"This is the tenth orphanage Mr. Mikaela Shindo is visiting." A reporter said on television. "He plans on visiting lots more to get to meet more orphans and..."
"Wow." A group of young girls gathered inside a room watching television. "He's so handsome."
"He's too old for you Hikari." Another girl said.
"I wish he'd come to our orphanage." Another girl said.
"Do you want the girls here to faint?" A girl asked. "Especially Miss Honoka, you know she's a Mr. Shindo fangirl, she'll faint at the sight of him."
"What do you think?" A girl turned to another girl in bed with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "Do you want him to come here Yumi?"
Yumi turned to the girl and smiled. "Sure, if we all can handle his hotness." She giggled.
✨
"Alright girls, time for lunch..."
The cafeteria was crowded with lots of girls who ate, each one talking with each other. "Did you hear? Maika got adopted last night."
"Really? Good for her."
"I wish I'd get adopted." A girl said. "The girls here are starting to piss me off a lot."
"I don't know." Another girl said. "I'm already kind if used to us being together, we're our own family and I don't want to lose you guys."
"Still, it would be nice having a father and a mother." A girl said. "And some brothers and sisters."
"What about you Yumi?" A girl asked. "Do you want to get adopted?"
"No." Yumi said. "I don't want to, I still have a family."
"Oh no not this again Yumi."
"What's she talking about?"
"Well, Yumi says that she didn't lose all her family members in that car crash." A girl said. "Apparently, an estranged family member was not with them on that tragic day."
"I see." A girl said. "Well do you know who this family member is?" Yumi was silent. "Yumi, I'm talking to you." Yumi still ignored her, the girl took a napkin and threw at Miyu. "Yumi Shindo, answer me."
"It doesn't matter." Yumi said. "Because he hates me."
✨
"This work is tiring." Mikaela said. "Going to different orphanages to do charity, I'm beat."
"Why exactly are you taking this too far sir?" Tomoe asked. "I'm glad you're doing this, really I am but you don't have to go, you can just send people there for you."
"It's all Yuu's fault." Mikaela said. "We were watching TV and then this show off suddenly pops up saying how he's been moving around helping different orphanages, Yuu was so dazzled by him, the guy swept him off his feet. I was so mad, I couldn't let him beat me."
"So, you're only doing this because of jealousy?" Tomoe frowned, what a petty man he was.
"So, what orphanage is next?" He asked.
"Well..um." Tomoe looked at the clip board in her hand. "St' Madeline Orphanage, it's a girls orphanage."
"A girls orphanage?" He sighed. "You've got to be kidding me."
✨
Yumi sat in bed reading a book, she was reading but her mind wasn't concentrated on it. Her mind was thinking about her family, she had lost them years ago in a car crash and that wasn't the only thing she had lost.
"Yumi." A young woman walked in rolling in a wheel chair. "It's all fixed."
"Ah thanks Miss Honoka." Yumi smiled.
"So?" Honoka sat beside her. "How do you feel today? I hope you're not in any pain?"
"No." Yumi shook her head. "I'm fine." She closed her book and dropped it as Honoka helped her to her wheel chair. "So, can I go into town? I want to get a few things."
Honoka sighed. "Oh Yumi, you know I can't say no but then again you know I can't let you go by yourself, I was going to spend today watching hot boys...er..never mind."
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
They could hear screaming girls, suddenly a girl ran into the room. "Yumi, Miss Honoka."
"Junko what's the matter?" Yumi asked.
"It's Mr. Shindo." Junko screamed. "Mr. Shindo's here. Aaaaaaaaaah!" She screamed and ram away.
"Mr. Sh-sh-sh- ohhhh!" Honoka fainted.
"Seriously?" Yumi sighed.
✨
As much as Mikaela was happy visiting the orphanage, he was not too pleased with all the lustful eyes glaring at him. All from the orphaned girls and some of the care takers, he was the only man in the room, that's for sure. "Um..hello girls." He greeted.
"Hello Mr. Shindo." They chorused.
Mikaela was stuck, he really didn't know what to say yet. He leaned a bit towards Tomoe. "Help me out here." He said.
"Men." Tomoe rolled her eyes. "Girls." She turned to the girls. "Mr. Shindo is a very nervous guy especially around girls, but just so you know he wants me to tell you all that you're very beautiful young girls and will grow into accomplished women."
They all giggled, typical girls.
"So." Tomoe continued. "Mr. Shindo will be spending an hour here, after that we all take pictures and then one lucky girl gets to take a picture alone with him." All the girls screamed, they were really loud, Tomoe could feel her ears ring. "Anyway, what lucky girl do you think I should pick?"
"Pick me, pick me, pick me."
