AN: Satomi is the focus once again! We didn't see too many of her thoughts last time. Also, I apologize for any inaccurate facts. This is an AU, so a couple things may change. I'm going to build Murano's home life from the ground up, giving her a few more things to work through with the help of our dorky hero. Shinichi is probably going to encounter some problems that weren't there in the anime/manga, so be prepared for that. After all, I HOLD THE POWER HERE, FOOLISH MORTAL! MUAHA- I let my inner Noire get to me. Sorry.

… if someone got that reference, please let me know.

Review responses:

bluebloodblues: I'm super glad you enjoy this! I watch the show, longing for them to hook up as well... it's so sad. At least they kissed in the anime. Dorky "Sheechi" is my favorite version of him. I wish he could still be badass 'n all, but stay timid. It'd make him so much more enjoyable. He's turned into a stereotypical boy who's gone through too much in anime. Try not to squeal too much! ;) (Innuendo city) Well, I'm sorry that I can't do anything about the length. They're supposed to be short and allow the reader to relax for a little while while reading, myself included, only in the writing aspect. But I thank you greatly! Your support is really, really appreciated! :D

Be warned: This chapter is a little sadder.

Chapter 3 of Unhindered Love is here! Enjoy! Leave a review, follow and favorite! Thanks a bunch!

Bonus cookie from the writer: If you can name all the references I made in this chapter I'll give you a hug and a cookie,

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"I've missed those interactions too much."

Satomi reluctantly neared her door and pushed open the gate that guarded her house, much like Shinichi's. Unlike his family, hers was… strained, at best. Her father was away on business nearly every second of the day, and her mother was distant from her. They still had a mother-daughter relationship, of course, but it was very strained to her and she didn't like the tension she always felt around her mom. So, she stayed away from home as often as she could without getting into trouble. The few friends she had were usually not allowed free-roaming, except Shinichi. His parents trusted him and they seemed to have a great parent-son relationship.

She envied him, which was nothing new. She'd always been jealous of his academic ability and the gift of saying the best things at the worst times ever since they met. It was a wonder, to her, why he liked hanging around her. Maybe he was just lonely. While she branched out in junior high, he stayed recluded, working on homework and reading by himself in his room. While she liked the dorky aspect to him a lot, she wished he'd get out and live a couple times, at least. Even introverts-at-heart like herself needed to get out once in a while for some fresh air.

Satomi walked through her door and was greeted with the sight of her mother sleeping, slouched over on the counter. Several cans of sake lay scattered around her, completely empty. Murano sighed. Her mother had taken to drinking after her husband was gone for so long. She hid the addiction from her husband and made sure he never discovered her discarded cans throughout the house.

"Gotta stay high… all the time… to keep you off my mind," she mumbled, remembering the words to one of her favorite English songs. Satomi grimaced at her passed-out mother in disgust mixed with sympathy. The teen knew how hard it was to be away from someone she appreciated and loved for a long time. The chocolate-haired teen made her way to her room, a small compartment in the back of their house that was cozy and warm, but sparsely furnished like Shinichi's. The moment you walked into her room, you were greeted with large posters of her own drawings hanging on the walls. A twin-sized bed, neatly made with a maroon comforter was in the left corner. A dresser full of her clothing was in the right corner. In the only other corner of her room, there was a rolltop desk with the latest Razer gaming laptop. A guilty pleasure of Satomi's had been gaming ever since her mother fell into the bottle. She glanced at her high-end headphones from said gaming company. Those had cost a fortune! At least they were worth it, producing crisp bass and precise highs, mixed with spot-on mids.

The high-schooler sighed and threw her backpack onto her bed, letting it slightly sink into the memory foam. Aside from trig, which Shinichi and herself had finished, biology was all that she had. Mentally tallying how much time she had before she needed to go to bed, she figured that she had a few hours to game before she attacked her biology. After all, she excelled in the subject, scoring A's on nearly every assignment and test.

Satomi fired up her Razer Blade, watching as it sparked to life and displayed her wallpaper of her favorite TV show, depicting a boy with brunette hair holding a broadsword with a dragon's eye in the hilt and a dangling chain at the end. She clicked an icon and booted up a game revolving around staying alive in a pizzeria while fending off bloodthirsty animatronics. After accomplishing nothing for a few hours, she rubbed her eyes in frustration.

"Who knew the later levels could be so hard?" she mumbled, gingerly setting her headphones on her desk and standing up to go check on her mom. Satomi moved through the hallway and saw that her mother was awake and moving around the kitchen.

With a small smile, her mother greeted her surprisingly normally. "How was your day, Sattie-chan?"

Satomi blushed at the nickname her mother assigned to her. "Ka-san, don't call me that," she mumbled, shaking her head in embarrassment. "Anyway, my day was really fun. I hung out with Izumi-kun at a cafe today."

"So that's where you were."

"I, um, actually came home a few hours ago."

"Hmm?" her mother stopped and looked at her with a disapproving look in her eyes. "You need to stop gaming, Satomi," she stated seriously with a grim expression.

"Mom, I will as soon as you stop drinking so much," Satomi replied, matter-of-factly.

"... don't speak of the way I deal with my depression!" her mom snapped, making Satomi jump in surprise. "You know what, forget it all! Make your own dinner!" she yelled, storming off into the hallway. She shut the door to the master bedroom with a loud bang.

Satomi laid her head down on the countertop and quietly cried. This isn't what she wanted from her family. Not at all. She wanted her father home and her mother sane. The last thing she wanted was to have to hide from her mother behind a computer screen, trying to conceal the fact from herself that she now feared the one who raised her.

"I'm no better than mom," she softly acknowledged, letting her tears stain the laminated countertop. Satomi glanced at her phone and saw a text from Shinichi had arrived just a few minutes ago, while she was talking to her mom. It read:

"You okay? Your mom's been acting kind of strange lately."

"Sheechi… you need to stop being so perceptive," she sadly smiled and shook her head. She'd reply in a second, but she needed to get the grief out of her system with a good cry. Having someone close to you with you always made it feel better, but she didn't have anyone. Except…

Except a dorky boy who was longtime friends with her.

She sighed and picked up the phone to call him back. The emotional young woman could really use some right things said to her.

Especially since this was one of her worst times.

/

AN: Hope you liked! See you in the next chapter!