For Michiru, trying to figure out how to hide her bloodied slit from Mika was the equivalent to attempting to hide Rapunzel-length hair in a swimming cap. While her sister wouldn't be home for some time, Michiru refused to let a second go by without thinking of a solution.
Scrunching her face while flaring her nostrils, Michiru wondered, I don't even know if I wanna tell Mika about the fight I participated in, but if I try hiding it, she'll get suspicious!
Raking most of her fingers through her long hair, she grumbled, "No matter what I come up with, the end results don't come to fruition."
She hunched down as though a boulder gradually brought its weight on her back.
Visuals of her fighting with Bansai occurred in her head. Although the speed of their duel was quick, his movements during it were vivid in Michiru's memory.
Resting her arms on her knees, she admitted aloud in a pout, "I won't deny, he's really good."
Still, I wanted to defeat him in that duel. No wonder he chose the fucking forest.
Shaking her head, Michiru pushed herself from the floor.
"I shouldn't get mopey about this! I think I'll take a bath!"
Holding a grin at the idea, the woman started towards the bathroom without another word.
Not too long afterwards, the front door opened enough for Mika to step in.
"I'm home!" She announced, shutting it with three of her fingers without glancing at the handle.
No sight of Michiru in the living area. Raising a red brow, Mika slid out of her sandals before stepping through said living area. The more she walked, the more audible a certain noise grew.
"She must be bathing."
Inside the bathroom, Michiru used a hand to wipe over her cut while sitting on a small stool. What used to be a line of dried blood there got removed from the soap and water. As she expected, it stung like hell for a good few minutes. It needed to be dealt with, though; otherwise it'd get infected.
"That'll be good enough. I'll need to bandage it when I'm done," Michiru said.
"Michiru!" Her sister called out.
She exclaimed back, "I'm in here!"
The bathroom door suddenly opened. Poking her head in a tad, Mika repeated, "I'm home."
Michiru let out a chuckle while having her arm over the cut. "Welcome home. How was work?"
Shrugging, the other sibling confessed, "Exhausting, but that's par for the course."
"I see. Well, since you're back, you can take a bath after I do."
A smirk held upon Mika's features. "Awesome. See you then." With that, she shut the door, presumably heading towards her bedroom.
Shifting her gaze down to the tile, a hollow bucket filled with three bottles and one soap bar stood next to the wall.
Gripping on her own knee for support, Michiru leaned over to reach for the shampoo bottle. Just as she was millimeters from it, another visual popped up. Contrary to the earlier visual, this one entered her brain with more force and it had no color. Only a gritty, light shade of gray.
Within the gray stood her perspective as a child again, this time sight being more profound than sound. It involved her child feet standing close to a hand.
A hand belonging to a female cadaver.
Letting out a croaked gasp, Michiru's body froze with the exception of the hand reaching for the bucket. Said hand remained in place, shaking tremendously as the image refused to leave.
She repeated the word "no" in her head many times to the point where she lost count. The internal screaming from last night repeated, much to her distress.
In a rapid move, Michiru's hands slapped onto her head, digging most of her fingers through her hair and scratching her scalp in unison.
Please don't, please, for the love of god, don't!
Still, she couldn't get the visual out, regardless of how much she struggled to get rid of it.
One other thing in the image was a pool of blood underneath the aforementioned hand. In a snap, reality completely escaped her. Trembling perpetually, Michiru let out a shrieking scream; echoing in the bathing area worsening in volume.
In the midst of her screaming, Mika sat in her bedroom, using her fingers to slide her white stockings down until off at last. Picking up the sound coming from another area in the house, the woman snapped her eyes wide.
"Michiru!" Shouting, she dashed out of her room. In a matter of seconds, Mika reentered the bathroom. She witnessed Michiru lying on the floor by her side, legs bent and her entire figure shivering beside the fallen stool.
Repeating her name in a panicked tone, Mika ran to her, slipping once before kneeling next to her.
"It's okay, Michiru! I'm here!" She assured, wrapping her arms around her shoulders to lift her up slightly. "You're simply having a breakdown!"
"She's dead…" Michiru whimpered, a few tears trailing to the side. "...they're both dead!"
Mika whispered, gently rocking her upper body, "Shhhh, it's all right. We're safe."
In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of a line of red.
Blood?
After giving it a proper look, it turned out to be true. Her mouth agape at the cut, and as much as she wanted to ask where this came from, she held back her tongue at the moment. It was painfully obvious Michiru wouldn't speak coherently or comprehend whatever Mika said right now.
Over a half an hour went by, with Mika managing to wash her twin's hair and back. Throughout it, she did most of the talking. The only responses she received within the time were low hums. Mika would've been lying if she said there weren't any awkward moments. She wanted the other sister to say something more than a near quiet hum. At the same time, though, she reminded herself about Michiru's recent breakdown. It would've ended up being insensitive of Mika if she were to demand her to communicate properly.
