KNY Fanfic: Priceless Smile

Chapter 22: Crying Spring Flower

"I see but, how do they turn into one?"

"They turn into demons if a demon blood entered their body. Demons are once humans too." Kazumi explained.

After Haruna thought of it, she remembered the money. She suddenly stood up.

"I have to go home now, I'm sorry Kazumi-kun." Haruna bowed before turning around.

"Can I come with you?"

Haruna suddenly stopped when she heard Kazumi's question. She turned around to look at her.

"T-There's no need my father—"

"It's alright, I won't show myself." Kazumi cut Haruna's words.

Haruna knew that even if she say no, Kazumi would follow her so she just agreed. As they got closer to her home, Kazumi decided to start a conversation.

"So he's your father Haruna-chan?" Kazumi asked with her hands placed at the back of her neck.

"W-What?!" Haruna asked shocked at Kazumi's question.

"Honestly, I heard someone crying while walking up this mountain so I decided to check. That's when I saw you."

"So.... you know."

"Yeah, sorry for not telling you."

"It's alright. Yes, he's my father and the woman is my stepmother." Haruna looked down while they're walking.

"Stepmother?"

"My mother left us when I was five, she said she can't stand my father's laziness and his temper and she also found out that father have a mistress. My mother was about to take me with her but my father stopped her."

".... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"It's alright. It's been nine years since that thing happened. Though, I still hope my mother would show herself to take me with her."

The two stopped as they arrived at Haruna's home. Kazumi noticed Haruna trembling as she held her purse tightly. She gave her a tap on the shoulder in which Haruna replied with a nod.

"I'm here." Haruna said knocking on the door.

Kazumi hid beside the house leaning on a wall. The door finally opened showing a man with a pipe.

"Get in."

Haruna went inside and sat on the floor. Her stepmother already finished cooking but only for her and her husband.

"H-Here's the m-money." Haruna lifted her trembling hands to hand a purse.

Her father grabbed it from her hands and opened it. As he saw the amount of money in it, his brows furrowed and he put his pipe down.

"Only this much?!" The man exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, that's all." Haruna bowed her head down on the floor tears falling out from her eyes.

"YOU SHOULD'VE TAKEN MORE WOODS WITH YOU!!!" Her father shouted grabbing Haruna by the collar of her yukata then slapping her.

She fell on the floor holding the left side of her face her father slapped. She kept on crying until her father grabbed her by the hair.

"You're just like your useless mother! You two haven't done anything but to bring pain in my life!"

"M-Mother.... Mother is not useless! She loves me and she left because of you!"

He grabbed Haruna's jaw and squeezed it. This made the girl wince in pain and hold on to her father's hand.

"If she loved you then why didn't she came back to take you from me? Why didn't she came back to look for you at the village? Did she show up? No! It has been more than nine years! Wake up from your dream of ever seeing her or escaping from me!"