Since that daring incident at the mall, news has been spreading like wildfire to recount every piece of detail of what happened on that fateful day. Most media are having quite a field trip in coming up with mainstream titles and focusing on what very notorious things from the incident to make a large profit. Whereas the police officers have to deal with damage control and clearing up any mis-and-dis-information the media have been spouting out. With how viral these reports are going, there is one element that has become the talks of both the public and the media.
Sakurako Oomuro.
Even though there were other people who helped fight against the robbers, Sakurako herself is a very sensational figure in their eyes. Her boldness, her tenacity, her fearlessness, and her apparent wish to save her loved ones; all those things have been recounted and confirmed by surviving witnesses, security cameras, and police members involved. This had the mayor of the city paused, recognizing that this junior high school student could fight people as dangerous as those robbers and completely foil their attempt at the biggest robbery in this city's history. The teachers and students from her school were either amazed or terrified hearing Sakurako would be so crazy as to charge in to fight criminals who have more experience than her.
Except for Nishigaki and Rise, of course. They knew that was just her nature.
Not forgetting to mention that Yui, Chitose, and Chizuru also helped Sakurako to win that fight, though they already know how dead-worried their parents are to hear this. George and Riko have to be interrogated for their involvement with stolen police and illegal weapons during the robbery, though they were treated easily by officers for their relations with Sakurako and the detective. Detective Sumida had to be berated for going in there without any permission but was commended for keeping Sakurako and the other civilians safe. There were interviews during this mainstream news, but thankfully, her parents wisely kept Sakurako away from them, considering she has no experience dealing with the constantly inquisitive media.
As the news spread out into other cities, the local government themselves soon took notice of Sakurako's achievement. In the next two days, Sakurako and her friends who were involved in the robbery were awarded a medal with the red ribbon by the mayor himself for risking their lives to save others and stopping one of the most organized criminal groups in history. It was odd that the detective didn't receive the medal, but she figured it had something to do with her occupation. George and Riko, understandably, stayed out of that spotlight due to their… occupation as well.
Receiving such a medal was the most outstanding achievement for the Oomuro Family in that Nadeshiko already envied her recognition. However…, despite the achievement, the recognition, and all the people who thanked her for saving them, there is still an empty hole inside her heart. Sakurako continues to lie on her bed, staring rather emptily into the dark ceiling. She felt her hands turn cold, her legs go numb, and her chest start to get tight as if her ribs are trying to force their way out. She whispers incoherent words in her sobbing and covers her eyes with one arm. An invitation card requesting to attend a funeral lays dormant on the cabinet next to her.
Although the sky is a dark grey, those who sleep above refuse to pour down the contents they reap from the ocean. They loom over a building where the dead is currently resting before moving to the grave, where a group of people circled around a coffin. Families, friends, teachers, and students who knew her to keep their heads bowed, with some of them still keeping their brooding eyes at the coffin, and some sobbing and whimpering, couldn't hold their emotions for much longer. Incenses have been placed around the casket as a priest chants a mantra/sutra for the deceased in the coffin. Sakurako and her family sit at the very front, with Himawari keeping her company by her side, holding her hand.
Sakurako had not expressed a single word throughout the ceremony, but she had cried just like the rest of them. She barely feels her tears drop while Himawari keeps her head bowed, still sobbing and covering her face. Akari could be heard trying to stifle her cry in the back as her friends from both schools did their best to calm her down despite their sorrow. George, Maru, and Riko had been present and stood by the Oomuro family, silent, observant, and mournful, yet kept their best to hold what tears were about to step out; George had failed this by shedding only a single tear. Shiba and Sumida sit on the opposite side; though Sumida had been used to seeing people die in her duty, she had never seen how sorrowful Shiba was as she observed and brooded over the departed child before them. Buro Kurowa and Nebuko had been present at the funeral as well; the manager could only give a sympathetic look at Sakurako, whereas Nebuko cried, finally understanding how it felt to see someone she despised so much had gone too early, understanding that she didn't deserve this.
