"WAIT- KASUMI!" You yell out as you hop out the bakery after Kasumi.
"Why are you chasing after me..." Kasumi says as she continues to walk across the street.
"Kasumi- Please... stop." You pant as you try to catch up to her. Kasumi ignores you and continues to walk away. "Kasu- AHHH-" You scream out as you trip and fall. Kasumi stops and turns around to see why you screamed. You slowly get up. You sit down on the ground, rubbing your scratched up palms.
"Are you okay?" She asks slowly approaching you. Your eyes start to tear up as you look up at her.
"Y-yeah... just... it just burns..." You softly say as you hop back up. Kasumi stares at you with a soft expression on her face.
"Why did you chase me out here?" Kasumi asks.
"I'm sorry..." You say.
"You don't have to apologize... I already said it was okay..." Kasumi replies.
"You say it's okay but then walk out like it bothered you." You comment. Kasumi stands quiet staring at you. "I didn't mean to seem like I'm trying to find dirt on you... it's just that- lately people have been appearing out of nowhere and getting close to me... things haven't felt really... normal. Like something is off... And when you befriended me, I got scared that-" You continue.
"I was a spy?" Kasumi finishes your sentence.
"Something like that..." You reply.
"I mean... I get it. You are involved with a bunch of gang members... of course you have to be skeptical of others..." Kasumi states.
"Yeah..."
"I'm not here to spy or use you-" Kasumi pauses and clenches onto her bag and then slightly smiles. "I really want to be friends with you... I want to get to know you- I struggle to make friends... and- you gave me a chance so... I'm sorry... If I am causing you that much anxiety then we should just leave it as that." Kasumi sighs and turns around.
"NO- Kasumi... I'm sorry... please- Let's be friends..." You shout out, reaching towards her shoulder. Kasumi slowly turns back around.
"You're only saying that because you feel sorry..." She responds.
"No. I really mean it. I like making new friends and you seem very interesting... I was just worried... but I trust you-" You softly say. Kasumi's eyes widen and she grips onto her bag tighter.
"Yuki-"
"Tell me about yourself... I want to get to know you more... a friend to a friend..." You say holding out your hand. "Let's start over... on the right note this time..." You softly add. Kasumi squeezes her bag tighter and then loosens her grip completely letting go of the bag. She slowly reaches her hand out towards you and shakes your hand.
"Hi..." You smile. "I'm Yuki-" You bubble. Kasumi's eyes glisten when you say that causing her to relax and tear up a bit.
"I'm Kasumi..." She quietly says looking down at her feet. You tilt your head to the side causing her to look back at you. You smile again at her causing her to slightly smile back.
"Are you going somewhere?" You hesitate to ask.
"... kinda but I can wait until later if I need to..." Kasumi softly responds.
"Where were you going to go?" You ask. Kasumi looks out into the distance a bit before looking back at you.
"The hospital..." Kasumi quietly says.
"Oh... Is someone sick?" You ask. Kasumi nods slowly. You furrow your eyebrows a bit.
After arriving at the hospital, you and Kasumi walk down a hall and you both stop in front of a door that has the number 011 on it. Kasumi opens the door and walks in, you walk in behind her.
"SUMI!" The girl on the bed bubbles loudly.
"Suki..." Kasumi bubbles.
"Who is she?" The girl says pointing towards you.
"My new friend... Yuki."
"Yuki? Hi Yuki... I'm Asuka..." The girl softly says.
"She's my little sister..." Kasumi softly says. Asuka furrows her eyebrows at Kasumi and then smiles at you.
"I'm happy my sister is making friends..." Asuka says.
"Why do you say that?" You ask.
"Yeah... why do you say that?" Kasumi questions. Asuka chuckles and then sighs, tilting her head a bit.
"Ever since we moved to Tokyo... Kasumi has been struggling to make friends..." Asuka replies.
"NO- That's not true..." Kasumi huffs. Asuka sighs and shakes her head. You look at Kasumi whose ears are turning red. "It's just that people are very boring..."
