Author's Note:
Hi readers! Thank you for choosing to continue with my story.
Some things to note before you start reading;
- The italic's speech means that the characters are speaking in English
- Sadie is an American with a much larger in build than most female Japanese teens
- As much as this is a fanfic for KnB and above all, Murasakibara, it is centred around Sadie and the struggles she goes through as a teenage girl thrown into a society of high standards regarding both appearance and intellect.
That being said, I feel I should warn you that there is material in this fanfic that some readers may find disturbing. Please know that what I write in this fanfic is fiction only and not based on a personal experience or issue, and certainly not written with the intent to disturb.
Okay, you may continue. And remember, if you enjoy, please leave me a review.
Chapter Two:
When Sadie finally arrived home with Momoi in tow, it was to a silent, empty house. At first she was confused – usually one of her parents would be home doing paper work – but after checking the office to find it empty, she said to Momoi, "I'm just going to go next door and see if they're in the shop."
Outside, Sadie held the door open for a few people who were leaving her parents' shop, and listened quietly as they gushed to each other about the food. One of the men just shrugged and said it was passable, but was quickly shut down by the others as they admired the various flavours in their food. Sadie smiled a little, feeling proud of her Dad. She truly believed that he was the best chef in Japan.
"Andrew I'm telling you, it's not right! All the flavours you're using are fine, but you're supposed to simmer them, not sauté."
Sadie frowned at the rare use of her father's name; coming from her mother, anything besides 'Anata' was usually not a good thing. Kimiko was standing by the door to the kitchen, muttering darkly and shaking her head. But when she caught sight of Sadie, a wide smile split her face and lit up her dark eyes.
"Sae-chan! When did you get back?"
"Just now, actually," she supplied as her mother came around the counter to pull her into a warm embrace. "There was no one in the house, so I came to see if you needed any help in the shop."
"Oh, Sae-chan, could you?" Eyes sparkling, she explained hurriedly, "We've been so busy today, the customers just keep coming! Neither of us have had a break all day –"
Suddenly, her father's voice came ringing from the back room. "Rubbish! Don't listen to a word she says, Sadie-girl! We're doing just fine; we don't need to bother you with any of this. Go home and finish your homework."
Kimiko whirled around and glared in her father's direction. "Baka! I can speak English too, you know! We have customers, don't be so ill-mannered!"
Her father's face peered at them through the serving counter. "I can speak to my daughter in whatever language I like," he retorted, but continued on in fluent Japanese. "Sadie-girl, go home, we'll be fine by ourselves. It's just started to quiet down."
Still, Sadie wavered uncertainly. "Are you sure, Dad? You're not just saying that?"
"Yes, he is just saying that," Kimiko supplied angrily, eyes flashing. "If he stopped experimenting with the food all the time, maybe we would be on top of things –"
"Order up!" he bellowed, slapping a bowl of steaming hot ramen on the counter-top. As her mother grudgingly delivered it to the corner table, her father waved her over.
"Sadie-girl, you wouldn't believe the recipe I came up with today! Here, come see…"
Smiling at his enthusiasm, Sadie obediently followed him into the kitchen and allowed him to show her the different blends of ingredients that were to be added into the new menu option.
"It's a new dessert dumpling," he explained in fervent English. "I decided to go against the normal procedure and deep-fry them. Here, try these two together, tell me what you think."
Sadie hesitated, eyeing the heated oil. "Uh, Dad, I'm kind of…" But as she processed her father's excitement, all resistance quickly faded, and she picked up the fork.
The moment the food touched her stomach, a rumbling growl echoed through the tiled room, making her flush with embarrassment. When she glanced up, her father was looking down at her with concern. "Sadie, have you eaten today?"
"Um… well, I was so busy at school that I didn't really have time to eat – actually, I kind of forgot."
His face turning worried, he grasped her arm in a firm hold, making it impossible to look away. "Is this because you worked so late last night?"
"No!" she insisted. "That's not it."
"Sadie, you must never let yourself go a full day without food. It's unhealthy for a young girl!" His face became hard, and he released her arm only to fold his. "I refuse to allow my girl to go to school hungry or tired. If you need time for school work, you tell me. Understand?"
Sadie nodded, refusing to meet her father's eyes. "I got it, Dad."
"As it is, I'm rostering you off for the rest of the week."
Her eyes widened in shock at her father's decree. "What?! You can't! How are you going to keep up with the rush on the weekend? Who's going to bake the desserts?" She shook her head. "You need me here, Dad."
