The alarm buzzed harshly in the silent room. But there was no one to wake up. The person was already awake.
Mei Hayasaka. She woke up before her alarm, and was already at the dining table.
The table was in the kitchen, and so was Mei. The smell of curry filled the kitchen with a familiar sense of joy. However, there was none to be seen on her face.
She gently took out the pressure cooker off the stove and put it on the table before eyeing at the bedroom door.
"Seriously? Is she still asleep?" She sighed, approaching the room and knocking twice.
"Haru!! Wake up!" She yelled, knocking once again.
There was no answer.
She exhaled sharply before gently opening the door and entering the room.
Unlike her clean and neat room, this one was a mess. Cloths hanging out on chairs, books placed carelessly on the desk, bed sheets almost falling, while the pillow was literally not present.
"Goodness! Get up and clean your room. Why would you even want a seperate room if you can't clean it." She grabbed the hanging cloths before walking towards the bed.
She shook the person inside the blanket harshly, but the creature inside was unnecessarily stubborn.
She stopped, giving up on physical attacks.
"Wake up! You are going to be late for school!"
"Bluhhh... Let me sleep..." The voice of a little girl called out from the blankets, her tone immensely sleepy and tired.
"It's almost 8. If you miss school, I will revoke your controllers."
The blanket flew away like a storm and a figure stood straight up on the bed.
A small little girl, around 11 or 12 years old, stared directly at Mei with a furious look in her hazel coloured eyes. Her once-silky black hair became springy, sticking out in many strange directions.
"Touch my valuables and I will eradicate your existance" She folded her arms, still directing her intense killing intent.
Mei was taken aback by the sudden declaration. A tiny laugh left out her mouth before she scolded her again.
"Well. If you don't want it, Wake up."
"Tch!" Haru clicked her tongue before getting off the bed, which she almost fell out of, then immediately left the room.
"Look at this brat's attitude." She gritted her teeth while frowning.
---
Now, both sat at the table. Haru's gluttony couldn't hold her back as she devoured her favourite food. Mei faintly laugh at her, making jokes about her full mouth.
After a moment, they finished eating. As Mei was picking up the dishes to put them on the sink. Haru laid her head on the table, looking at her side with a sad look.
"Hey sis..." She murmured in a low, soft voice.
Mei turned.
"What is it?"
"When will mama come back?"
Mei paused. Her heart sank at the question. She tried to act strong and replied nonchalantly. "Soon. Papa said that the doctors assured him about her health. She might wake up."
She smiled at the last words, as if her own self was drowning in that fake hope. The hope that she would come back, healthy and loving. Like how she used to be before that accident.
"Liar.. you are a liar. All of you!" She slammed the desk hard, tears forming, "You lie all the time. Telling me as if she will come back again! Mama is a liar too. She cannot keep her promise. She said that she would get healthy. SHE PROMISED ME!! I hate you!!" She bolted out of the kitchen into her room, locking it from the inside.
But it was unnecessary. Mei didn't move an inch from her place. What Haru said wasn't some toddler crying over spilled milk. It was a harsh and rough blast of bottled up truth. Mei knew it more than her. She knew it all too well.
After all, the first one to hate her mother was herself.
---
Some time had passed after that outburst. Mei had already prepared Haru's dress for her school before leaving the house.
She closed the door as she saw two choices before her. She looked left, a way to reach school within 600 steps.
She looked ahead, another way to reach school within 1260 steps.
A normal person would choose the first option. Walking that much is a pain for most. Yet, that was the opposite for this girl.
She walked ahead, grabbing her bag with both her hands.
"1,2,3,4..." She counted as she began walking.
It was not a habit but rather a force of action she would do to escape herself from thinking. Thinking about anything that would make it worse than it already was.
She walked slowly and silently. Her steps echoed a feeling of anticipation each time a breeze flew her ponytail.
It was then she was a figure coming out of the right turn. A boy, tall, built and carefree. The boy was chewing something, probably gum. No— it was certain. She knew that it was gum. She knew who that boy was.
Riku Arai. Her Ex-boyfreind. He was someone who was once important— very important in her life. But now, it was as if they were enemies.
Maybe that was okay for her anyways. Yeah.. it was enough.
Someone she could be herself towards, someone she would not need to care about her emotions.
Someone. Special.