Author's note:
Sorry for the delay. This chapter was hard to write. Struggling to connect everything and guide it to a satisfying climax.
Chapter 46: New lives
Thursday, September 29th, 20XX After school
"Why are you being so secretive?" Kasumi asked for not the first time. As expected, Akechi gave the exact same answer. Faking his deeper, more masculine voice, they spoke the words together.
"Because I have to be."
Kasumi giggled under the aggressive glare that she received for her part in the duet.
"If you already know the answer then don't ask."
Sniffing, Kasumi poked his arm. "You tell me to dress-up as someone else but with your big head no number of accessories can conceal your identity."
"Hmm… Well, as long as no one figures you out."
Under his scrutiny, Kasumi went over her own outfit again. Wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, her hair was done up in a ponytail that ran out through the hole in the back. With a red tanktop and short shorts on, Kasumi was pretty sure that even her own family wouldn't recognize her.
Akechi meanwhile, had dropped his briefcase and was wearing a straight-brimmed cap of a team Kasumi did not know with baggy jeans and a hoodie over a graphic T-shirt. It was a ridiculous get-up, but she had to admit that they had unknowingly picked outfits that fit well together. Kasumi had already seen at least one tourist couple walk by today with similar outfits.
"But why Akihabara?" Kasumi grumbled as Akechi led them further out. It had taken nearly an hour to get here through indirect train and bus routes. Every ride another hit to her allowance.
"You'll see." As they moved from an alley into the main street, he reached out and slipped an arm around her waist, pulling their bodies close together.
Clenching her mouth, Kasumi remembered the instructions she had been given for being allowed to come. It was galling to be treated like a possession, but she had agreed to Akechi's demands.
Primarily, you must act natural and do not question my actions.
It was clear that Akechi was passing them off as a couple. Not that we are too far from that… Glancing up at him, Kasumi wondered how he saw her right now. His hand felt warm, but not sweaty on the bare skin of her midriff.
"We are here."
Nothing had changed. They were still in one of the seedier backstreets of Akihabara. Rather than the more tourist friendly and bright shops of the main streets, these were the areas less anime focussed and more 'original'. It could be hard to tell the difference between a maid café and a brothel around here.
Entering one of the buildings, Akechi marched them straight past the restaurant on the second floor to the third. Up here was a hallway with six different bachelor pad sized rooms for living in. There was the permanent smell of smoke that had seeped into the old structures very essence.
"What is this?" Kasumi hissed, freezing. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. She wasn't sure if she had ever felt more exposed in her life. This was definitely not a location that a minor should be in.
"Don't stop," Akechi answered her tone, yanking her forward. Having no other choice, Kasumi put her faith into the detective and allowed herself to be led to one of the sketchy rooms on the far right.
When they got there, Akechi brought out a key and opened the door, entering without knocking.
He has a second apartment!? Stunned, Kasumi paused only a step in, her cheeks starting to heat. There was a woman lying on a futon, scrolling her phone in only her underwear. She looked up at them and smiled.
"Hey, I was wondering when you were coming back!"
Stunned into motionlessness, Kasumi did not resist as Akechi dragged her into the room and closed the door after them. "So you are off today, good."
"You asked yesterday," the woman rolled her eyes, peeling herself off the ground. She did nothing to cover up her almost naked body. "What do you want? Tea, coffee, snacks? I could order in some sushi."
Forcing herself to move, Kasumi ripped off her sunglasses to see better and whirled on Akechi. "Where are we? And who is she!?"
"That," Akechi smirked, "is my greatest secret and the tool we shall use to bring the phantom thieves to justice."
Narrowing her eyes, Kasumi thought that the woman was familiar. A picture on the TV… News that she never had time for. She had the white skin of a foreigner with a beautiful face and luscious body. There were parts that looked like they had undergone too much stress. A bra that fit looser than it should, skin that hung slightly loose on her bones. Lastly, the skin on her fingers were pulled tight from continual use doing hard tasks.