"Like hell I do. If you think I'm just going to stand back and watch my daughter run herself into the ground, you're sorely mistaken. Besides," he said, grinning down at her, "I'm pretty sure Link needs the practice."
Sadie scoffed at the mention of her older brother. "Link wouldn't know what to do with a wooden spoon if you gave it to him with a manual, let alone manage a whole dessert bake by himself. Plus, he's only ever seen me do it once."
"If he can read a manual on how a car works and manage to put one together, I'm sure he'll be able to reason his way through." As she continued to protest, he waved away her concern similarly to a bothersome fly. "You worry too much. Everything will be fine without you, Sadie-girl. Now eat up, you have study to do after –"
Suddenly the door to the kitchen flew open, and on the threshold loomed a dark and ominous figure. Sadie immediately backed up a step, but her father only raised a brow at the display. Then the figure spoke, and her voice sent small chills down Sadie's spine.
"Sae-chan… You left me alone again… Didn't I say that if you ever did that again, I'd kill you?" Two light brown eyes flashed dangerously.
Instead of being shocked, her father let loose a deep, bellowing laugh. "I think you have to be careful with this one, Sadie-girl; I don't think she's going to let you go any time soon."
Sadie had to agree with him there.
Still chuckling, he beckoned with a hand. "Momoi, come over here. I have something for you."
Almost instantly the Aura of Doom cleared, and two light brown, doe-like eyes blinked up at her father. "For me? Really?" She flounced over, landing on light feet right next to Sadie, who couldn't help but shuffle away a little uneasily. "What is it, Itamae?"
Chuckling at the high praise, he showed her the leftover new dessert dumplings, and her face positively sparkled with glee. "Go ahead, help yourself. But tell me what you think after."
He hadn't even finished speaking before she laid into the sweets with a ferocity that astounded even him. Before long, the plate was cleared, and Momoi rubbed her stomach with a contented sigh. "Hmmm, that was yummy! Itamae-san, you should make these for the restaurant from now on! I'll eat them for you for free."
Her father blanched. "Um…"
"Andrew!" Kimiko barked from beyond the door. "What are you doing back there? You've got three orders lined up!"
Sighing deeply, he smiled down at the two girls and shooed them away. "You two better go. I have a feeling it's going to be hectic in here for a while, and nobody wants to see my wife when she's flustered."
Still Sadie hesitated. "Are you sure? I have some time to spare."
"Nope, you've done heaps for us already. I'm sure you have things to do." His face split into a doting grin. "You know, if she were here, Mom would be proud of you, Sadie-girl."
Forcing her face into a happy smile, she couldn't help but wonder how true that was.
~'After all'~, a treacherous voice whispered ~'How could she possibly be proud of somebody who can't even look at herself in the mirror?'~
That night, as Sadie was finishing up her homework, a knock on the door announced the arrival of her father. As he strode inside, she first noticed the smell of the steaming bowl of curry he was holding, and then the beaming smile decorating his lined face. Her stomach sank.
"Evening, Sadie-girl. Whatcha doin' there?"
"Just finishing up some school stuff." Deciding not to beat around the bush, she reluctantly asked, "What's that?"
"Dinner," he announced proudly, plonking the bowl in front of her. "And it's the good old-style American curry. All the yummy stuff."
All the bad stuff.
As she sat there in silence wondering how best to tell him that she couldn't afford to eat the meal he'd made her, he picked up a familiar portrait from her bedside table. It was the four of them together – her mother, her father, her brother and herself – and the only family photo left after the fire that had destroyed the vast majority of them. Just thinking back on the painful memories made her want to cry.
When her father spoke, his voice had become slightly thicker. "Look at you two… both so young." He turned, offering her the frame – like she hadn't stared at it countless nights before.
Still, she smiled a little as she took it. Indeed, her normally irritable older brother was smiling merrily at the camera with a lanky arm wound around her neck. Even at fifteen, he was large for his age. "This photo is special, right? It's the last one we took before…"
When she glanced up, her father was staring fixedly at the floor – and she couldn't pretend to ignore the slight sheen that covered his normally cheery eyes. "Hey… Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"
He kept his gaze low for a few uncomfortable moments, and she was just wondering if perhaps she should hug it out with him when he returned to the present, yet another cheery smile adorning his face. "You worry too much, Sadie-girl. I'm good. And you know what else is good?" He offered her the bowl of American-style curry with a small wink.
She stifled a sigh, knowing that she was going to consume the meal her father had made her and the consequences that came with it.
Taking the bowl and spoon, Sadie couldn't help but let out a small moan of appreciation when the food reached her mouth. It was an old family recipe passed down from her great-great grandmother – on her mother's side. It tasted like warmth and happiness and family all rolled into one and boiled in a slow-cooker for fourteen hours.
