangular box. Unwrapping it revealed a jewelry box. Suddenly having an awful premonition for what it was, my eyes darted to her hair. To my dismay, what I was searching for wasn't there.
She couldn't have, could she?
Hesitantly, I opened the box, dreading what I would find inside. Sure enough, the exact thing I was searching for was inside the box. A silver ornamental Kanzashi with three small, pink cherry blossom flowers.
She did.
Moisture crept up my eyes, blurring my vision. I got up and dived into her arms. "Are you sure?" I asked, my voice unsteady. "It means so much to you."
She held me gently, combing my hair softly with one of her hands. "And that is exactly why I want to give it to you."
The hairpin was something her mom gave to her. It was one of the last things she had to remember her mom by. She loved it. She wore it at every opportunity. I couldn't believe she was willing to part with something so special.
Thank you, Kaa-chan." I backed out of her embrace a little, blinking back the tears. Turning around and presenting my back to her, I asked, "Help me put it on?"
"Of course."
She began to pull my hair into an elegant bun. I revelled at the feeling of her touch. It was so soothing and comforting. I could feel her kindness in her fingers, her love.
When she finished, I turned around and gave her my best smile. "How do I look?"
"Lovely." She caressed my cheek affectionately. Her own eyes were moist. "It looks wonderful on you."
"Thanks, Kaa-chan." I gave her another hug. "I'll treasure it always."
We stayed like that for another minute, not separating until Tou-chan finished his 9x9 blitz game with Ryoki.
"Looks like it's just my gift left huh?" he said awkwardly while scratching his chin. "I kind of wish mine was first now. It doesn't really measure up to the other two."
"Tou-chan," I said fondly, "I'm sure it's amazing."
His gift was the most messily wrapped of the three with wrinkles and bits and pieces sticking out of it. It just added to the experience though, it was just like him to wrap a gift like this.
Hidden underneath it all was a picture frame with a photo of the four of us inside. The only one we've ever taken because cameras were rare and a photographer's time expensive. Nagi was all bundled up, sleeping peacefully in Kaa-chan's arms while Tou-chan smiled with his goofy grin. I was in the middle, holding both their hands.
What captured my attention more than the photo itself was the wooden picture frame. It was handcrafted, that was for certain. It had all my favourite things carefully carved into the side of it. Go stones, fish, cats, and the moon. Interspaced between them were delicately carved flowers.
What made it so special wasn't the beauty nor craftmanshift of the frame. Realistically, it had none of those things. Some things were disproportionate, some lines weren't straight, the curves weren't smooth and had jagged turns. There wouldn't be a shop on the planet who'd dare sell something so obviously made by an amateur.
No, what made it special was the person who made it. A glance at Tou-chan's fingers confirmed it. A lot of fresh bandages and scars from the cuts and scrapes that closed up.
All of Tou-chan's disappearances and late nights suddenly made a lot more sense. Why he had been acting a little sheepish and shady the past months.
The number of scars seemed to suggest this wasn't his first and only attempt at the frame either. There were probably dozens, each one a little better than the last until he ran out of time and had to present me with something. It explained the rushed wrapping too.
I traced the grooves of the frame with my fingers as a torrent of emotions started to overwhelm me. I felt tears begin to form and trail down my cheeks.
How many nights did he slave away carving the frame?
Then as I shifted the picture slightly, the light caught the front glass of the photo and flashed a reflection. Kaa-chan and Tou-chan sitting together, looking at me with loving eyes. Little Yanagi next to the table, sleeping away. Ryoki giving me a wide smile. And me, with my new hairpin right next to them all.
I was here, I was one of them.
The torrent of emotions turned into a flood. Unable to contain them any longer, my tears transformed into sniffing and sobbing. I pulled the frame close to my chest.
"Sorry Yume, I knew I should've gotten you something better."
I heard a soft smack and an "idiot, that's not it" behind me. It normally would've made me laugh but it only served to make me cry harder.
After some whispering, I felt his strong arms wrap around my body from behind me. He pulled me into his lap and tucked my head under his chin. "Yume, don't cry. What's wrong? Did you want a different gift?"
I shook my head. "No." I cradled the picture tighter. "I love it."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"I'm glad." He let out a relieved sigh.
For so long, I've ran away from the truth. Whenever it came up, I would deflect or find some way to rationalise it. Anything I could so that so that I didn't have to acknowledge it.
But it was undeniable now. They cared for me. Not just because I was their daughter, but because I was Yume. For all of my faults, my irregular level of autonomy, my strange quirks and weirdness, they found a place in their hearts for me.
It showed in every word they've said, in every action they've taken. Every hug, every smile, every joke, every laugh.
They loved me for me.
And it was time I reciprocated.
Oh I've always liked them, there was no denying that. They've been nothing short of amazing to me since the beginning. They were special. However, I always made sure there was a distance. A distance they're closing, a distance they've closed.
Sometime during these last five years, they've become more than just wonderful people who took care of me. They've become family.
I held out because it felt like a betrayal. Like I was replacing my old family with my new one. But I'm not. I'm just letting new people into my life. Two people who deserve it. Two people who have done more than just earn that right.
Hey mom… dad… this is okay right? These artificial barriers I've put up, it's okay to take them down now right? What would you say to me? Would you be mad? Would you be sad?
Would you be proud of me?
I miss you.
"Mom, dad, I love you."
A/N
I couldn't quite put into words the exact emotions and feelings I wanted to convey in that last scene. Hopefully, the intent transferred well enough.
This was a bit of a slower chapter. There were some themes and ideas I wanted to prepare and foreshadow for the future as they will become important in Yume's development. There were also some things that needed addressing before moving forward.
Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. Until next time
— Muffies