When both sisters finished their showers and subsequent baths, Michiru lied in her futon, the blanket up to her eyes. She heaved a sigh while placing her hand on the now bandaged thigh.
The door opened.
"You sleeping, Michiru?"
"No," She answered. "Let me guess, you're gonna ask me how I got this nasty cut."
Mika didn't bother attempting to suppress a laugh. How could she when the guess of her unspoken question became correct?
Resting her bottom next to Michiru, the short-haired woman crossed her legs and arms. Light coming from the hallway illuminated the otherwise dark room, at least enough for the siblings to see one another clearly.
"Don't try avoiding the subject," Mika warned, ceasing her laughter. "How did this happen? Why does your stocking have a huge blood stain on it?"
When discovering Michiru made no instant response, she went on, "Did you...get in a fight with someone again?" The tone she spoke in was in no way ridiculing. Rather, her voice faltered, as if asking in the first place was somehow illicit.
Michiru's initial idea for an answer was another lie, but no believable idea came to her. Perhaps it was more of a relief than a disappointment that she couldn't come up with anything. The lie involving the small cut on her wrist and the blood spots on her clothes already made her gut churn. Simply considering a second lie towards Mika made her body tense up.
Giving her a half-smile, Michiru said while sitting up, "Yes, I got in a fight, but I'm doing fine now. The only downside to this is I'm gonna end up having a scar."
"That's my issue, though!"
Michiru twitched at her loud tone. "Why're you yelling all of a sudden?"
"You haven't received a cut like this before, which means you were fighting with someone really strong!"
She raised her hands up, replying with a frown, "Mika, I have no clue what you're trying to tell me. What does their strength have to do with it? How can you even tell that's the case?"
The second woman forced out a cough. "Sorry. I got carried away again."
"Uh, yeah," Michiru agreed, taking no notice to the glare Mika held in her direction.
"Anyway…" Mika took a few deep breaths, and after a moment, she went on, "...what I'm trying to say is you're usually really good at avoiding cuts like this one." She pointed her index finger at her right thigh. "The fact that you have a borderline gash sounds like whoever you fought is far more skilled than you are!"
Michiru squinted her eyes while tightly folding her arms. "Are you trying to insult my fighting skills?"
"I dunno where you got that idea, but no. I mean they could possibly have had more years of experience in terms of fighting."
"I've been using my shuriken for over ten years," She indicated.
Mika argued back in a sneer, "They might have twenty years of experience."
"The person I fought with doesn't look over thirty."
Stagnant and humid air surrounded her sister. "Uh…"
Smirking, Michiru asked rhetorically, "Are you dumbstruck?"
Mika answered, "They could look way younger than they really are! They might actually be fifty years old!" The response she gave out sounded rushed, almost like she came up with it at the last second.
"I really doubt they're that old."
A low growl bubbled up her throat, but something else popped in her mind.
Mika let out a second cough, this one being more natural. "Michiru...do you know who you fought? Was it a criminal or someone who just wanted to fight with you for petty reasons?"
Although her mouth hung open, Michiru said no words at first.
Tenseness returned but despite it, she managed to form a response.
"I didn't get his name. All I know is he's a criminal."
Mika flinched at the latter reply, subsequently letting out dense breathing. "You know how I feel whenever you encounter someone like that." A shiver crept up her spine.
Reaching for her hand, Michiru said, "Mika, I'm still alive, aren't I?"
"Well, obviously, but one of these days, you could end up getting murdered!"
"I'm trying to avoid that from happening."
Without warning, Mika wrapped her arms around her shoulders again. The hug this time tightened, to the point where Michiru winced.
"It hurts, you know?" The whisper coming from Mika brought the other sibling to stare down at her head. Despite it being a question, nothing but silence blanketed the room, stiffening the atmosphere in their surroundings.
The same woman continued, "Seeing you like this. Having breakdowns at random, getting into multiple fights, and sometimes taking walks at night in spite of the possible dangers. Meanwhile, I feel like I'm not really helping you in any way, other than hold you and say 'it's all right' so many times." Her eyelids lowered until halfway closed.
"Mika…"
What exactly am I supposed to say? Most of what she's saying is true...
She breathed a light breath. Her own arms made contact with her clothed back. Patting said back, she made a proper reply, "Now, now, Mika. Even if you don't use weapons and prefer to stay in the house other than going to work, you're not useless."
Mika released a low, almost inaudible, chortle. "Thanks."
"Also, it's not like I'm gonna see the person who cut my leg again."
A thought rammed in her mind, Michiru, you know that's bullshit. You're a bit curious about Bansai, you know that, especially when he kept bringing up your "song".
Mika said, "True. I'm just a worried twin sister."
Michiru admitted after a snort, "Yeah...yeah, you really are."
Not that I blame her, though. She said it hurts when she sees me do all the things she mentioned...it hurts to lie to my sister like this as well.
To be continued...