"That's not what you said earlier-" You tease.
"I MEANT AS IN I STRUGGLE TO LIKE PEOPLE" Kasumi sighs loudly.
"Aw... so... what? Am I special or something?" You coo, leaning in towards her a bit. Kasumi slowly looks at you.
"PFT- HAHAHA!" You and Kasumi slowly look at Asuka who's cracking up.
"What's so funny?" Kasumi asks.
"You and Yuki remind me of how you and Shin used to be..." Asuka chuckles.
"Shin?" You ask confused.
"Yeah... Shin-" Kasumi says in a low and quiet voice.
"Who's Shin?" You ask.
"Our older brother..." Asuka bubbles.
"Oh- Wow... You have an older brother... how many siblings do you have?" You ask.
"One." Kasumi replies.
"One?" You question. Kasumi stands up and sighs.
"I will be back Asuka... Me and Yuki will go and buy some strawberry milk for you..." Kasumi says.
"OH! AND CAN YOU GET ME A STICKER TOO!" Asuka shouts. "I want to add to my collection..." She coos.
"Yeah... I will try-" Kasumi says pulling you out the room with her.
After pulling you a bit she stops and turns and faces you. You look at her confused.
"I'm sorry..." Kasumi sighs leaning against the wall.
"Huh?" You look at her puzzled.
"I've been stressing out... A lot lately..." Kasumi says sliding down to the ground.
"What do you mean?"
"About Asuka... Why do you think she's here?" Kasumi says looking at you.
"She's sick..." You reply.
"Yeah..."
"Why did you say you only have one sibling if-"
"My brother passed away two years ago..." Kasumi interrupts.
"Wait... what?" You furrow your eyebrows a bit.
"It's only me and Asuka..." Kasumi adds.
"Only? Where are your parent's...?" You ask.
"Dead..." Kasumi answers.
"..."
"They passed away together... It was after my brothers game... They were driving home afterwards and got into an accident..." Kasumi's eyes filled up with tears. "Asuka and I were with our grandmother at the time..." Kasumi continues. "I remember how my grandmother's face looked horrified when she got the call."
"..."
"My grandmother... was our last family... but she passed away last year. She had a stroke and died a couple days later..." Kasumi sniffles.
"Where do you live now?" You softly ask.
"In a foster home... but they don't give a shit about us..." She says wiping the tears from her eyes.
"You don't have any family?" You ask.
"No... It's just me and Asuka... My mother was an only child and so was my father... My grandparents didn't have siblings either... so I don't have great aunts or uncles..." Kasumi replies.
That's... depressing... so her bloodline is almost gone... You thought to yourself.
"Asuka is your only family then..." You say. Kasumi nods.
"And she's dying..." She adds.
"Dying?" You look at her with a bit of shock and sadness in your face.
"Her organs are shutting down and she struggles to walk or do anything active... Apparently she has always had a weak body, but it wasn't noticeable until after her 10th birthday..." Kasumi quietly replies.
"Is she being treated?" You ask.
"Not really... they are only keeping her alive... that's how I see it... but if one of her major organs fail... they won't help her... Treatment costs a lot... we can't afford it..." Kasumi bewailed. She pulls her legs closer towards her chest. "I would do anything... anything to get the money for her treatment..." Kasumi adds before shoving her face into her knees and sobbing. You slowly approach her and sit down next to her silently.
After a few minutes you place your hand on her arm causing her to look up at you.
"How much does it cost?" You ask.
"What?" She looks at you confused.
"The treatment... how much does it cost?" You ask again.
"..." Kasumi looks forward and then down. "1 million yen..." She sniffles.
"A million... yen." You say in a worried tone. "That's a lot..." You softly say.
"I know..." She replies. You look at her, she has a sad look on her face. You look down at your scratched up hands. Your eyes widen when you think of something.
"Let's earn that money..." You say.
"Huh?" Kasumi looks at you confused again.
