Chapter Text
Shio liked the ambiance inside the arts classroom, all these colorful artworks hung all over the walls, even her own sat here and there.
Showing her drawing to the teacher, he had a mixed face, was it surprise, or disappointment?
“Mmmh… it’s not up to par, but I’m sure you did your best!”
Shio smiled, radiating so much happiness the teacher had to cover his eyes to not be blinded.
She walked over the the last row, the lone desk in the back and sat there, awaiting the next period.
The teacher was never sure how to aboard the situation, Shio looked so frail and yet so pure, a flower so delicate, and yet thorny.
He made her cry once, and for the whole day she wouldn’t stop crying, not until her brother came to pick her up.
The teacher looked on the wall, drawings from every group were displayed. Sometimes it was oil paintings, other times pastel, the teacher taught the various form of arts to his students as was his duty.
But Shio, she was a peculiar student, she wasn’t like any students he ever had.
For one, she liked to spend time here in his classroom, she could spend whole days here.
Second, she was one grade behind everyone else, at such a young age.
If only he knew how to fix the situation, but he had no ideas, and his peers had even less.
It was simply life, how it was supposed to go. Let’s just roll with it and hope for the best, it was the best course of action.
Asahi waited for Shio at the gate. “Nii-san!”
He grabbed her hand and they both walked home together. “Did you have a nice day at school, Shio?”
She nodded her head energetically, as usual. They followed the many other students walking down the dirt path to the village, it was quite a large village even though it was built on a cliffside.
The lake could be seen from up here, a large blue lake. It made a great beach in summer, before the chilly weather settled.
Shio was walking, hand in hand with him, frolicking in the bushes. She was so great, the greatest little sister he could have ever asked for, he didn’t want to change her for nothing in the world.
The sun sets over the valley, basking them in his last rays of light before the moon could be reflected in the water below. They arrived home shortly after spending some time by the bench looking at the splendid view, such luck they lived here to experience it.
The rustic house was the one they’ve known forever, they never moved before, that’s the only thing they knew.
Asahi prepared lunch while Shio waited at the table, jovially kicking her feet in the air.
A hand came from behind and caressed Shio’s head, it was mother. “Good morning sweety, you’re up early? The sun is still rising.”
The boy answered. “It’s the evening, mom, I’m preparing rice for dinner.”
The fairly young woman grabbed her head with her bandaged arms, they had to be changed. “I must must have overslept, I’m sorry, Shio.”
Asahi, without skipping a beat. “You didn’t, we ate breakfast together, remember?”
He dropped the meal in front of Shio who began eating instantly.
The mother sat across, a migraine suddenly attacking her. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember… Asahi, that’s right, that’s your name, I’m sorry.”
The boy dropped a plate full of fried rice with vegetables and caressed his mother on the head. “Don’t mind it, mom. I can take care of things, I AM responsible.”
The boy fetched a couple bandages from the pharmacy, he’d need to fetch some more from the drugstore next pay. He changed his mother’s bandages in between two bites, he couldn’t let her down now.
A drop of blood fell on his arm, from one of the many cuts on her arms. She didn’t take stress well, let’s just say. “I’m sorry, Asahi.”
Her empty eyes shone a little brighter today, a good sign. “I won’t let you down, mom. Not now, not ever.”
When everyone was serviced, and Shio was none the wiser, Asahi could finally eat his fill.
Time went fast, and night came early. Asahi dressed up in his pajama, alongside Shio. She was growing healthily, a good sign. “Time to sleep, Shio.”
The little girl went and snuggled under the blanket, they didn’t have enough money to get a separate bed, not like it mattered much, he slept better with her in his arm, his sweet, silly sister.
Satou’s belly grumbled all morning until noon, where she could finally fetch a lunch from the cafeteria.
She had just enough cash on her person for a meal, she may need to head back home for her weekly allowance.
Ooor, she could also solicit one or two boys, that could last her for the whole week.
School was a respite from the real world, the beginning area in an rpg before exploring the much higher level areas.
“Sorry, ma’am, you don’t have enough money for a dessert.”
