"Oi, Mousy Mousy Maya, why the fuck did you take so long?" Aiko sits fearlessly atop the wall of one of the school buildings' rooftop. After losing the fight with Manjiro Sano yesterday, she seems to vent all her anger to Karina.
Karina almost stumbles as she runs, carrying her own bento and four large-sized burgers that are the most expensive on the menu.
But when she hands one of the burgers to Aiko, the bully refuses. "Not that, idiot. That one." She points at Karina's bento.
"W-what?" She couldn't mean... Very well she'll eat the burger instead. "Here. Okay—"
"Give my burger to Yuri." Aiko receives the bento as she points at one of her friends.
Right. As if the bully cares whether Karina eats or not.
Karina follows Aiko's command and then stands silently at their side. But, the other girl is not finished with her yet.
"Come here," she says and Karina does what she's told to do. "Closer. Closer. Okay. Now, kneel." When Karina does, Aiko suddenly slaps her face, the sting never leaving the gray-haired girl's cheek. "Your ugliness pisses me off". Then Aiko sets the bento on top of Karina's head. "If my food spills I'll hit you harder." Aiko's friends laugh and the sound of it stabs Karina inside.
How pathetic she is.
For more than a year, Aiko and her friends have been treating Karina like this, and weak as she is, she just lets them, afraid of what the bullies would do if she retaliates.
"Mousy Mouse, remember, some of my buddies from another school will visit your store later. Treat them well."
She knows what the other girl means.
"Yes," Karina replies in a small voice.
After Aiko's group had finished eating, they drag Karina into a corner and start kicking her body until they sigh and leave her hugging herself on the floor.
Aiko casts her another look before entering the door. "Don't make an excuse and not show yourself at work. Remember what I told you."
Karina coughs some blood, rolling to a more comfortable position. She's now used to the bullies' and her own mother's frequent beating. But it still hurts.
Her eyes are filled with tears.
The image of the blond man yesterday, defeating his every opponent, flashes in Karina's mind. If only she could be that strong, and then...
But she isn't.
So when school is over and she's in the middle of working in the convenience store, she lets three unknown middle school girls take all they want in the shop. They're Aiko's friends and Karina is aware that they're not going to pay a single cent.
"It's great here. Maybe we should often go here."
"Yeah. Yeah. You're right."
The girls pick up chocolates, biscuits, and chips, holding a bunch of them in their arms.
"U-uhmm..." Karina's gaze is lowered. There is no way she can look at these scary strangers in the eyes. "I-is that all because I need to count how—"
"Shut your mouth. Of course, that's not all. Are you an idiot?" A single finger of the stranger pushes Karina's head. The gray-haired girl closes her eyes, expecting to be hit by the strangers.
But she hears someone else speak. "Wait a minute."
Karina knows that voice but she forgot where she heard it. When the three strangers look behind them and part, Karina sees the beautiful blonde Emma-san together with the tall scary guy and her big brother Manjiro Sano.
"Emma, what are you doing?" Manjiro Sano has his brows furrowed. "I told you not to get involved with other's squabble."
The beautiful blonde pouts. "It's not nearly a squabble, Mikey, when they're ganging up against only one." Then, she looks at Karina with a warm smile. "Right?"
"The fuck are you doing?" Aiko's friend steps up and stares at the three but backs away when she gets stared down by the scary tall guy. "Tsk. Fine. We'll leave and come back next time."
They exit the store without looking back at Karina, leaving the stuff they picked on the store's counter. The lot must have been scared of the three.
"Bye-bye and never come back!" Emma-san shouts as the bully's friends leave. She turns to Karina, "I'm going shopping. Wanna come with me?"
"H-huh? Me? B-but the store..."
"Mikey can cover for you," the beautiful blonde suggests.
Karina's eyes find Manjiro Sano. The boy's scowling. "Why me? Ken-chin should do it. He's the reason why you were dragged near Delilah's yesterday. If only he were more careful."
"Hoi," the tall guy butts in. "I told you I was distracted."
"Distracted by a pretty girl, I see." Emma-san's yellow eyes are reduced to slits. "Okay. It's decided. Draken will stay and work at the store until we come back."
"Emma!" Draken protests but Emma-san is not listening. The beautiful blonde goes behind the counter, grabs Karina's hand, and leads her outside the convenience store, Manjiro Sano following them.
"Good luck, Ken-chin," Emma-san's brother teases his friend who is sighing in resignation.
Manjiro Sano didn't bring his motorbike with him. The three of them walk to the nearest department store.
It is the same street that Karina walks on but somehow she feels a bit different.
The path is becoming a bit brighter.
She wonders why.
Manjiro Sano is quiet all the time but Emma-san fills in the silence. "We had a hard time looking for you, you know. After I finally found out what school you are going to based on your uniform, the guys from your school seem to not know you. It took us a looooong time to find someone who knows you. They said you are working at the convenience store. How great. You're working although you're still young."
"I-I-I need to..." Karina says, looking mainly to the ground due to shyness. "But, Emma-san, why were you l-looking for me?"
"Oh my! Don't call me with a san! I bet we're just the same age. How old are you, Karina-chan?"
"I-I'm about to be 14."
