soulmates ➸ j-mei-

★chapter 17 - festival of love

"I'm home!" Umi shouted. Yuri was sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Hey, Umi," she said, half of her attention on her book.

"I brought you a muffin," Umi said, setting the small box beside her sister.

"Thanks," Yuri said, still reading.

"So," Umi said, hands behind her back. "The festival is tomorrow."

Yuri looked up from her book. "I'm aware."

"I still haven't written my stupid poem yet."

"Well, you better get it done. It's getting late; the sun already set. It was really pretty. I stood on the balcony and watched it set. You missed it."

Yuri was right. Umi did miss it, but not in the way that Yuri had suggested it. Umi had seen the sunset- perfectly, she might add. But it was over. It was over, and she missed it.

Nonetheless, she'd always just be the best friend, right? Currently, they were only friends, and Umi was convinced that there was no chance to be anything more than best friends.

The more Umi thought about it, the more worried she became. She should have joined the debate club instead of a club that will never grow.

She couldn't even be Akara's best friend. Didn't she already have one? It was Himari Chikara, right? She'd seen them together so many times.

Umi cursed herself. What was she thinking? She was straight, and nothing more. She licked her lips, grabbing a pen and a sheet of paper.

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"You lazy piece of shit."

Natsuki grimaced at her father's harsh words.

"I obviously haven't disciplined you enough, have I?" Papa sneered. "All I wanted was an obedient little girl who knows her place. This must be some kind of punishment from the heavens."

Natsuki cowered in the corner.

"Are you scared, my dear?" he asked tauntingly.

Natsuki lifted her head to see her papa undoing his belt. He wasn't drunk. He wasn't high. So, why was he doing this? Was he finally going to do what he'd threatened to do ever since she turned 16? Was he really about to take one of the only things she had for herself? Was he about to take his own child's virginity?

Did she deserve this?

He looped the belt around his hand. His pants were still on.

Before she could react, a loud sound echoed through the room. Instinctively, she cupped where her skin stung. Head radiated from her skin, turning it red.

Papa grabbed her by her pink hair and threw he to the middle of the room, facedown. He hit her back, making yet another loud sound.

Natsuki tried to fight the voice inside her head, telling her to get up and run. She deserved this. She was a bad girl.

She propped up, putting all her weight on her right arm. Her father noticed this and proceeded to smack her arm, forcing her to lose balance. Her head hit the tile floor, knocking her unconscious.

"Maybe this will teach you not to read those stupid comics anymore," Papa spat, knowing that she couldn't hear him. He dragged her unconscious body out to the back porch and left her in the grass. "Goodnight," he laughed cruelly and disappeared inside, locking the door.

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"Fuck," Natsuki hissed, waking up in the grass. She checked her phone that was still in her pocket, luckily. She still had time.