✨
The hour passed by with Mikaela just reading to the girls, he was not pleased at all, having to read a growing up for girls book. He felt so embarrassed saying some of the words. He wished it was over already.
Tomoe, herself, was having troubles in her own, she had to choose one girl to take a private pic with Mikaela. She was doing this with other orphanages too, but she usually went with young kids, she looked for a young girl to pick, searching through the crowd.
"Ouch."
She felt her leg step on something, judging by the sound, it was someone. She quickly turned around. "Oh I'm sorry." She apologized.
"It's ok." Tomoe gasped at the sight of the girl in a wheel chair. "You probably couldn't see me from there." Yumi smiled.
Tomoe couldn't believe her eyes, she turned to Mikaela then back to Yumi. It was like she was seeing double, except Yumi had longer hair, was smaller and was a girl.
"Um...why are you staring at me like that?" Yumi asked.
"I'm sorry." She said. "It's just you.." She thought for a moment, she was really amazed at the young girls resemblance to Mikaela. She didn't need anyone to tell her that she was going to be the lucky girl. "Sweety what's your name?"
"My name?" Yumi asked and Tomoe nodded. "I'm Yumi."
"Yumi." She said. "What a pretty name." She looked at her watch, time was up. "Ok Mr. Shindo, times up."
Mikaela was relieved, it was finally over, but the weird glances the girls gave him still made him uncomfortable. "Um..Tomoe, can we get this picture stuff done already?"
"Sure." Tomoe said as she moved behind Yumi and began wheeling her over.
"H-hey where are you taking me?" Yumi asked.
"Here she is." Tomoe smiled. "The girl you'll be taking a picture with."
"WHAT?" Yumi screamed. The place became rowdy with girls congratulating Yumi. "No, no I couldn't."
"Oh don't be shy Yumi." Tomoe said as she took her closer to Mikaela.
"Hello." Mikaela smiled.
"Um..h-hello Mr. Shindo." Yumi said nervously.
"Mr. Shindo." Tomoe giggled. "She looks just like you."
"She does?" Mikaela asked as he looked at the small girl, he really couldn't tell but still. He smiled at her. "Mind telling me your name sweety?" He asked.
"My name." She said. "My name is Yumi....Yumi Shindo." She felt rather shy saying that last part, not only was she bearing a resemblance to him buy she was also bearing his last name.
"She could pass for your daughter." Tomoe laughed.
"Don't make her feel nervous." Mikaela said. "Ok Yumi, we'll take a picture together ok?"
Yumi nodded. "Yes..M-Mr. Shindo."
✨
A picture, just an innocent picture with a little girl. Mikaela didn't know it would turn to this, he didn't ask for this. Now that picture was everywhere, it at viral, apparently he and Yumi looked so much alike that people wondered if she as his daughter or his younger sister. The media was getting too hung up on the story, they wanted to dig deep and get the truth.
Mikaela didn't know what everyone was talking about, all he did was to take a photo with a young orphan girl, how could it suddenly turn into this? He didn't understand why?
"The resemblance is so uncanny." Miyu said while looking at a magazine. "The lost Shindo huh? Do you guys really think dad has an estranged daughter?"
"That can't be." Sayuri said. "Your father is still a virgin, he hasn't done it with any woman." She looked at the picture of Mikaela and Yumi. "But still, this is very strange, finding a girl who looks just like you and bears the same name as you."
"He might be her little sister." Shingu said.
"But grandma and grandpa only dad for a son." Michiro said.
"You didn't know?" Shingu asked. "Big brother Mikaela is an adopted son."
"Seriously?" Miyu asked. "Then, maybe he does have a younger sister."
"That can't be either." Sayuri said. "Mikaela was an only child."
"So daddy was an orphan?" Michiro asked. "He never really told us that."
"Mikaela is very secretive about his childhood." Sayuri said. "All I know is that he was taken in by Uncle Ferid and Aunty Krul when he was a young boy."
"Hey, why don't be ask him to tell us." Miyu said. "We're his kids, I'm sure he'll open up to us."
"Not in your wildest dreams." Shingu said. "There's only one person that he'll open up to in this whole wide world."
✨
"MIKAELA!" Yuu yelled. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? DO YOU HAVE AN ESTRANGED DAUGHTER?"
"Not you too." Mikaela sighed.
Yuu couldn't help it, it was everywhere, people talking about it, giving theories that Yumi might be an abandoned daughter of his. At first Yuu thought it was all coincidence, but hearing more people talk only increased his curiosity. "I'm sorry Mika but this is just too strange." Yuu picked up the magazine. "Look at these, she looks like your daughter."
