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Prologue — The Woes of Being a Ten Year Old Girl.
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—Growing up, Kimora and Tooru regularly got their height and weight measured by the former's mother. The first Sunday of every month, to be exact. Kimora initially chalked it up to her mother excessively caring about her physical well-being. It wasn't hard to believe that because that was what she wanted to believe. But it didn't take long for Kimora to realize the truth: it wasn't parental affection and love; it was just another subtle attempt to pit Tooru and her against each other.
For a mother who claimed to want them to get along, she never missed an opportunity to put them at odds. Or, put Kimora at odds with Tooru, rather. Tooru didn't seem to recognize the trickery Kimora saw; she wasn't sure if he was ignorant, plain stupid, or both. Nevertheless, she would always know the truth, because being the oldest meant seeing things the youngest could willingly turn a blind eye to.
Kimora and Tooru were standing next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, both casually leaning against the wall where they got their heights measured when Kimora's mother stood up from her crouched position in front of them and wordlessly left the kitchen area. She had just measured their heights, and judging by the stiffness in her shoulders, it was safe to assume something about the results wasn't satisfactory.
There were a few moments of silence between the two. Then Tooru swiveled his head to shoot her a smug look. Instantly, Kimora found herself upset—as upset as a ten-year-old could be. "Two whole inches, Oneesan. Two! We're the same height now."
"And?" Kimora asked angrily.
The smugness on Tooru's face became even more nauseating. "Two whole inches since Okaasan last checked. And you're still the same! How does it feel to know you'll never grow? You're like a little seed!"
There were two things Kimora wanted to do after he asked that question: First, she wanted to shout childishly that she wasn't his sister and that her mom wasn't his mom; she was her mom, and only hers. Of course she didn't say that, and not just because it was a rude thing to say aloud but also because Kimora didn't really like the fact that her mom was her mom half the time. It felt hypocritical to even have such a thought. Secondly, she wanted to shout that she would grow and that she wasn't a stunted plant stuck in its seedling phase; she just needed the proper nutrients to bloom and-
She would also never say that aloud, because that wasn't the type of growth Tooru was referring to. He never took things the way she did.
So, like she always did—like all little girls do—she bit her tongue and balled her fingers into tight fists. The frustration in her chest wouldn't let up, though. Giving a small act of mercy to her tongue, she said, "It's just your height. Who cares? It doesn't mean anything."