"Akechi is just teasing you." Crossing over to in front of Kasumi, she curtsied deeply. "Owada Rose, it is a pleasure to meet you, Kasumi."
Thursday, September 29th, 20XX Evening
Stifling a yawn, Haru took another shot of the strong coffee that she had ordered brought to her. It was her third of the day as she found herself increasingly reliant upon the divine drink to power her. Preparing for these next five to ten minutes had taken the effort of her and multiple others working through all of yesterday, last night, and then today.
It was a harsh introduction to adult life such that Haru had been unable to imagine before now. The worst of it was that now as her energy and schedule ran down was when she needed to be at her most alert.
"Are you ready, boss?"
"I think so. How do I look?" Greeting her vice-president, Haru felt another wave of deep gratitude for the middle-aged man. Without his support Haru would have been a fish floundering on land. Every time the last few days that she tried to jump out of the pond he caught her with a bucket and dumped her back in.
"Composed but young. No matter what you say, people will claim that you are being manipulated."
"I'll have you and the others for the question period thankfully."
"That may make it worse," he warned. "If—"
"If I can't answer basic questions besides what I have prepared then those claims will grow even stronger." Haru overrode him. "I know, we discussed this."
"…My apologies." He bowed slightly. "It is not an exaggeration though to say that the fate of our company may be decided entirely upon the whims of the populace's reaction to your speech."
Haru paused, considering that. She was staring at the small slit of light that she would soon walk out onto. "I refuse to accept that. If the public rejects us then we will convince them otherwise. Our fate is in our hands. To surrender our fate to others is to stop living."
"…Well said. Good luck, president."
Haru paused on the verge of entering the stage. Everyone was waiting on her. The public address would be broadcasted on a delay anyway. Right now, that room was filled with reporters waiting to record and listen to what she had to say. Turning back, she smiled at her vice-president. "That's the first time you've called me that."
"It's the first time you've deserved it."
Trying and failing to contain the giddy smile that spread across her face, Haru needed to wait another dozen seconds or so before entering the stage. Instantly, she was blinded by a hundred flashes. If she had not been warned ahead of time, Haru would have screamed or cowered.
Only stumbling a little, she squinted briefly against the light but did her best to regain full composure. Arriving at the podium, Haru's stomach clenched as she looked out upon the sea. It seemed nonsensical that Tokyo even had this many reporters. They filled rows of chairs, each with their own microphone and sometimes a camera, sometimes a cameraperson. That was in addition to the big outlets that had gotten a microphone placed upon the podium itself. There had to be nearly a dozen of the alien looking things stretching toward her face. Each one more desperate than the others to steal the words from her and profit upon them.
Facing down the parasites and predators, Haru stood straight, talking out past the microphones. "First of all, I would like to thank each and every person responsible for organizing this on such short notice as well as those of you that came to capture my words on behalf of Okumura foods."
Taking a deep breath, Haru paused briefly, trying to get them to hang unto her words. "Secondly, and most important is that I will soon be addressing the news that has been leaking out in unreliable chunks. On that note, I am Okumura Haru, first and only child of Okumura Kunikazu, the former CEO of Okumura foods."
Former CEO, the two words caused a stirring of pens, gasps, and whispers. Despite the desperation in some of their faces, it was not time for their questions.
"My father has been removed by the board after undergoing a mental shutdown at the hands of the phantom thieves."
The hall erupted. Rumours confirmed and rumours denied all at once. Haru swallowed nervously. This was one of the contentious moments in the speech. They had to say it and move past what had happened.
"As his daughter, I have been instated as the new CEO of Okumura foods and plan to lead the company as we look forward to the future. I, more than anyone, know exactly what my father was doing and the mistakes that he made along the way. His blatant disregard for this company's future and more importantly, the lives of our employees will always remain a black spot on our record."
The words were a struggle to hear over the din but Haru kept her voice strong and continued to speak, gradually reducing the volume of the room.