At the end of the funeral, the guests and families, one by one, place a strand of a flower into the casket. Once Himawari had placed a flower, she turned to Sakurako, the last person left to give. With a cream-colored tulip in her hand, she takes a step forward and looks down at Misaka. Her eyes remain shut, and her face, especially her smile, expresses peacefulness in her eternal sleep; flowers have been arranged carefully around her, and she is so beautiful that Sakurako almost skips a heart to realize the reality of it. She is somewhat unsure what to do at first, but then she carefully places the tulip inside her clasped hands. She silently breathes deeply, stuttered by her own sobbing, as she places an open palm on her coffin for a few seconds. She bows her head more before taking a step back from the coffin.
The priest and coffin handlers soon close the casket and transfer it into a hearse, where it will transport the departed to her grave. The guests, friends, and families had departed for home. However, Sakurako refuses to leave for the current moment, so her family, Himawari, and the Furutani family stay put to accompany her in the silence. Sakurako buries her head into Himawari's chest and cries somberly, while Himawari can do nothing but rub her blonde head and hug her.
The gun smuggling establishment was a bit quieter than she remembered. She would meet and greet some of the henchmen still working around the building, but the atmosphere wasn't just inviting, and she just couldn't smile after what had happened. She soon enters Shiba's office and greets the violet woman herself, George, and Maru. To her surprise, though, Detective Sumida is also present in that office, and at least they weren't bickering with each other.
"Glad to see you arrived," Sumida stated. "Have a seat, Sakurako."
"Sumida-san," Sakurako sat down. "Are you going to arrest her?"
"No, no, I'm doing nothing of that sort," Sumida shook her head. "Even if I want to."
"Then, why are you here?" Sakurako asked.
"Sakurako, it's about why we call you here," Shiba explained. "I have discussed with her concerning your… hazardous occupation as a vigilante while you were under my wing."
"Do you mean 'our' occupation?"
"Well, yes, digressing from that, we have kept a keen eye on the situation in this city, and…."
"Thanks to your vigilantism, our city has hit a new record in regards to the lowest crime rate in this past year. It was about 15 percent back when you were still doing vigilantism, but after that incident at the mall? It's already down at 2.5 percent. It does sound like criminals are still going at it, but we don't have to worry about people openly killing and attacking others in public anymore. You got them pissing in their pants."
"That, and…," Shiba frowned at Sakurako. "Considering what had happened back in the mall, I'm afraid that job will only bring yourself more harm than good. We both agreed that seeing how things are the way they are now. We think you should stop working as a vigilante for now. I know I can't force you to do this, but-"
"I was just thinking the same."
Shiba pauses for a moment before nodding. "That is wise on your part. As for the guns…. Well, we couldn't reach an agreement on that part with how low crimes are and such. So we would like to hear your opinion about it."
Sakurako takes a deep breath and droops her head low. "I don't need them anymore."
Shiba frowns her smile but nods. "Very well. I'll let George take the equipment away from you."
Shiba then turns to Sumida. "Did the department confiscate her pistol?"
"Yes, as evidence," Sumida replied. "We went to the station after that mess at the mall."
"I see," Shiba then pulled out an item from the drawer and placed it before her.
It was a gun. A pistol similar to the one Sakurako stole from a criminal.
Sumida seems a little bewildered. "Are you going to give her-?"
"Now, now," Shiba interrupted. "I'll take everything that I had given to you. But I want you to accept this."
"Wha- but I…," Sakurako whispered and shook her head. "I can't…. I just…. Why…. I don't want-"
"Shiba, she doesn't need this," Sumida retorted. "You know how much of a mess she's in right now? Put that gun away, Shiba."
"Detective, that's enough. I'm giving this to you not because I want you to work with me again one day," Shiba explained. "I'm giving this to you to make sure that you are safe than sorry."