"That's the same age as Mikey!" Emma grabs Manjiro Sano's arm. "I'm turning 13. We're only a year apart. And I'm younger."
"I see."
"Oh, and to answer your question. I was looking for you to thank you for trying to stand up for me yesterday. You still have the bruise on your face."
Karina's hand flies to her face. The bruise still hurts but she's used to such injury. Sometimes, she suffers much worse.
"It's nothing. A-and, in the end, I couldn't do anything."
"But you still tried. Thank you." Emma's words carried itself to Karina's heart. It's the first time in years that someone regarded her positively. And it feels... nice. Very nice. "Ah! Thank goodness we're here." The beautiful blonde runs toward the big building. "Come on, you two, hurry up. It's getting late."
Karina complies, dashing to catch up to Emma. The sudden movement makes her lose her balance, and the next thing she knows is that she's falling to the ground.
But she doesn't reach it.
Half of her body is suspended, her elbow being held firmly by the boy beside her—Manjiro Sano. She stares at him, at how the winds make his blond hair dance in the air and how his dark eyes look at hers.
Angel.
Frowning, he releases his hold on her. "Be careful with your steps."
Karina gently descends to the ground, Emma coming to her side. "Karina-chan, are you okay?" Then she looks at her brother. "Why did you let go of her?"
"She should manage by herself. At least she didn't fall hard."
Yeah. The descent is gentler than a fall from lost balance.
"I-I'm okay."
Emma helps her stand up, Karina watching Manjiro Sano's back as he leaves the two girls.
The first store that they visit sells accessories. Beautiful and different-colored necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings are on display. Emma picks up a golden butterfly earring and holds it to her ear. "This one's cute, isn't it?"
"I-it is." The gray-haired girl's eyes travel across the many accessories, finding a small pair of earrings shaped like dream catchers. Her eyes widen with awe and excitement. If only she could wear something so beautiful.
Emma notices the change of look in her eyes and hands the pair to her. "They'll look cute on you."
Startled, Karina shakes her head. "Oh, no, no. I can't—"
"Is it money? I can lend you some."
"N-no. Actually, my ears aren't pierced." Her mother doesn't like accessories that much and she stopped dolling up her daughter after her husband started abusing her and, almost at the same time, when she discovered that he was cheating on her.
"Eh?" Emma shrieks in disbelief. "Even though you're a girl?"
"D-do all girls have their ears pierced?"
"Not really. I guess it's still their choice. But you look like you want yours to be. You're looking very dreamily at that pair." The beautiful blond takes the dream catcher earrings and pays for them at the counter. Then, she hands them to Karina with a smile. "Here. We'll take care of your ears later."
Eyes sparkling, Karina holds the package near her heart. It's the first time in years that she held and owned something so beautiful. "T-thank you, Emma. I'll pay you soon."
"Don't mind that. It's a gift."
The next store they go into is a clothes shop. Emma tries on various dresses. Everything looks good on her, but she somehow always finds fault in them, in the end, saying that they don't suit her.
"Can't you just pick something randomly? You're like this every time." Manjiro Sano sits beside Karina on one of the beanie bags inside the store.
Emma gets out of the dressing room, wearing a dress with a halter top and a laced skirt. She looks like a fairy. "Do you think Draken will like this one?"
Draken?
Oh.
Karina realizes why the beautiful blonde is taking too long to decide which dress she'll buy. She's trying to impress someone. "You look beautiful in that," Karina speaks. "N-not that you don't in others. You look beautiful in all of them but that is more beautiful in you. I -I mean-"
Emma giggles. "I get it. I'll buy this one." She leaves the two to pay for the dress.
The line on the counter is long and it feels like Karina and Manjiro Sano'll wait forever.
They're enveloped in a deafening silence.
Karina had been in awkward silence with many people before, but she didn't mind it then. Now, it's different. Now, she wants to break the ice.
Why?
Maybe because, for the first time, someone has made her feel like she can be comfortable with others, just by being herself.
She can make friends.
But she doesn't know what to say, so, in the end, she just waits until Emma gets back to them.
"Ah! Mikey! Why are you sleeping here?"
Karina didn't even notice that the boy was already sleeping.
Manjiro Sano opens his teary eyes. "You're finished. Good. Now we go home."
"Really, Mikey, I can't believe you." She hands the shopping bag to her brother. "You didn't even bother chatting with Karina-chan."
Karina waves both of her hands in front of her. "I-it's okay. I didn't know what to say anyway."
"It's not okay!" Emma starts to walk away, Karina and Manjiro Sano following her. "Karina-chan, let's all be friends. I know we just met, but I'm hoping we'll get to know each other more."
Friends.
Karina can really have friends?
After a very long time of being alone.
Something inside her is slowly forming—hope in her dark life.
A bead of water flows on the gray-haired girl's cheek.
"Oh, no! Karina-chan, you're crying."
Karina shakes her head. "Thank you, Emma." She lets the other girl wipe her tears.
That night, after Karina gets home, she sleeps soundly and dreams of herself surrounded by laughter and giggles—surrounded by friends.
Then, a certain blond boy appears, his dark eyes looking into her.
Manjiro Sano.