"However! I will not simply leave it like that. We have made serious moves in the past few days to reorganize our company and make amends for previous wrongs. Okumura foods has been growing its brand into one that consumers know they can trust. That was the ideal that my father initially pursued and the one that we will be returning to."
Composing herself, Haru looked out calmly at the field of faces. Her heart was pounding so fast that any worries about falling asleep or growing slothful during her talk now seemed like a far-fetched fantasy.
"Thank you for your attention. You will now be able to ask me and my board of advisors a few questions."
Friday, September 30th, 20XX Morning
"Are you sure you don't have to go to school?"
The man across from Makoto did not give her the vibes that her sister had warned her about. Does she think I'm that much of a child or is she more of a worrywart than I thought? Taking a sip of her tea, Makoto tried to flash an assuring smile. "No worries, I cleared this absence with them ahead of time. It is considered job shadowing."
"J-Job shadowing? That wasn't what your sister's message said."
Dressed in a black suit, the whining man seemed more like a whiny teenager than a middle-aged man with a daughter only a little younger than Makoto herself. Awkwardly chuckling, Makoto could not find anything to say as silence rose up between them.
The man, Zenkichi Hasegawa, took a sip of his coffee, apparently unconcerned about the atmosphere. Adding more sugar to it, he worked without a care for Makoto. After a minute of this, she had to speak up.
"Aren't you going to say something else?"
"Hmm? Ah, right, I forget sometimes that children can't handle a lapse in conversation."
Flushing, Makoto clenched her hands. "From what my sister told me, you were practically crying to find the phantom thieves."
Zenkichi nodded respectfully. "Yes, I suppose that's fair. I just don't understand what information you can provide me that is new. You go to the same school as Kamoshida Suguru and Principal Kobayakawa. Do you have anything except that proximity?"
How little he knows… "That depends." Makoto smiled, leaning on one of her hands. "We've found ourselves in a situation where it would be helpful to have a police inspector."
"Tsk, look here, I'm in Tokyo on limited vacation time to figure out the truth behind Owada Jun and the phantom thieves. I don't have time to stalk your ex!"
"The girl you are looking into for me is Owada Rose, his adopted daughter. Interested yet?"
Zenkichi froze, his mannerisms coming alive. Like a pet dog suddenly remembering its wolfish instincts. With the piercing stare of a predator, he leaned over the table, coffee completely forgotten. "I heard about the search for them of course. They disappeared and the police put an award out for their recovery."
"That award disappeared pretty suddenly, didn't it?" Makoto teased.
Zenkichi grew even more intense. "What do you know?"
"Do we have a deal?"
The police investigator paused, but Makoto could see that she had done it. He would take it. True to her expectations, he stuck out a hand. Relaxing, she went to shake it.
"Ahh!" His grip was hard and intense, leaning over their interconnecting hands.
"Do not try to cheat me on this, girl. I'd have preferred to work through your sister, but you'll have to be enough."
Before that canine aggression, Makoto nodded swiftly, trying to pull back. Before his masculine power however, her hand was trapped until he decided otherwise. He only held her for another moment before relaxing and sipping at his coffee again. All of that coiled power disappearing as quickly as it came.
I underestimated him… Makoto was not sure if that was simply how he was or an intentional mask that he wore. Shaking herself into the present, she rose and bowed stiffly. "I'll send you information about your task. When you've made progress, we will talk again."
Before he could protest, Makoto fled the café. Turning the nearby corner, she got into her sister's car.
"How did it go?"
Trying to smile away her sister's worry, Makoto took a deep breath, running a hand down her face. "You didn't warn me about that sudden intensity of his…"
"He didn't harm you, did he? It was quicker than I expected…"
Placing a hand on her sister's, Makoto's second attempt at smiling was far better. "I'm safe and fine. He will help with the investigation."
"…And on your end?"