"A million yen is a lot... but we can earn it..." You add.
"We won't be able to earn that much money in a small period of time..." Kasumi replies.
"My grandmother has been talking about wanting to go on vacation with my grandfather... she always brings up me working in the bakery while she is on vacation... Maybe... we can work in the bakery and earn that money for you... and then we can use everything we earn for your sister..." You continue.
"... I doubt it will be enough..." She sighs looking away.
"But at least its something..." You respond. "Come on... please?" You plead leaning in towards her. Kasumi looks up at you again.
"Why are you trying to help... we just met... You're willing to give that kind of money to a stranger?" Kasumi asks.
"I don't want to see anything happen to your sister..." You reply. Kasumi's eyes soften. "I'm willing to help you get that much money... if it means saving your sister..." You add.
Kasumi looks back down at the ground.
"I lost someone too..." You say. "I know how much it hurts to lose someone..." You continue. "I wouldn't want anyone going through that pain... Your sister deserves to live... and you deserve to have a sister... so what ever it takes... I'm willing to help you." You comfort. Kasumi's eyes glisten and get glossy. She looks down at the ground again and tears streak down her face.
"You... are... very kind Yuki..." She quietly says.
"I just care that's all..." You say standing up. "So... let me help you Kasumi..." You say holding your hand out. Kasumi's lip quivers and then she smiles and nods as she grabs onto your hand. You pull her up and she hugs you.
"Thank you Yuki..." She softly says. You smile and hug her back.
The two of you make way to the vending machine. Kasumi buys a strawberry milk and a sticker from a small machine next to it.
"She likes any kind of stickers or just those?" You ask watching Kasumi grab the sticker that fell out the slot.
"She likes all kinds of stickers..." Kasumi replies. You smile and look at the machine. Kasumi looks back up at you and smiles. You look out the window from the distance, noticing that it was pitch black outside.
"SHIT... It's getting dark... there was something I had to do... I will see you later." You say waving at Kasumi and walking away. Kasumi watches you walk off.
Kasumi slowly walks back to the room, slowly closing the door behind her as she walks in.
"Hi... Kasumi~" A voice says. Kasumi slowly turns towards the voice. Hanma is sitting down on the chair in the corner of the room and Kisaki is sitting beside Asuka's bed.
"What are you doing here?" Kasumi asks.
"You aren't snitching... are you?" Hanma asks, cheesing at Kasumi.
"No..." Kasumi replies placing the strawberry milk down on the bedside table.
"Where's Asuka?" Kasumi asks.
"A nurse came and got her... said she needed to get some testing done since one of the exams failed." Kisaki replies.
"..."
"Did you get any more information on Yuki?" Kisaki asks.
"Why are you here...?" Kasumi asks.
"I had free time so I came here to see how Asuka was doing..." Kisaki replies. Kasumi stares down at the ground.
"Kasumi~ Didn't Kisaki ask you a question?" Hanma sooths. Kasumi looks up at Hanma and then at Kisaki. She then thinks about what Yuki said and her offer. Can she really help me? Kasumi thought to herself. Yuki's smile and soft hug flashes through Kasumi's mind. Then her parent's and brother's funeral flashes through her mind. She clenches her fists and sighs.
"What bullshit..." Kasumi whispers to herself.
"What?" Hanma says standing up and leaning towards Kasumi.
"Yeah... I have more information... It's in that bag beside Asuka's bed... " Kasumi says pointing towards the bag. Hanma grabs the bag and tosses it to Kisaki. Kisaki opens the bag and pulls out the folded piece of paper Kasumi ripped out the book. Kisaki drops the bag to the ground and unfolds the paper, slowly reading it. A smile grows across his face before looking up at Kasumi.
You walk down the sidewalk towards the bakery. Your hands sting way more than it did before. You turn the corner and stop, jumping back a bit when you see the person standing outside the bakery. The person slowly turns their head. The sound of a bell jingles as they turn their head.
"Kazutora?" You say in a confused tone.
"Yuki~"