Sumiyuri has a conversation with her older brother and sister
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[Have you all ever wondered what happened when Sumiyuri was brought over to Happy Mornings! Café for the first time?]
Sumiyuri P.O.V.
"U-uhm… Sajin-san?" I called his name while tugging at his sleeve.
"What is it?" He turned his attention to me as we were walking.
It was dark out and I had been walking with Sajin through the city. He told me that there was a place that I could live by where I'd feel safe but I wasn't entirely sure if I should trust him. He did have a mean look on his face and his voice sounded like he didn't care much about anything.
He was cold. Too cold. And I was not referring to the weather.
"The girl with white hair," I said whilst looking around, "where is she?"
Ever since we left my old house I haven't seen her. She came a left, both in sudden moments.
"Her name is Sue," he said while looking ahead. "She went back to finishing her job."
"Her job?"
"Don't worry, it's not important."
"Uh… oh," was all I could muster as a reply. I didn't find the conversation all that boring and I wanted to continue the conversation a bit longer. Maybe I can learn a bit more about Sajin.
"She's really pretty, isn't she?" I was the one who thoughtlessly posed the question.
"Be careful, if you call her that then she'll call you a pervert," he replied and then laughed.
"Eh?" I was shocked by his reply. He was laughing so I assumed he was joking.
"But seriously speaking," he said after calming down. "Sue is generally misunderstood by people so the only thing they can say about her is how pretty she looks. A white lily."
"Then don't you think she's pretty?"
"You're misinterpreting what I'm saying, of course I think she's pretty."
"Then what are you saying? I don't understand," I said and emphasized it by scratching my hair. Does he not know that I'm an 11 year old child.
"I'm saying that I know she's pretty but that's not what I think of her," he said after pausing for a while.
"Then what do you think of her?" I asked.
"That's easy."
"… what is it?"
"I think of her as an idiot."
*
"What an adorable little girl!"
The woman who was standing in front me had her eyes sparkling as she checked to see if I was alright. Her hair was tied into a pony tail and she wore a tracksuit. She had introduced herself to me as Karin Yamamoto, Sajin's older sister.
"Th-thanks…," I found myself stuttering in front of the cute woman. Her compliment had made me bashful and caused me to grip the helms of my dress in an awkward manner. I can't remember the last time I had been this nervous.
"Hey," Sajin said as he grabbed Karin's shoulder. "Don't scare the kid."
"I know, I know," she said as her deflated like balloons. Her demeanour also started to change as she took the situation more seriously.
We were in a café called "Happy Mornings!" I think. I was seated in one of the chairs. Next to me was Karin and standing next to her was Sajin. He had his hands in his pockets as jumped into the conversation now and again.
He knew where he wanted this to go but he did not want to take an active role in the discussion. I found him to be more like a mediator of sorts.
"Let's get back to the discussion," Karin said then turned to me with a sympathetic smile. "Sajin says there's something you have to tell me first."
This time my heart was beating loudly. It was so loud that it felt like my eardrums were going to burst. What this feeling? My hands are going numb. My legs won't stop shaking and everything around me felt like it was spinning.
The world was falling.
It felt like it was about to crash on me.
I feel really -
Bam!
"Ow!" I inadvertently yell. Something had hit me on the head.
When I turned to look, I saw that it was Sajin who hit me on the head.
"Relax, idiot. We're not going to hurt you. We need to know what you've done so that we need to know what to protect you against. You're gonna have to trust us."
"Mm. Karin wants to have a little sister too, but how can I when she keeps secrets."
I agreed with the both of them. If I was going to live here then I at least need to learn to trust. Sajin had already shown more than once that he was genuinely worried about me, I could not just take that for granted.
Huh? I had also realized that I was not nervous anymore. I was calm and able to make rational decisions.
It looks like the hit to the head that I had received worked after all.
"It started a little over a month ago…"
I began recounting everything that has lead me up to this point. The death if my parents, the planned killings that I had done. The relationship I had with Fear. I revealed all of my worst secrets.
And I did not regret any of them. Given the situation and how I still feel, I would do it again.
Karin and Sajin had listened and the both of them nodded when I was done.
"Well, welcome to the family," Sajin said with a sigh. "That means you're my little sis now," he shrugged it off along with what I had said as if it had been nothing.
"Call me Onee-san!" Karin squealed and then gave me a hug.
No, they are supposed to be resenting me for my actions now. I was about to protest when Karin whispered something in my ear.
"The sins we have committed and are willing to commit are far worse than this so rest easy. We'll protect you."
Now it all made sense to me. Why Sajin thought nothing of what I did to him. Why Karin still acted the same and completely indifferent to my actions.
I am a monster.
But these two are far scarier and willing to thrash apart everything then I ever will be. They were things you should be afraid of when it's dark.
And now they were my family.
A place I can actually belong to.
"Huh?" I hadn't realized it, but I was crying. It really came as a surprise to me.
"So," Sajin asked, even though he knew the answer. "What do you say?"
"I accept," I said with no hesitation.
"Then," Karin said with a devious smile. "Let's first get your measurements."
What was she planning?
•••
A month later…
"Sumiyuri!" Sajin called.
Almost tripping after herself, a young girl in a maid outfit was rushing towards their table.
Her skin had become tanned and her hair was tied into a ponytail. Her bangs were straightened out instead of it still being slanted. Her big round eyes were calm shade of blue instead of the glowing yellow.
This was Sumiyuri Dakota-Yamamoto. She had also changed over time. She looked much more like a happier person now.
"Nii-chan! Can I get you anything?" She asked in an excited manner. Her hands were eagerly ready as if she had been born for this moment.
"I want another bowl of ramen and Sue wants a refill on coffee," he replied as he downed the last soup in his bowl. Being able to eat even in the presence of those things made Sajin happy. He could almost cry tears of joy.
"Okay!" She said then sped off to the kitchen.
Sumiyuri was happy over what she had overcome in this short period of time. She believed that it was thanks to her great older brother and sister, Sajin and Karin.
I'll forever be grateful, she thought and smiled to herself.