"…I don't think I'll have to tell him anything." Makoto replied honestly. "By the time he finishes interacting with the three sisters, his desire for closure will be found."
Sae looked confused but did not ask any further questions. "Come on, let's get you to school. You've been job shadowing for long enough."
"Yes Sis."
Friday, September 30th, 20XX Morning
"Ahh, can't complain about the weather, that's for sure!" Making a joke, Maruki laughed to himself. Of course, the only answer he got was the cries of gulls and the crashing of waves against the nearby shore.
Even as Fall started to descend upon the country, Maruki did not feel any of its influence. Here in the islands of Okinawa, they were cradled in the eternal summer of the tropical belt. Under his lab coat, Maruki was wearing swim trunks and flipflops. Being invited to a meeting on the beach, it was the logical attire.
"They wanted me here so quickly and now nothing…?" Maruki complained. All that he had been given for now was a brief trip around some of the restricted buildings and a tour of the small island. Not the first week that Maruki had been expecting, but it seemed like things were finally happening.
Almost as he spoke, he heard the sound of footsteps on sand. Turning around, Maruki watched as three figures approached. He only knew the one on the right, Ubukata Shuzo was an average looking man all around. You could find practically thousands of near duplicates in Japan. The other two were strangers to Maruki. Tensing up, he began walking closer as well.
"So, this is him?"
"Ah, this is him, Maruki Takuto, expert in cognitive psience."
Having been introduced to the one in center by Ubakata, Maruki scratched his head awkwardly. "Ahh, that's me. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Good to meet you as well, I am Konoe Akira, funder of this endeavour."
"N-Nice to meet you, Konoe-Sama." Maruki had no idea how else to refer to this man. With his brown styled hair and relax fit suit he looked like a western celebrity. It was not his appearance that intimidated Maruki but his job. Here was the CEO of Madicce, one of the largest companies not in Japan, but the entire world.
To his right stood a woman. She had a stunned look that Maruki thought was a mirror to his own. Whoever this lady was, she was not someone used to rolling in these high circles.
Konoe answered his unspoken question almost immediately. "This is Nakano Takina. She is the two of yours assistant. She is skilled in AI technology as well and will be primarily working with Ubukata. Do you have any questions."
"W-Well, a few. I suppose what is it that you are hoping I can add to this project? Cognitive psience is mostly a theoretical and therapeutic field. I may struggle to provide what is needed without knowing how this applies to AI…"
"That is what Ubukata will be working with you on." Konoe answered simply. "Your job is simple; you will mostly be advising while the general project oversight will be conducted by Ubukata."
"Just the two of us? How much progress can two people make?"
"Three," Konoe corrected, gesturing at Nakano. "Plus technical staff to manage the facility will be flied in starting tomorrow. Just don't expect them to provide any ideas of their own. Great people rely on themselves to create success."
"I-I suppose…" Maruki said evenly. This did nothing to clarify the premises of why he had come here. Maruki had been promised the chance to bring cognitive psience to the public. A way to heal people's individual mental issues en masse. "So, are we building some kind of… self-help app?"
"Something like that," Ubukata smiled, the expression more of a smirk.
"Well, don't let me stand in your way. I need to update our benefactor."
Staring at Konoe's back, Maruki was left behind with the two AI researchers. Despite the blazing sun and the beautiful beach, he let out a sigh. This was going to be stressful.
Friday, September 30th, 20XX After school
"Oi, inmate, you actually did it!"
"A Lachesis with tetraja, truly an impressive accomplishment."
Letting out the breath that he had been holding, Ren shot a quick smile to the two small girls that were working as his wardens. "I think so as well. Do I get a nice reward this time?"
"H-Huh!? T-This much should be expected!"
Caroline's explosion of embarrassment was par for the course at this point. Dodging the quick slash of her baton, Joker stuck a hand through the bars and patted her on the head.
"W-Why you!?"