"No, I don't want it," Sakurako refused, wincing her eyes and placing her fists on her lap. "I don't want to kill people anymore. I shouldn't have taken the gun in the first place. If I hadn't worked as a vigilante, Misaka would've... Would have…."
"Sakurako, what happened to Misaka. It wasn't your fault."
Shiba sighs out and leans against her chair, whereas Sumida crosses her arms as she listens to her. "You felt it, didn't you?"
Sakurako opened her mouth, but she couldn't say a single word and instead dropped her head. Her eyes glimmer from under the shade, though Shiba could notice the change of color tone within her eyes, unwanted bloodlust. Shiba merely nods at her reaction.
"I'm not asking you to kill people either. Like you said back then, it was necessary. You can just lock this up in your cabinet and never use it for years, but I'm giving you this as a gift from me because I care about you. As a souvenir and a tool to keep you and your family safe, with hopes that no further danger comes to you, but if it does... you know what you have to do. That is all I ask."
Sakurako shakes her head again as she takes a deep breath before solemnly looking at the gun. She contemplates it for the moment when Sumida asks Shiba.
"Handguns are all prohibited, you know?"
"Shut up, detective."
Sakurako finally sighs with her open mouth, rubs her teary eyes, then takes the gun. "Fine, I'll take it, Matsubara-sensei. If you really insist on it."
"Great. With what happened since then, I think you earned it," Shiba drank her warm cup of tea. "I'm sure you notice my establishment has gotten a little quieter."
"I did…," Sakurako answered as she inspected the pistol. "I was wondering what's going on."
"Well, kid. After that stunt you pulled that day," Maru explained. "The cops are tightening their grip around town, and it ain't easy getting around it."
"And seeing how we managed to lower those crime rates," George added. "It would be unwise for us to stick around for longer just to stand out. So we will be moving out to other cities. Possibly out of the country if things don't go our way."
"…," Sakurako considered his words. "Does that mean I won't see you again?"
"I didn't say that," George replied. "In fact, I think I'll be staying in this town. As for Maru and boss…."
"Ngeh, we might get busy for a few days, but we will try to find some time to visit you," Maru shrugged. "Probably with a fun story to tell."
"And in this way, I don't have to keep nagging the detective here to arrest me for longer," Shiba said.
"Assuming we don't get a warrant to arrest you," Sumida added.
"Well, you wish, detective," Shiba shot back. "Well, that's all. We aren't busy at the moment. So, is there something you want to play?"
Sakurako merely nods and spends her evening playing and chatting with the adults.
It has been five days since she skipped school due to her loss. In the evening, she emptily watches her favorite TV show. But even that never helped her to lift up her mood. She only sits there, unmoving, as she felt the time itself has frozen. Hearing and digesting the cheerful tone and words the TV could offer cannot give her even an inch of dopamine. The evening light brings comfort and warmth to her home, but that can't improve her mood either. The book she had read was now lying by her side, and that didn't even make her happy. She looks at the red ribbon medal now displayed next to the TV.
That still didn't make her happy.
As the TV went on with its show, Sakurako soon lost herself in her mind, into nothingness. Her heart still screams to this day, which is now the only one residing in that empty void. Her breathing had also been inconsistent during her trance as her mind kept going back to that certain dark purplette girl who had departed. She wished she could scream out the agony from inside her chest, but unfortunately, she couldn't find the energy to do so; in fact, she's still weary since this morning. A tear was left unchecked, pouring down her cheek, which she could not feel.
"-Rako. Sakurako?"
Her head droops slightly before turning to her left, seeing her sisters at the doorway.
"Hey there, Sakurako," Nadeshiko looked at the TV. "Are you bored?"
Sakurako wordlessly turns at the TV and then disables it with the remote, which then she slumps into the couch. Nadeshiko pitifully sighs and places the groceries on the table while Hanako sits next to her second sister. Observing her expression, they notice that she remains out of touch with reality. After that conclusion, Nadeshiko unloads the groceries one by one, in which she shows her three different chips.
