I knocked softly, my heart racing. This was supposed to be the moment I finally found the answers to help Shu. I had been waiting for her grandmother to open the door, but instead—
It was Shu.
Her wide eyes froze on me, disbelief plain on her face. "White? What are you doing here? And… how do you know my grandma?"
I was not expecting this. Of all the possibilities, meeting Shu here was the worst. If she stayed, it would be impossible to ask her grandmother about the truth I sought. I needed an excuse—and fast.
"Ah… well…" My mind raced, and the first name that came to rescue me slipped out.
"Yes, I came to visit a friend. She lives here—her name is Saki."
Thank goodness for Saki. It might just work.
"Saki?" Shu tilted her head, suspicious.
"Hmm… the name sounds familiar, but… why are you here?"
I swallowed. "She was showing me her middle school pictures, and I saw you in one. I asked her about you and she mentioned you used to live around here with your family. So… I thought maybe I'd visit."
Her sharp eyes searched mine, doubt flickering. My heart pounded. Please, just accept it.
She opened her mouth to press further, when a voice came from behind.
"What is it, Shu? Is someone there?"
An elderly woman appeared—a small figure, frail but warm, her questioning gaze fixed on me.
"You are…?" she asked.
I bowed slightly. "Ah, my apologies. I'm White, Shu's friend. I came to visit you, if you don't mind."
Her expression shifted—confusion melting into trembling joy. Tears welled up as she placed both hands on my shoulders.
"Shu… has a friend?" she whispered, before breaking into soft sobs. "You don't know how long I prayed for this… When she studied here, I always asked why she didn't go out with friends, and she always told me it was a waste of time. But now… now look at her. She's grown."
I blinked, realizing her tears weren't just sorrow—they carried relief. Shu flushed crimson beside her, muttering complaints, clearly mortified by her grandmother's teasing.
"Come in, White," her grandmother said brightly. "There's so much I want to know about you both."
Before I could reply, she had already pulled me inside. Shu stomped after us, hissing for her not to embarrass her further.
Inside the cozy living room, her grandmother served tea and snacks, asking me cheerful questions about school, friends, daily life. I mentioned Zen, Luna, Aris, and the old woman nodded, her eyes lighting up even as Shu groaned quietly. Beneath her teasing, though, I sensed relief from her grandmother voice —relief that Shu wasn't as alone as she once feared.
But then—
"So, when?" the grandmother suddenly asked.
I blinked. "…When what?"
Her smile widened. "Marriage."
The tea I had just sipped sprayed from my mouth, and I coughed violently. Shu nearly exploded.
"Grandma!" she shouted, nearly toppling her cup in panic.
I couldn't hold back a nervous laugh—even though Shu's glare was sharp enough to kill.
For the first time, I saw a different Shu: embarrassed, flustered, human. A far cry from the guarded, cold mask she usually wore.
And yet… I couldn't forget Luna's words.
Shu might smile now, but deep inside, she was still breaking. She was still faking it.
I needed to speak to her grandmother alone.
Here was my chance
I pressed a hand to my chest and pretended to cough harder, feigning dizziness. The grandmother immediately frowned
"Oh dear… Shu, could you fetch his medicine? Ah, no—we don't have any pills left. The store isn't far—go, quickly."
"Eh—?!" Shu's panic was real, but she didn't hesitate. She dashed out, leaving me and her grandmother alone.
The moment the door closed, her grandmother turned to fetch soup, but I stopped her.
"Please… before Shu comes back, there's something I must ask you."
She froze, then slowly lowered herself beside me, eyes suddenly serious. "What is it, White?"
I hesitated—but her gaze told me she already knew.
"It feels like everything Shu shows—her smiles, her words, even her strength—it's all fake. Forced. Like she's carrying something unbearable. I… I want to know why."
For a moment, silence hung heavy. Then she sighed, a sadness years deep spilling into her expression.
"You see it too…" Her hands trembled in her lap. "Yes. Shu wears a mask. But that mask was carved into her the day tragedy entered her life."
Her voice broke, but she pushed on.
"It began when her mother died from an illness. Shu was so young—too young to understand why her world fell apart. Few years later, her father married again. At first, I believed things might heal… but her stepmother never accepted Shu. She saw her as a burden, something to endure, not love."
Her eyes darkened, bitter with memory
"Shu's father began drinking. And when the fights started… the nights turned violent. He would strike his wife, and when Shu tried to protect her… he struck her too."
I clenched my fists, nausea rising.
Her grandmother's voice wavered. "I begged Shu to live with me, away from that nightmare. But she refused. She stood there, with bruises on her arms, and told me
—'If I leave now, she'll break. She'll be all alone again.'
And then she said something that haunts me even now: that there was someone else she needed to protect."
I leaned forward, breath caught. "Someone else?"
Her grandmother's eyes softened with a sorrowful truth.
"Yes. Miku. Her little sister. She's nine now… Shu's stepmother's child. The poor girl is sick, an illness slowly consuming her. It is for her that her mother endures the pain. It is for her that Shu never complains, never escapes. Shu made herself a shield so they could bear it, even if it crushed her instead."
The revelation slammed into me. A sister… of course. Everything Shu did—her perfection, her isolation, her silence—it was all for Miku. For someone else's sake, she condemned herself.
Her grandmother's eyes glistened. "To see your granddaughter smile while knowing it's false… it is a pain no one deserves. But even so, I am proud of her… proud, and terrified of losing her."
I nodded slowly, the weight of her truth burning inside me. That was it. That was the key. If Shu ever broke—if Miku's life became the trigger—she would choose to destroy herself.
Now I knew. Now I had to stop her.
"Thank you," I whispered, rising to my feet. "I understand now. Please, tell Shu I had to leave suddenly. I'll come again." With that, I turned and walked out, my chest heavy with resolve.
Moments later, Shu returned, clutching the medicine.
"Grandma? Where's White? I got the pills…"
Her grandmother smiled faintly, hiding the storm behind her calm eyes.
"He left already, dear. But he is… an interesting one."
Shu blinked, staring at the door he had gone through. "…What"