HARUKA bit her lips. She could have sworn that she had already squeezed out her tears but as she walked towards Kota’s office, some more intended to fall down from her eyes. She didn’t want to cry infront of her brother. Of all people, not in front of Kota.

She had accepted the fact that Daiki likes her twin but seeing them together, Daiki hugging Kyoumi created a burning feeling in her heart. It wasn’t something she was expecting to feel and she just wanted to drown. She was looking for him to tell him something when she saw them in the woods tightly enveloped in each other’s embrace. And she decided, she needed to do something.

 

She gulped hard as she faced her brother’s office. She inhaled her tears never letting them fall; she plastered a smile in her lips and sighed hard as she composed herself letting all her emotions sink in her system.

 

Haruka knocked softly before opening the door. Her brother didn’t pay her any attention as she came in. He was busily sifting his eyes to papers in his both hands.

 

“Kota-nii?” she called.

 

“Neh?” came his reply.

 

Haruka sighed again before continuing. “I want to study abroad.”

 

Kota finally lifted his eyes to her, eyeing her sister in a way that she knew as his way of sizing up things. “And why is that?” he asked.

 

Haruka looked down and gazed at her small calloused hands, hands that she had been using for painting. “I want to master arts.” She answered burying the real reason on the back of her head as she knew Kota could easily read people and even their mind.

 

“And you can’t do that here?” he asked in a sarcastic voice.

 

Haruka looked up and shook her head. “No. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s that, there are other countries which really emphasize art education,” she argued knowing that she might have stepped on her brother’s ego in governance.

 

“And where would you go?” he asked  still sizing her up.

 

Anywhere far from Daiki! Her head wanted to shout. “A-anou… Berlin.” She said finally after a long pause. “I can stay with Aunt Marie there.”

 

Kota stared at her. “Is that really the real reason?”he asked boring an eye on her. “And nothing else?”

 

She continuously shook her head. “No!”

 

Kota nodded and looked back on his work. “When would you like to go?” he asked afterwards.

 

“Within two weeks so I can still fix my papers.” She said.

 

Kota nodded.

 

“And nii-tan, I have a favor to ask.” She started.

 

Kota looked up to her.

 

“Please don’t tell anybody yet.”

 

“And why is that?” he inquired.

 

“I just don’t want Kyoumi and Ryosuke nii to bother me in staying.”

 

Kota smiled. “If it was me, I would definitely like them to convince you into staying. I might actually increase their allowance if they were able to do it.” He sighed. “But then, what can I do? You beat me into it.”

 

Haruka smiled. “Arigatou, nii-tan.” She said and swooped down to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I will miss you.” She said.

 

“I will miss you, too. Just promise me that as soon as you graduate, you will immediately go home.”

 

Haruka smiled and nodded before walking out of his office.

 

Haruka smiled as she locked the door behind her but it faded when she had finally let go of the door knob. The lump in came back. She was walking towards her studio since she needed to finish something when she felt dizzy. Her surrounding span so she held on the baluster of the long staircase.

 

She massaged her belly lightly as she wanted to puke for the second time within the day. She tried to calm down her system. She breathed slowly while helping herself get comfortable.

 

 

KYOUMI wiped her tears with her arms while Daiki patted her back comfortably.

 

“Kyoumi…”

 

Kyoumi looked up to a voice in front of her and her face immediately fumed.

 

“Please… listen to me…” Yuri pleaded.

 

Kyoumi stood up using her trembling legs. “Shut up! I hate you! I don’t want to talk to you! Just leave me alone!” she shouted and stomped away leaving both Daiki and Yuri behind. She didn’t care anymore.

 

She rushed inside one of the dojo of the palace. She took a random katana from the wall and stomped outside where she usually practiced sword fighting when she was young.

 

Without care, she slashed the bamboo trunks that were laid for target practice. She slashed them all. When there was nothing left she ran towards the other part of the woods where more bamboos where growing.

 

She jumped from tree to tree using the bamboos to bounce while slashing here and there.

 

She poured all her anger towards the innocent trees while shouting all the curse words that she knows.

 

“Damn you, Chinen Yuri! If really want to die, just die! Don’t bother me anymore!” a slash.

 

“You shouldn’t have bothered me at all!” more slashes.

 

“Damn you! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” another slash.