"She's ten." Mikaela said. "That would mean I had her when I was fifteen, Yuu I haven't had sex with anyone before."
"Then how?" Yuu asked.
"Beats me." Mikaela said. "This is all just some coincidence. I just hope the poor girl isn't getting troubles from the media, maybe I shouldn't have taken the picture with her."
✨
Ever since that picture, the girl's orphanage had been a mess both in and out. Lots of girls went crazy about Yumi and Mikaela's resemblance and same last name and not only that, the place was crowded with reporters and cameramen who wanted to question Yumi.
"Yumi, you're so lucky." Junko said. "I wish I was the one getting all this fame."
"Junko this isn't luck." Yumi said. "I don't like this, it's tiring, I can't even go out without someone coming to ask me questions."
"Why don't you just answer them?" Junko asked. "Hey, you did say you still had a family member, what if it's Mr. Shindo? Wouldn't that be so cool?" Yumi frowned and looked the other way. "You are so strange you know that, other girls will be taking advantage of this moment."
"Well I'm not like other girls." Yumi said.
"Yumi." A girl called as she walked in. "Another family wants to try to adopt you."
"I'm not interested." Yumi said.
"Seriously?" The girl asked. "That's the sixth family you've turned down, you are so strange." The girl closed the door and left.
"I can't believe a man and a woman would actually do this." Yumi said. It was really unbelievable, ever since her picture with Mikaela, six families have come to adopt her bit she turned down each one. It was really sad that people just wanted her in their home for publicity, in that kind of family she knew she could never be loved as a real daughter. She'd just be a tool to them.
"Hey, you wanna head into town?" Junko asked, trying to cheer her friend up. "Miss Momomiya has chased away the media."
"Sure." Yumi nodded.
✨
Yumi and Junko would go to their favorite hangout, in fact it was the favorite hangout for all the girls in the orphanage. It was a diner owned by someone who occasionally visited the orphanage bringing food for them.
"Hello Yumi, Junko." The wan by the counter greeted. "How are you this morning."
"I'm good." Junko smiled as she turned to Yumi. "Yumi? Not so great."
"Such a sad face." The woman said. "Isn't a famous person supposed to be smiling?"
"I'm not famous." Yumi said. "People are just way in over their heads, I look like him and we have the same surname, it could be a coincidence."
"Or fate." The woman giggled. "Now why don't you two go find yourself a seat? I'll be with you in a moment ok."
Both girls moved in, searching for am empty table.
"Hey isn't that?"
"Is that girl from the photo with Mr. Shindo."
"What a pain." Yumi said as she listened to the crowd of whispering people. They approached an empty table and Junko wheeled Yumi closer while she took her seat.
"So, what will you be eating?" Junko asked as she looked through the menu.
"Anything." Yumi said. "And lots of it."
"Stop being so gloomy." Junko said. "Hey, why don't you tell me a little about your family? If it's ok with you that is?"
"My family?" She asked.
"I came into the orphanage when I was a baby." Junko said. "I wish I knew a thing or two about my mum and dad, why don't you tell me about yours? I bet they were sweet and kind people."
"My parents." Yumi said. "My dad was an abusive alcoholic who threw my older brother out of a moving vehicle to get rid of him, my mum was to weak to do anything about it."
Junko began to laugh. "Yumi, I know you're so gloomy but you don't have to make up such a sad story."
"It's not made up." She said. "Why would I make it up?"
"Seriously?" Junko asked. "You're being serious?"
"Maybe that's why I'm scared of being adopted." She said. "I never got to meet my older brother, by the time I was given birth to, he was long gone, my mum would tell me about him, she felt bad about herself that she could never save him."
"Yumi, I'm so sorry." Junko said. "So if I may ask? Why exactly does your brother hate you? You said he hates you right?"
"How should I know?" Yumi asked.
"How should you know?" Junko asked. "Then how do you know he hates you?"
"My mum once tried to apologize." Yumi said. "She went to his new home with me, not surprisingly, he chased us away, didn't want anything to do with us, I was four at that time. A few months later, we were going for a drive and my dad forced his way to the driver's seat, even in his drunken state. He's the one responsible for his own death, he killed himself, killed my mum and took my legs."
"Yumi." Junko felt really bad for her, it really was a tragic story, she wished then that she didn't ask. "Do you know who this brother of yours is?"
"I don't want to talk about him." Yumi said.
"So you do know him." Junko said.
"I said I don't want to talk about it Junko, just drop it ok?" Yumi said.
"No." Junko said. "I'm your best friend and as your best friend, I must make you happy and I'm going to reunite you with your big brother, so why don't you just give me a little clue to who he is."
"No." Yumi said.
"You're so stubborn." Junko yelled. "Yumi, tell me already, I wanna play fix my life here." She giggled.