It was the taste of home.
"This was Mom's curry," Sadie said, glancing up at her father. He nodded once. "I haven't had this since…"
"Since before she passed. I know." He scrubbed the back of his head. "I noticed how stressed you're becoming, Sadie-girl, even if you didn't want me to. So I thought… a little taste of home might do you some good, you know?"
Sadie choked on a sob, swiping at her eyes as the flood of tears began. "Yeah. You were right," she sniffled, "I did need it. Th-thanks, Dad."
"Oh, Sadie…" Bending down on one knee, her father pulled her into a tight embrace, and for the first time in months she lost herself on a tide of grief that she hadn't allowed herself to feel amidst her hectic life. "You need to make more time for yourself, sweetheart. That way you can let yourself have these moments instead of bottling it all up inside."
"I know. But it's just…" She trailed off, not knowing how to explain.
He pulled back and held her at arm's length, his dark eyes searching. Even though their colour was the same chocolate brown, Sadie was still left squirming. "It's what? What is it?"
"I… I feel guilty," she confessed in a rush, and then immediately regretted it.
Features turning firm, her father said in a low, fierce tone, "Sadie, I have told you many times that there is no reason for you to worry about me and that shop. We have people to help if we need. They're not you, but they'll do. And as for your brother…" He stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then sighed. "Well, he's beyond help really, but whatever decisions he makes are his own and not of your doing. I know you worry about him not being home with us, but he needs to break away for a while. Do some soul-searching. Link's not going anywhere permanently; he knows how good he has it here with you looking after him."
He grinned at her, and she reluctantly returned the smile. "So does that settle things? There's no need for you to feel that way. You do more than enough for all of us. And even though she's gone, your mother would be very proud of the way you keep our household running. I'm proud of you."
Pang.
"Go ahead, eat your supper. And then go straight to bed – no more homework for today, okay?" He bent down, placing a warm kiss on her hair. "Goodnight, Sadie-girl."
"'Night, Dad."
When the door closed with a soft click, Sadie stared at the steaming bowl in front of her. The churning in her stomach left her with nearly no desire to eat, despite the fact that it was a very special meal. Because, even through her father's efforts, guilt was still eating her alive inside.
Not because of the restaurant.
Not even because of Link.
Fresh tears coursed down her face because even though this meal had been made with love and was more meaningful than the portrait sitting on her bedside table, she was going to throw it all up later.
She picked up the spoon with a trembling hand and began to eat.
"…Sae-chan… Sae-chan…!"
"Oi, Baka-Sae!"
Momoi's overly-loud voice threw her back into the present. "Huh?"
Her best friend rolled her eyes. "You're slow today! I was asking if you brought your swim-suit with you. We have that for gym today, remember?"
Sadie cringed at the reminder, realising that she'd completely forgotten about it. "No, I didn't bring it. Can't I just skip?"
"Skipping classes without a valid reason isn't acceptable," Himuro piped up from beside her.
"No one asked for your opinion, Mr. I'm-So-Good-'Cause-I'm-A-Student-Council-Member," Momoi grumbled. Himuro just shrugged and picked up his sandwich. Dismissing him, Momoi said seriously, "But Sae-chan, Kameko-sensei won't let you skip when there are spare swim-suits available."
Sadie paled as she realised what her afternoon was about to become. "But they're…"
"Vile? Off-putting? Yeah, you got that right." She hummed and picked at Sadie's fruitful lunchbox.
It was at that moment – when Sadie felt it was a good idea to fake her own death and escape – that Murasakibara chose to appear at the door. After first knocking his head against the door frame – "You have to lower your head, Atsushi" – he made his way to their group and grabbed the closest chair, earning him a peeved glare from the original owner.
Immediately he snatched Sadie's lunchbox, but Momoi was having none of it; letting out a fierce growl, she got there before him, and his massive hand nearly took up the whole desk as it slapped the table. "I don't think so, big guy. This one's mine."
Murasakibara's previously animated expression quickly turned dark with rage, and even Sadie gulped at the look he fixed on her best friend. "Give it back, little girl. I'll eat you."
Instead of being intimidated, Momoi took a bite from another dumpling and smiled pleasantly. "I don' fink I wanna."
"Momoi," Himuro began in a warning tone, "I think you should let it go and give Atsushi his food back."
Momoi swallowed the food in her mouth – without chewing – and exclaimed, "His food? What the hell's with this guy? It's my food; I had it first!"
