a small child sat alone in the waiting room of a hospital, hugging her red teddy bear. her blonde hair with purple tips was pulled back into a low ponytail, revealing the girl's teary eyes and wet cheeks.
''katsumi-chan''
a calm female voice called out to the young girl, making her lookup. in front of her was a tired-looking lady, with a lab coat and a small smile on her lips. katsumi recognized the woman and immediately hugged her legs, making the woman crouch down.
''from now on you'll be staying with me, alright?''
katsumi nodded her head and allowed the woman to scoop her up in her arms. she rested her face in the crook of the woman's neck and almost closed her eyes when something caught her eye. behind the two was a tall white-haired man with dark sunglasses perched on his nose, hiding his eyes.
''shoko'' the man called out. shoko turned around, still holding katsumi in her arms. the man's eyes rested on katsumi's distressed face for a few moments before turning to the brown-haired female. ''keep her safe''
''i will, satoru''