Brotherly Love, Sisterly Sin. (A Skip Beat! Fanfic)

Chapter 20

Regaining her thought process and her voice all in a single moment Kanae simply stepped back from the door and opened it wider allowing Setsu access. Had they done something wrong? Was there a reason Setsu would be here without her brother? They had tried their hardest since the show to remain neutral and make the whole experience easier for the overwrought family. But maybe it had been the wrong decision. But then why would Kyoko’s words be I have no excuse?

“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Setsu asked in her usual uncaring voice as she looked around the sitting room of the hotel suite.

“No, no it’s fine. I was awake doing some work.” Kanae replied as she gestured towards the seats. Setsu nodded as Kanae followed her over and seated herself down opposite the younger woman. “Can I get you a drink or something?” Kanae asked as she watched Setsu. Despite her whole act of trying to be casual, she could see there was something bothering the young woman.  

“No....no thank you it's fine.” Kanae pondered the woman before her. She had offered the hand of friendship days ago and Setsu seemed to have taken it. Was this what this visit was now? Was there something more to the scared looking child Kanae could now see resting behind the young women's eye’s.

“Did you need us for something?” she asked using the only other question she could think of before accepting her own theory.

“No. I just, just needed an escape from Nii-san.” It was almost as if Setsu deflated with those words, as if it was something he had never said or even felt and what could Kanae say to that? Yes she was always annoyed with her parents, her siblings and their demon spawn. But what could she really say to this young woman who she now felt she knew so much about and yet so little. So she remained silent.

Setsu dropped her head into her hands as she tried to figure out her words. She was no good at this! She was no good at talking to others that were not her Nii-san! But how was she supposed to explain everything in simple words. They just didn’t seem to be enough anymore! Or maybe there just weren't words to describe how she was feeling.

“God this is so hard!” Setsu moaned as Kanae watched her.

“What’s hard?” she asked jumping on the opening to converse with the woman like a dog on a bone.

“This, us talking. It’s just... not easy.” Setsu said looking up at the older woman before her.

Kanae couldn’t help it. She smiled a little and nodded “Couldn’t agree more. Though saying that I’ve never found talking to people easy.”

Setsu snorted as she considered Kanae’s words. “Could have fooled me. You seem to have a great way with words. As far back as I can remember it was always me and Nii-san. I could tell him things others could never understand. He would listen to my problems and even if he could not give me an answer, he gave me something almost as valuable. A listening ear and a welcoming shoulder. I could tell him things I could never tell others, things that other people could never truly understand. And I suppose things that he understood so much better than I could really ever realise.”

Kanae nodded slowly taking on Setsu’s words but she did not feel that commenting on them would be the best route in that moment to keep Setsu talking. “Honestly, I thought all people the same. Vapid two headed snakes that would bite you sooner than look at you. If they could not harm you that way they would use money or even power to make themselves great. I told you before in the lift about my friend, didn’t I? Kyoko. It was her who taught me differently. Who pushed me so hard to see that not everyone was the same. Not everyone was like the people who backed me into a corner and gave me no way to escape.”

Setsu nodded slowly understanding in her eyes to some depth that Kanae could not really see, so she continued.

“It was amazing and yet so terrifying at the same time. All of a sudden without my consent there was another person in my corner. But she wasn’t willing to back down like I was. She was in that corner to support me, push me to be the best I could be, but also to fight for me. It forced not only the people who were out to hurt me but also allowed me to stand up for what I wanted, what I dreamed of. She taught me to push and to fight for my dreams even if they felt and looked so far away. That as long as I didn’t stand in that corner alone then I could do anything I set my mind to.” Kanae smiled and made an amused sound as she sighed.