"He's estranged to me." Yumi said. "He barely knows me, no doubt he hates me." She sighed. "It'll be tough, besides I'm very happy being in the orphanage with all of you girls."
"This isn't about the orphanage." Junko said. "This is about you Yumi and I know that the girls will also want you to find your brother and be happy with him."
"I'll be happier with you guys." Yumi said. "Now where is this woman? I'm ready to order."
"I won't just seat here and let you suffer." Junko said. "If you won't tell me who he is, at least describe him for me, please Yumi let me help you."
Yumi saw the concerned look her friend had for her, she was really touched but she didn't know if she actually wanted reunion with her estranged older brother. "Ok, I'll give you hint. He's handsome."
"What kind of a stupid hint is that?" Junko asked. "I need more Yumi, like hair color, eye color, any birthmark, stuff like that."
"He's an older version of me but a man." She said.
"And?" Junko asked.
"He's rich and famous." Yumi said.
"And? Go on go on." Junko said.
"You still don't know who it is?" Yumi asked.
"No." Junko said. "But I'm sure I'll find him."
"Damn, you are am idiot." Yumi said.
"Huh? What did I do?" Junko asked.
✨
"I'm bored." Yuu cried out as Yoichi used a book and smacked his head.
"Shut up." He said. "You know we have to start reading, finals are coming up, not only that, we have to start taking entrance exams to universities very soon. "So shut up and read."
Yuu groaned in annoyance. "What a pain."
"So what colleges are you two planning on entering?" Tomoe asked.
"Tokyo University." Yuu chorused.
"Really?" Tomoe asked. "Wow, I actually thought you two would pick something far away from home."
"Far away?" Yuu asked. "I don't want to be far away from my Mika."
"And I don't want to be far away from my Shi- you." Yoichi quickly saved his ass from revealing to Tomoe about he and Shiho. "You know I can't be away from you big sister."
"Aww Yoichi, how sweet." Tomoe smiled. "But you guys shouldn't let things like that hold you back, you have to reach for the clouds and don't let anyone stop you."
"Sorry but I'd rather stay in the pits of hell as long as I'm with Mika the an reach for the clouds and be alone." Yuu said.
"The power of love." Sayuri said as she shrugged. "I completely understand, my dad wanted me to marry this prince from a foreign country but I said no because I have my Tomoe-Chan."
"You turned down a prince?" Tomoe yelled. "Are you stupid? Is he still available?"
"He is." Sayuri said. "But you aren't, you're with me ok." She smiled.
"Lucky me." Tomoe said sarcastically.
"HIIII!" Krul barged open the door. "I'm back from my photo shoot in the Bahamas, so what's the latest gossip?" She sat down I and crossed her leg.
"Breaking news." Sayuri said. "There's a possibility that Mikaela could have an estranged daughter."
"Who my baby boy?" Krul laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, the man is shamelessly still a virgin."
"He is?" Yoichi asked as he turned to Yuu. "Didn't your eighteenth birthday pass a while ago?"
"They chickened out." Krul said.
"YOU WHAT?" Yoichi grabbed Yuu. "You told me you were finally a man."
"I lied." Yuu said.
"IT'S NOT FAIR YUU-KUN." Yoichi yelled. "WE WERE SUPPOSE TO BE IN THIS LOSING VIRGINITY STUFF TOGE-" He trailed off when he remembered that Tomoe was there. "I mean." He let Yuu go. "I'm happy for you?"
"That was wierd." Krul said. "So, what's this about an estranged daughter?"
"It's everywhere." Sayuri said. "Mikaela found a girl who looked just like him in an orphanage and took a photo of her, there are rumors of she being a daughter."
"Well that can't be." Krul said as she stood up. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence, don't worry, it'll die down soon enough."
"But Krul, aren't you anxious?" Sayuri asked. "A ten year old girl pops out from no where bearing a resemblance to Mikaela and she even bears the same surname as him."
"Really?" Krul asked. "What's her name?"
"Yumi." Sayuri said. "Yumi Shindo."
The bags in Krul's hands dropped as she stared at Sayuri in shock. "I'm sorry but did you just say Yumi Shindo?"
"Yeah." Sayuri walked over to the table and took one of the magazines, showing the picture to Krul. "Yumi Shindo, age 10 from St' Madeline's orphanage."
Krul was surprised, the girl really did look like Mikaela, but that was not the shocking part. "Yumi? But how? She was in that crash."
"Crash?" Yuu asked. "Mrs. Krul do you know Yumi?"
Krul was quiet as she looked at everyone. "Well." She smiled. "Don't tell Mikaela this but this girl could actually be his younger sister."