"I have some chips for you. Which one do you want to pick?" Nadeshiko asked. "I got salted ones, seaweed, and BBQ."
Sakurako didn't answer, but she picked the salty ones and tucked them close to her chest. Hanako is about to ask how well she's doing when Sakurako immediately stands up and exits the living room to go upstairs. The sisters didn't stop her; instead, they frowned at her hasty leave. Nadeshiko sighs and shakes her as she closes her eyes.
"Should we tell her she'll be making dinner for tonight?" Hanako asked.
Nadeshiko shakes her head. "I'll handle it. She still doesn't look good as it is."
Hanako grabbed the seaweed chips wearily, though she was just not in the mood. "She hasn't said a single word these days. It feels… lonely…."
Hanako drops her head to the table. "Misaka-nee-chan…."
Nadeshiko took a deep breath before she began tidying up the groceries.
The sisters and their mother had prepared dinner for the night and ate together at the dining table. However, they didn't begin their prayer as they looked to see a chair is still void with its respective food on the table. They curl their lips downward as the mother rests her arms on the table, still standing. She pours milk into one of the glasses and picks that alongside a plate of food from the table.
"I'll go check on Sakurako. You can eat ahead."
"Alright, okaa-chan."
The mother walks upstairs and reaches Sakurako's room. She places the dinner before the door and gently turns the door knob. Locked. She then proceeds to knock.
"Sakurako, are you awake, honey?"
There was no reply. Nevertheless, she continued. "I brought you dinner. Please, open the door."
Still no reply. The mother, sighing, leans her forehead and places her palm against the door.
"I know things have been rough for these past few days, but you need to eat. I don't want you to starve to death, honey. Can you say something, Sakurako?"
The door refuses to answer, and she closes her eyes at her futile attempt. "If you need anything, we all are here for you, sweetie. I just want you to know that."
She couldn't find another word for her daughter, and with that, she stepped back from the door and sorrowfully returned downstairs; her silent light footsteps barely echoed through the halls. Unbeknownst to the mother, the second daughter slowly opens the door as soon as the footsteps fade and look at her dinner. With such reluctance, she acquiesces her dinner and brings it to her desk before locking the door once again. She soon slumps back to her chair at her desk.
She didn't bat an eye at her dinner; instead, she looked at the P99 now lying before her. There were some… thoughts… that she had kept wondering about since the funeral. It was a question about death and the afterlife itself. She has been brooding so much about it that she might have lost sight of herself. Her heart keeps aching, whispering temptations to convince her there is a way to see her again. To hold her hand again. To see her happy face once again. Her chest was now tucked with insane desperation that she just couldn't keep bottled up.
Her hands delicately caress the gun, and she picks it up to give it a little look. Taking a deep breath that it dulls her hearing a little, she nervously places the barrel against the side of her skull. She closes her eyes, clears her mind, and prepares to press the trigger. In that sight full of darkness, she sees the image of the dark purplette smiling joyfully to see her coming to pick her up. As she readies herself to commit that fate, another thought comes in with a goal for preservation.
If she was to commit now…. What will she miss? What and how will her friends react to her fate? Are they able to cope with what will happen? Is she willing to pass out from all that life could grant her? Will her family come crumbling down?
Will Himawari dare to follow in her destructive footsteps?
Her hand soon trembles at such thoughts as she grits her teeth. Her finger tenses and pressures the gun deeper into her head, fighting the conflict within her mind. Her finger presses the trigger….
She belays it.
Moving the barrel away from her head, she would gaze upon it once again, her eyes now filled with doubtfulness. Her heart screams, though the emptiness now nullifies the pain in her chest. Maybe that bastard was right. She's a damn coward. She locks the gun away in her locker and rests back at her desk.
She rubs her entire head, then sinks her face onto the flat surface that would soon be soaked with tears, her food left untouched for the next hour.