"Umhum!" Justine interrupted before Caroline could attempt to retaliate. "I believe that I found a note here about your reward. If the innate makes the next persona and begs on his knees, I will pat him on the head."
"W-Wah!? W-Where did you find that Justine! Give it back!"
Ren laughed along with Justine at the fuming warden. Unable to steal away the notes, Caroline stalked off a pace, arms crossed not looking at them. Sharing a glance with Justine, they silently agreed that they'd had enough fun at her expense.
So, with a sigh, Ren got on his knees. "Oh, warden. Thank you for your guidance all these months. It would be my honor if I could get a small reward for my efforts."
"H-Huh?" Whirling back around, her face brightened instantly as she saw his posture. "W-Well, I suppose I wouldn't mind…"
So, with knees starting to scream in pain against the cold concrete, Ren waited as she softly patted his hair, giggling all the while. Justine apparently got curious halfway through and joined in as well.
When he could no longer bear the pain, Ren stood back up. "Thank you both for my reward…" Which was incredibly painful.
"Inmate, we have a request."
"Oh, the next persona you want to see?"
"Not quite… we were hoping to see the real world, can you show us around?"
Ren blinked in confusion. "Where is this coming from?"
"Huh? Got a problem with that?" Caroline glared at him.
"The better we know your world, the more support we can provide in your reconciliation."
Then why not start in April… Deciding he liked his fingers unsquashed by the baton, Ren just nodded. "S-Sure. Why don't we go eat supper at LeBlanc then?"
"Trickster, a word before you leave."
Freezing, Ren looked up to the middle of the room. Still sitting at the desk, Igor had spoken in that deep, booming voice. Besides fusing personas, Ren barely interacted with him. There was a strange, menacing aura that the man gave off. He assumed that the twins felt similarly as both of them seemed hesitant around their boss.
"Y-Yes?"
"It seems that your time here is swiftly coming to an end. Do you think that your rehabilitation is nearly done?"
Stunned, Ren failed to speak for almost a dozen seconds. When he got the words out, they were barely audible, his heart frozen in place. "W-Why is my time running out?"
"Hmm, the bonds you have build are fraying, are they not? The girl you love has chosen gymnastics over justice. Your friend has assumed the mantle of tyrant that you knocked her father off of. It seems to me that your groups activities will soon be winding down… am I… wrong?"
Ren swallowed. There was a knowing light in Igor's eyes. Ren could almost see a black aura of infinity surrounding the man. "We… We are just looking for new inspiration at the moment. Besides, Sumire and Haru's responsibilities are more important at the moment."
"I understand. Farewell, Trickster. I look forward to our next meeting."
Practically fleeing the room, Joker shivered despite the warm air. Fall had arrived but the cooler temperatures were still a few weeks off. On his heels, Justine and Caroline appeared. Neither chastised him for his quick escape.
Hugging themselves, they wore frowns, and looked at the pavement. "Come on, some warm food will help," Ren spoke positively.
Both of the twins reacted to that, looking up with hope in their solitary matching eyes. For just a moment, in Ren's eyes, their faces overlapped, the eyepatches disappearing to form one complete girl.
Acting without thought, Ren reached out for Caroline's face, touching the strap that held the eyepatch in place and began to lift it. Her face twisted into a mask of horror. "NO!"
It was too late. She jerked away as Ren grabbed on, the eyepatch covering her left eye ripping away. Before she could turn around, Ren was left with a single glimpse of her completely uncovered face. One eye bright yellow and terrified. The other an empty socket with only darkness staring out at him.
Caroline turned around, bending over to fix her eyepatch. Justine stood protectively in front of her, glaring up at Ren. "Are you satisfied, inmate? I thought you had learned some manners by now."
"I-I apologise. I just… got curious. The two of you… well you are like mirrors of each other."
"You think that excuses your actions?" Justine continued to speak for a Caroline that had not moved.
"Of course not. How about this, I'll treat you both to the best evening you can imagine, okay. Curry at LeBlanc and then we will go out and get some ice cream, sound good?" Ren directed his words more to Caroline.