Satou looked down on the boy working the cash register, he was slightly shorter than her. She really wanted that sweetness in her mouth, so, soo badly. “Can you let me have it? I’ll have the cash later.”
The boy stood his ground while the queue pilled up behind her. “No can do, ma’am.”
Satou then whispered directly at him. “If you let me have it, I’ll even have a sweet… for you… later…”
She looked at him seductively, but not too pronounced so everyone would pick up on her antics.
He took a few seconds to catch on to what she said and then got red all over his face.
“Thanks a lot, sweety.”
Satou left the register with her meal, and her blueberry cake. She didn’t know why, but she craved sweets in this instant.
Eating alone in the cafeteria, Shouko went to her doctor’s appointment, the poor soul. She remembered it just now, she thought it was tomorrow, but she did indeed spend a whole day unconscious.
This weird dream, she didn’t even remember what happened in it, just that she wasn’t herself. Odd, it’s a very odd coincidence the day she had this strange dream, she also lost consciousness all day and skipped it. Although, Shouko was there to guide her through this sleepwalking phase she had, but even if she wasn’t, there wasn’t much that could affect her.
Going home in the afternoon, she didn’t feel like going to school. Maybe she shouldn’t skip so many classes, but she had other priorities.
At their apartment, Shouko and her, it was secretive and intimate, no one knew of this secret hiding place in their inner circle of friends, and that must remain.
It was their reprieve from the real world, if school was the beginner’s area, home was… well, home.
She could spend every waking day here, basking in the sunset, leaning on the window frame, the habitual pervert was still there, watching with his oversized binoculars. She paid him no mind, not even a second thought behind those eyes of hers, looking in the distance, longing.
There really wasn’t anything for her to enjoy in life, not even the little things that makes it worthwhile.
«That is also love»
Was this really love? Was it really this shallow and uninteresting? She could only ponder the question further in her search for love, because that’s all she could really do.
Something rustled behind her, must be the boy waking up from his nap, he worked hard.
Satou brought him over because he graciously gave her cake, but he also happened to have a bit of money in his wallet.
She walked over to him, leaving behind the beautiful scenery to join him in bed. She laid her naked body next to him, pressing her chest against his arm and grabbing his crotch with a delicate and masterful hand. “Ready for round two?”
Satou laid bare, curled up on her bed. The sun had left before long along the boy, he still had a curfew himself.
She waited, and waited, and waited for sleep to come, but it didn’t. This stupid test coming up was stressing her out and she couldn’t close her eyes to it. If she missed the mark, the juvenile detentions will get her, they were just waiting for a reason to steal her from her aunt… that sounded bad. It’s not like she didn’t want them to steal her, her aunt was pretty vile, but she liked the freedom she had currently.
As she laid there frozen, she spared a thought for her friend Shouko, where was she in this instant? Satou didn’t mind spending time alone, she actually preferred it, but Shouko was different. They used to spend a lot of time together when they were younger, but things happened and now, they were friends at most.
They spent lots of times together in… other ways, after all, a threesome was more costly.
Despite her icy exterior, Satou sought out warmness. She liked spending time with all these boys, and some girls, because it allowed her to feel warm.
Most of the times, the outside world was frigid and lifeless, just like her.
What was she even living for? What even was the point of life with no purpose? No desire? No one to welcome you home in these dark times.
The window was large enough to fit through, and the ground was several stories down. She could see the judgmental look of the moon on her body, looking down on her through the window.
It taunted her, dared her to jump, but it was meaningless, Satou wouldn’t jump yet, she hadn’t found love, because love is the thing that will bring her back from the dead.
Until she finds love, she will keep searching, and she will search to the end of the world for it, because…
«That is also love»
The light shone bright, Shouko was back. “Satou! I was looking for you!”
Satou looked at her friend, with a single tear pouring down on her cheek. “Is that so?”
In truth, Satou was also looking for her, a funny coincidence. Satou grabbed her and dragged her to the bed still fully clothed, but she didn’t mind. “Tell me all about it…”
Satou already closed her eyes, it was warm finally. She spent some time before realizing Shouko hasn’t told her about whatever she wanted to tell her, and so she asked. “What did you want to tell me?”
“Get back to sleep, Shio.”