"You know what he's like with his regular snacks. This is Sadie-san's food we're talking about – I wouldn't put it past him to make good on his threat."
"As if I care! That big-mouthed giant can go sit on a stick for all I care –" Sadie cringed as Momoi's choice of words drew disgusted glances from multiple classmates "– but he's not getting the food Sae-chan made for me, got it?"
At her side, the hungry purple-haired giant was fast becoming impatient, and thinking fast, Sadie dug around in her bag. She quickly drew out the lunchbox she had prepared as a back-up and threw it in front of him.
Previous food source forgotten, Murasakibara dug into the lunch without another glance at Momoi, who was eating contentedly and watching him like an older cat would watch a kitten. Himuro's tense shoulders sagged with relief, and he nodded gratefully at Sadie.
I think I know them too well.
That afternoon, after receiving a firm scolding from Himuro-san for attempting to skip gym class, Sadie found herself standing at the entrance to the changing rooms. Doubts and insecurities were flying through her mind almost at the speed of light, but the most prominent was the knowledge that no matter how much she fidgeted with it, the faded pink-and-green swim-suit did absolutely nothing for her already chunky figure.
They're all going to laugh, she thought, already wanting to curl up somewhere no one would see her. I should just forget Himuro's warning and go home.
Just as she was debating her odds of success, she heard Kameko-sensei's voice calling her name from behind the doors. Too late now.
Taking a deep breath for courage, she pushed through the doors and jogged over to her group, calling "Here!" as she went. A few pairs of eyes settled on her as she slowed to a halt, taking in her thicker-than-usual thighs and her larger frame. Sadie fixed a polite expression on her face and forced herself to look only at Sensei.
Still they stared.
Finishing her roll call, Kameko-sensei threw the board to the ground and blew her whistle to command attention. "Ladies, listen up! We're going to be doing some basic drills – freestyle, breast stroke, back stroke and if you're feeling adventurous, butterfly – and finish up with some healthy competitive relays. Understand?"
"Hai!" the girls chorused together.
A slight touch on her arm announced Momoi's presence. "Good luck."
"Thanks. Try not to drown anyone, okay?"
"Depends if they get in my way."
Sadie giggled at her friend's deadpan expression and made her way to line up at one of the diving blocks. Truthfully, she wasn't a bad swimmer; back in Georgia, she'd represented her high school at the State heats before calling it quits. Still, she decided to just keep her stroke slow and easy for today.
At least, that was the plan – before the girl before her faltered mid-stroke.
"Ow! My leg!" she screamed, flailing. "It's cramping!"
Sadie reacted immediately; kicking her legs furiously, she pushed through the water until her arms burned and caught the girl right before she went under. Spluttering, the girl clutched her arm in a fierce grip that would definitely leave bruises later, but at that moment all Sadie could see was her terrified expression.
"Ow ow ow! It hurts!" she cried. "Please help me!"
"It's okay, climb on my back," she said urgently, kicking her legs furiously to keep her head above water as the girl clung onto her neck. In the distance, Sadie barely registered a whistle blowing over and over. "Take a deep breath. We're going under."
The girl nodded, sniffling, but inhaled deeply before the water closed over her head. It took every ounce of energy Sadie had to get both of them to the edge before her own legs began to cramp. As soon as they surfaced, hands grabbed at them and pulled them out of the water. The girl was crying in pain, and Sadie was gasping for breath by the time they were both out.
Momoi crouched before her, grasping her shoulders and gazing into her eyes. "You okay?"
Sadie couldn't speak; instead, she nodded once, and then went into a coughing fit.
"You don't look fine. You idiot. What the hell were you thinking?"
"She was drowning," Sadie gasped.
"So? Sensei was waiting at the side of the pool with a life-jacket. Instead you went ahead and tried to drown yourself."
Sadie blinked in surprise. "R-really?"
"Yes."
"Oh… Well –"
"Sadie-san, are you okay?" Sensei was suddenly in front of her, pushing a grumbling Momoi aside to gaze into her eyes. "How's your breathing."
Sadie shook her head, wondering the same thing. "I'm fine, Sensei… Just give me… a moment… gotta get… my breath…" Seriously, what is wrong with me?
But Sensei wasn't convinced. Shaking her head, she turned to Momoi. "Take her to the nurse. I'm not taking any chances."
Nodding, Momoi put her face beside Sadie's and wrapped an arm around her waist. Then she chuckled. "Well, that's one way to get out of class." She gripped her friend's wrist and hoisted her up.
Sadie blinked as the blood suddenly rushed from her head. "That's not –" But she didn't get to finish her sentence.
Her vision flickered and then went black altogether.