"Damn, is this really Maya Kanami? This country's biggest star?"
"I hear her songs are breaking records."
"The Kanami family sure knows how to create geniuses. The eldest daughter, Chiyo Kanami is already a great businesswoman."
"Wait, isn't that three daughters? Where's the other one?"
"Oh, I think I remember her name… was it Sakura Kanami? I heard she's useless so her parents kicked her out of the house."
"Hahaha, such a shame."
-
A party for rich people. Conversations related to large families happened naturally, especially among adults and young people.
'I am useless?'
In the background, a little girl watched the conversation with tears in her eyes. She clutched her teddy bear with a pained expression.
Lately, her life has been hell. First, her parents kicked her out of the house because of an accident with her younger sister. Then, due to this, her grades at school started to get worse as she was despondent.
She keeps hearing that she is her sister's shadow, just a shadow. Chiyo, at her age, was already entering the investment market, in addition to having come up with great ideas to improve her parents' company. His little sister… was a star now. And her? Anything!
"Sakura? What are you doing?" Chiyo suddenly appeared. Seeing the tears on Sakura's face, she was confused.
'I brought her here to make friends with kids her age, but it doesn't seem to work.' Chiyo thought sadly.
"Sakura-"
"I'm fine, Onee-chan." Sakura glanced briefly at her younger sister, surrounded by several children. "I am fine."
-
"Sakura? Sakura!" Kasumi shook Sakura's body with a worried expression.
"Huh?" Sakura woke up from her sleep, a little confused.
"Are you okay? You slept through all your classes so I came to wake you up." Kasumi asked.
'This dream…'
She was saddened by constantly dreaming about her past. It seems that more and more weight is placed on her chest, preventing her from moving forward.
"I am well, thanks." Sakura got up and walked away.
*Sigh!*
'Should I help her?' Kasumi thought as she watched her leave.
-
Sakura was flying through the sky as she watched the ocean. She seemed to be wandering aimlessly. Her motives for coming to this place were confusing. She just felt like she had to be here.
*Sigh!*
'Maybe I'm really going crazy.'
After a few seconds, her expression changed drastically. The scenery in front of her was no longer an ocean. She didn't even seem to be in her world! It felt like she was above the clouds as she watched the stone buildings so huge they seemed to reach the sky.
"What's going on?! Where am I?!" Panicking, she decides to use her detection there until she sees a human figure sitting on top of one of the buildings.
"Yato?!" The young man's appearance was unmistakable. There was the strangest being she had recently met, Yato. Upon seeing him, her expression becomes calmer, and she approaches him.
"Oh… So that's it." Yato muttered upon seeing Sakura. He hadn't brought her here, but it looked like someone had guided her to this place.
"Yato… what place is this?" Sakura asked as she reached his side.
"Hm, this is a world I just created. No big deal. So why are you here?" he asked with a smile.
"Didn't you bring me here? I felt like I should be here so I came here but I thought it was you playing with me again." She replied, confused.
"No, it wasn't me. Anyway, sit down. I can see you're upset." Yato said with a smile.
*Sigh!*
"Is there any way I can hide something from you?" Sakura asked, seeing that he probably already knew about her problems.
"No." Yato answered sincerely, leaving her with a strange expression.
After a brief moment of silence, Sakura began to tell Yato a little about her life. Somehow, she felt comfortable talking to him. He didn't seem to judge her or look at her with distaste. He wouldn't seriously mock her delusions; on the contrary, he seemed to enjoy her stories.
"So you feel inferior to your sisters? I see."
"Have you ever been through something similar?" Sakura asked curiously.
"No. I don't have brothers." Yato replied with a neutral expression.
Sakura wondered what Yato's family would be like, but Yato answered her doubts the next moment.
"I don't have a father or mother. I don't have an uncle or aunt. Grandmother or grandfather. I don't have any of those things—not in the way you think." Yato said.
"What do you mean? Wait, how were you born?" Sakura asked with an odd expression.
"I wasn't born, I've always been here. However, I have a family."
"How?" she asked, increasingly curious.
"Hm, I created an avatar in a woman's womb, so when I was 'born' I started calling her 'mother'. After that, my family grew." Yato replied without going into details, making Sakura even more curious.
"Sakura, I know that your family is the most important thing to you. However, you need to put that feeling of inferiority aside. You are no longer the Sakura you were before, now you are one of the most special people there is."
"But-"
Yato snapped his fingers, and a projection appeared in front of him. He showed countless planets and civilizations in the projection.
"Do you see that? In the midst of countless worlds, there is no other Sakura Kanami. Only one Sakura Kanami, only you."
Sakura's eyes lit up as she saw how beautiful the image she was seeing was. She couldn't describe in words the vastness of existence. She was mesmerized for several minutes before Yato continued.
"No excuses now. You know what needs to be done. The guilt you carry in your chest over that accident is keeping you from bonding with your family, and when I say family, I mean your sisters."
"What do you mean by that? My parents are also my family." Sakura replied.
"I know, but they're a pain in the ass. I would have killed them already if I were you." Yato replied as he watched the sky.
"Don't do anything to my parents!" Sakura screamed.
"Calm down. I didn't say I would hurt them. Anyway, just keep an eye on them." Yato snapped his fingers, and Sakura disappeared.
-
"So, are you going to tell me why you brought her here or will I have to find out on my own?" Yato said with a smile. Suddenly, Yerin appeared in front of his.
"Master… I don't know. I just feel a very strong connection with this girl." Yerin replied, afraid of being reprimanded.
"So cute." Yato said, seeing her sad cat eyes.
-
Sakura looked around and saw that she was in her room. She sighed and thought about the conversation she had with Yato.
'I can do this! I should do this.'