The Unlucky Thirteenth (Akise Aru Fanfiction)

Fifth

The girl who lost everything.

She wasn't so bad before Mikuru died. After that incident she became withdrawn, sullen, cruel. She had snapped at everyone, even her family. It wasn't something she was proud of. The girl had her different sides, her good days. One personality, kind and protective and understanding. The other cruel and sarcastic and calculating. Manipulative.

The years since then had turned her into a...well, a jerk.

After that, it only got worse.

"We already have a last name chosen," Kurusu stated. She nodded, biting on the inner edge of her lip. Surely, he knew who she was. He was smart enough, he would know about the girl who was never found and who was thought to have died along with her family. She was gone, a blight of existence. Now, her name meant nothing except to her, an example to children, don't go wrong like her. She got her reward in the end.

"I should probably give a damn, but I don't," the girl grouched. Minene looked up at that, before going back to her cell. "I just need to hear it and I'll be good. Easy as pie."

"Let's see, Kiyano Amaya. Age, 14. Parents: Kiyano Aika and Kiyano Jun. Siblings, none. Parents usually away on business. Everything sound okay so far?" He queried. She nodded her assent. "Birthdate...what do you want?"

He was being surprisingly kind, allowing her to choose these things. She was a messed up kid, so she wasn't very nice. The fact that she acknowledged the act of kindness and felt grateful surprised her. Maybe the world wasn't so bad after all. Maybe she could change.

Maybe she had.

"August 23rd." Her reply was short, low, and wavering. Did she really want to let everything go? No, she wanted to keep the most important things. The things that mattered.

"The past is the past, but it is still the past." The girl jolted, startled. "Do you think everyone could just deny it all ever existed? Their birth name, who they were, what they had become, many things that are important to them? The things that create a person? They may live without those things, of course. But it will never truly be living."

She stared up at Minene in a kind of daze. That meant a lot, actually. That she didn't have to forsake the old Amaya completely in order to become someone at peace with herself.

"Did you really think you could hide it, Squirrel? Some things are meant to last. Not permanent maybe...but powerful." She ruffled my hair, a surprising gesture coming from her. "Nothing is permanent. But many things have power."

For the first time in a while, she smiled. A true, genuine happy smile. That was pretty much just what she needed to hear.

Her blue eyes scored over the paper, noting every little dent and wrinkle in the surface. She tapped her bitten nails on her leg, pinky finger over ring, over middle, and so on. A bad habit she had yet to break, but she wasn't going to try that hard. Not really. The girl blinked away the information, now stored in her brain. She would check it later, after she had time to be alone and think.

"So, I start tomorrow. Any chance that I could get--" she paused as her Diary buzzed, before flipping open the phone. Her strained eyes ran over the digital words, and she quickly schooled her expression into one of nonchalance.

"On second thought, everything is good. Minene, w--" The terrorist in question was nowhere to be seen. "Kurusu-san, did you see where Minene-sama went?" She questioned sharply. He pointed in a general direction over to her left. The girl didn't pause to thank him.