It would've been the greatest lie if Shizuku said that she enjoyed her whole stay at Yuuji's residence. The least she could say is that she did have an opportunity to dry herself and drink warm tea before leaving, but the heavy atmosphere that seemed suffocating left her unable to breathe even as she walked outside, under the vast free raven sky.
Surely, her house had been more of a cage but for her, the whole time she was inside the man's house was like being in the clutches of someone with no escape guaranteed. It scared her to the point that she was bathing in cold sweat even when the warm liquid of tea spread throughout her body.
Maybe it was the way Yukie smiled at her, or maybe it was because of the uneasiness radiating from a certain spot at the house. She wasn't one to pry into a stranger's personal affairs nor endeavors, but Shizuku found it strange that there was a big shrine placed in the middle of a small garden that can be seen just outside the window.
She saw it, and it terrified her how much it was all too suspicious. The rain poured hard till night fell and Shizuku had to stay later than she planned; she stayed as if someone or something was reluctant to let her go. It gave her a chance to see how the full risen moon shone upon the stone shrine, as if it was a gateway or even a welcoming carpet for something to come down.
She left before anything could ever occur, not minding if she get soaked under the raging drops of water from the black and still angry sky.
Leaving was her priority.
After thanking Yukie and Yuuji for their hospitality, Shizuku refused any offer from Yuuji to walk her home or even drop her off at the same bus stop they met that day. It gave her a sense of relief when the house she came out was no longer in sight by the time she turned around to peak. However, her mind stayed on the sight she witnessed earlier.
How could the moon shine so blindingly bright in the middle of a raging storm? How was it possible for it to radiate light like that? And moreover, what is this discomfort she's still feeling? Shizuku sighed at how much she was stressing about things she usually won't do.
With a heavy breath, she waited patiently for the bus to arrive, and luckily it did. She sat on the still warm seat where another passenger had just left, head pressed on the closed window, eyes closed shut and her mind still replaying everything. Her heart banged in her chest as she slowly felt the scene being all too real even inside her mind.
A mild vibration from her phone startled the soul out of the poor girl, as she scurried to take it out with one hand clutching the fabric of her uniform just above her chest.
"....who is this?" Shizuku mumbled to herself as she opened her phone and tapped the message that caused her a mild heart attack.
From: ***********@ymail.com
To: yamashizu@ymail.com
Subject: Hello.
You were rushing a lot earlier Shizuku-san, I hope you didn't have any problems with your short stay here at our place.
The next time you come here, please allow me the chance to walk you home.
-S.Y.
Reading the last line of his message, "There probably won't be a next time..." she turned off the screen and slid the device inside her pocket. Even though he took it upon himself to check up on her and even offered to take her home the next time, the girl could only thank him for that fact only.
She doubted she'd go back again to that place, even thinking about how things played out earlier gave her cold shivers running down her spine. Shizuku scooted around her seat uncomfortably, even going as far as turning off her phone and kept her thoughts focused on getting home.
Upon reaching her destination, the female got out of the vehicle and again took a good 5-minute walk from the bus stop to their family's house. Somehow, walking along the outside part of their estate comforted her even if she always seen her home as a prison.
Shizuku quietly entered the entrance and the maids and other servants each gave her one look and a cold shoulder. She rolled her eyes to herself and proceeded to go inside the main mansion without making any fuss.
However, it surprised her when the main lobby near her room was occupied when it's usually empty. Dragging herself to peek, she found her mother and father sitting side by side at across the long wooden table.
As if he knew she was there, her father's eyes darted to met with Shizuku's, "Hurry up and come in Shizuku" he stated, voice as cold as ice.
Composing herself, Shizuku entered the room and sat slowly on her knees, "Do you need something?" her question was long answered by the time her gaze landed on the stacked papers on surface of table.
"You'll turn 18 in two days Shizuku," the older woman began talking, staring at her with those void-like eyes. No one would ever think that she's looking at her daughter, the disdain in her look was befitting of a stranger more than a mother.
But Shizuku didn't mind. It had been that way long ago. Nothing will change. Not now, not ever. She didn't wish for it any longer. Her lips parted, "You never cared for the day of my birth mother, why is it that you're bringing it up now?" she replied, emphasizing the word mother to spite the older woman.
And she did.
Her mother clenched her fists along with her face evident of tension. "That is no way to talk to your mother, Shizuku"
A scoff escaped Shizuku's lips, "And this is no way to treat your daughter" she spat, venom filled with hurt and bottled-up pride spilling from her words.
Kaede, her mother closed her own mouth, unable to provide anymore answers to what her firstborn daughter had said. She was in no position to tell Shizuku that she was wrong, because even now, the only feeling she had for the young girl was hate and disgust. Maybe it was because of Shizuku's black hair that reminded her a lot of the dangerous darkness surrounding them, or maybe it was because a voice in her head kept her from showing the girl any forms of love.
Yamanobe Haruto, the current husband of Kaede and the biological father of Shizuku, cleared his throat and placed a white folder in front of Shizuku. "I called you here for one thing Shizuku"
"I know"
"We have decided on a marriage partner for you"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Shizuku mused. "Who is this person, father?"
The older male breathed out,
"Yuuji, Shikuro Yuuji"