Finally, the girl turned hesitantly around. Grabbing Justine, she whispered something in her ear and then hid behind her.
"Ahh, of course that's what you're concerned about." Glaring up at Ren, she spoke harshly. "Are you afraid of us now that you've seen behind the eyepatch? Does the empty hole scare or alarm you?"
"Of course not!" Ren protested.
Reaching up to her own face, Justine ripped off her eyepatch and stared at Ren with a straight face. Getting his wish, Ren could not lie that his stomach did clench momentarily. Unsure how else to express that he has no issues with their appearances, Ren reached out and touched the cheek just beside the empty socket.
"I'm sorry, I should have asked to see."
Blushing, Justine pulled away and quickly replaced the eyepatch over the socket. "I-It is of no concern! Let us proceed with the evening and remember your promise!"
Caroline stuck a questing head around her sister's shoulder, face hopeful. "A-Are you telling the truth… Inmate?"
"Do you want me to stare into your bare face as well?"
Flushing brighter than the autumn sun, she hid behind Justine again. "S-Shut up and start leading!"
"You got it."
Friday, September 30th, 20XX After school
Absorbed in her routine, Sumire threw herself into each movement. The tricks and complexity of the motions she was executing were harder the ones that she had done at the last tournament. With the current difficulty of her routines, she would never be able to enter the upper echelons of gymnastics.
Her muscles and body protested against the high-speed, insane angles that she was asking. It was a painful, cruel, routine. But her body responded to the challenge.
I can do this, I can do this!
"SUMIRE!"
"Eep!" Falling from the leap, Sumire turned around to glare at her coach. Hiraguchi was standing just outside the stage, arms crossed and a peeved expression on her face. "W-Why would you yell like that when I'm in the middle of a routine?"
"Because the building is closing in five minutes girl. It's almost ten PM. What are you thinking, practicing for five hours? I left you at six think you'd wrap up by yourself. Now I tried calling out to you for a minute from the outskirts, but you ignored me."
"It's been… five hours…" Heaving herself off the floor, Sumire felt that in her body now. Running on pure mental elation had propelled her to heights she hadn't thought possible.
Covering her mouth, she giggled. "Sorry coach. I just really need to improve."
"You are only going to break your body pulling shit like this." Hiraguchi snarled. "Come on, I'll drive you home. When you get there you'll need to spend half the night stretching before you can shower."
"Y-Yes."
"Make sure you keep moving! Cooling down now will lose you weeks of progress!"
"Yes ma'am!" Flushing red, Sumire scampered behind her coach, scooping up her belongings and quickly throwing on pants, a jacket and her street shoes.
Getting hustled out of the building, Sumire scuttled after her taller coach, sticking in her shadow. That still wasn't enough to avoid the harsh glare that her coach sent back at her. "Come on, just as I thought the two of you were settling in this happens. Kasumi starts ditching practice and you are working yourself to the bone with no self-control. Why is it always one thing after another with you two? Honestly I'm shocked that you've both managed to improve with all of these distractions."
"Ahaha…" Sumire did not know what to say. She didn't know what happened to her sister though. Working up the courage, she prodded Hiraguchi for a reason. "Did Kas tell you why she was cutting back?"
"No. Shouldn't you know? You live together."
"Ahh, yeah…" Trying to brush past it, Sumire had no way of telling her that her sister had started eating supper in her room. She had no idea what Kasumi had told her parents to get away with it, but Kasumi got her food hand delivered to her room by their mother. Unless they crossed in the hallway or their mornings overlapped, Sumire often went without seeing Kasumi.
"Damn teenagers," Hiraguchi continued to rant. "Too many changes, too quickly. It's also the only time that they'll ever be able to achieve the flexibility and skill required to reach the top level. What a conundrum…"
Sulking further, Sumire did find a sudden loss as she was forced to think about sister. This last week she had been so focused on Ren, her sudden confession that he had ripped from her throat, and ultimately trying to live up to his expectations and her dreams. In the pursuit of that, however, she had somehow lost her sister. It would be so much easier to be a normal teenager and simply go shopping with her after school, chat and gossip about boys and clothes.
I want my best friend back…
It was a selfish thought. Sumire knew that it would be a long time before they could rebuild what had been broken. She had already chosen Ren and a rival rather than a sister. Caught in that cloud of sudden depression, Sumire slid into the passenger seat, clutching her gym bag to her chest.
"Oi, spread those shoulders, and keep those calves flexing!"
"Y-Yes coach!" Forced to fit straight and have her head up, Sumire could not avoid her coach's glares and grumblings.
"So, you going to tell me what happened?"
"…I just, zoned out and kept going." Sumire spoke softly. Then, knowing that it wasn't enough, she explained. "I uh, I also confessed to Senpai."
"You did? I thought that he already did."
"W-Well he did…"
"So you have a boyfriend now?"
Ducking her head, Sumire shuffled, the action good enough to keep her muscles limber… probably. "No. Not until I defeat Kasumi."
"Well, that will be next tournament by the looks of it."
"W-What do you mean?" Sumire asked, turning to stare at her coach in disbelief. "She beat me by a wide margin and is still improving."
"Is she?" Hiraguchi sighed, shaking her head. Accelerating through a green light, her gaze was straight ahead, "I mean her performance was good, but something has distracted her. I've known you two for many years now. This is the first time that I've gotten the impression that something is more important in Kasumi's life than gymnastics."
"Maybe it's her boyfriend?" Sumire suggested.
"Doubtful, but if you figure it out, let me know." Hiraguchi grunted. "Well, here you are. Have fun. Don't skimp on your stretching!"
"I-I will. Thank you so much for the ride. I'll be more careful from now on!" Bowing deeply, Sumire was surprised to find that Hiraguchi was wearing a small smile. The anger gone from her eyes.
"Take care of yourself, alright? And don't start any more fights with your sister."
"…I won't." Waving, Sumire retreated into her family's apartment complex. Ascending to the correct floor, Sumire paused at the entrance to the door. It was so late that her mother and sister were likely asleep already.
Trying to sneak inside, Sumire silently twisted the doorknob. Each millimeter further that it turned she waited for it to squeak. Through some grace of whatever god was smiling on her, she managed to ease the door inwards without a sound. As soon as it left the frame, the sound of voices washed over her, freezing Sumire in her tracks.
"You still haven't heard from Sumire? She should have been back hours ago."
"I have not, but you know how her phone is. She's probably with Ren."
"Urgh… Why is she so irresponsible? She could at least use his phone…"
"Well, if you are so worried about her why don't you call around and try to find her?"
"…You know I can't do that. Sumire doesn't want to hear from me."
"Oh, my poor daughters. Your high school years are not treating you as well as I had hoped."
"Yeah. Definitely wasn't what I had hoped for."
She could not see what was happening inside, but the bitter regret in her sister's voice threatened to break Sumire. Sniffling, she found herself on the verge of tears. Bracing herself, Sumire threw open the door, trying to pretend that she hadn't been eavesdropping.
Kasumi paused in the midst of saying something. As their eyes met, Sumire tried a little smile. Kasumi did not respond in kind. Her eyes narrowed somewhat, and she nodded. Without a word, Kasumi turned on her heel and returned to her room.
"Welcome home, Sumire. Do you have an explanation of where you've been?"
"Sorry mother," Sumire bowed her head. "I umm, got distracted practicing."
"You've been practicing the whole time!?" Her mother gasped, astounded. "It's been hours!"
"Y-Yeah, and now I need to go stretch," Sumire sighed. "Please excuse me, I'll be more careful from now on."
Her mother had only a few words that she spoke to Sumire's back. "Please don't hate your sister, she does care for you."
"…I know mom. I know."