Months passed, and the trio was now four years old, their bond as strong as ever.
Outside the Sano house,
A girl, about three, with her hair tied in a neat ponytail, stood beside a woman whose golden hair shone in the sunlight. Her red lipstick glistened, and the floral scent of her perfume lingered in the air. The woman bent down, her voice soft yet firm.
"Listen, Emma," her mother began, her tone tinged with something unspoken. "I have to go very, very far away now."
Emma's wide, innocent eyes searched her mother's face.
"I want you to live with your grandpa," the woman continued, her gaze averted, as if avoiding the child's trusting stare.
Emma's small hand tugged on her mother's sleeve. "When will you be back?" she asked, her voice quivering.
The woman straightened and began walking away, her heels clicking softly against the ground. Without turning, she replied, "When I'm done with my business."
But even at her tender age, Emma felt the truth sink into her heart—her mother would not return.
Inside the dojo,
Manjiro's grandpa's stern voice cut through the air. "Everyone, get in here!"
Shinichiro, Manjiro, and Emma shuffled in and sat cross-legged in front of him. The old man surveyed them with a determined look.
"Starting today, you're siblings," he declared.
Shinichiro's kind eyes shifted to Emma, while Manjiro tilted his head in curiosity.
"Isn't she a foreigner?" Manjiro blurted. "Emma is such a weird name."
A resounding thud echoed as their grandfather smacked the back of Manjiro's head. "Stop talking nonsense!"
"Make sure you all get along," the old man said firmly, before leaving the room.
Shinichiro laughed, ruffling Manjiro's hair. "You just don't get girls, do you?"
Then, with a teasing grin, he turned to Emma. "Alright, Emma, I'll take you somewhere fun. But just a warning—don't fall for me."
Emma squinted at him, unimpressed. "What a weird haircut," she muttered under her breath.
Manjiro burst into laughter. "That hurt, didn't it?" he teased. "You're the one who doesn't get girls!"
"Shut up!" Shinichiro retorted, his cheeks red.
Later, during dojo practice,
Everyone was sparring and perfecting their moves. The rhythmic sounds of punches and kicks filled the air. During a break, Keisuke spotted Shinichiro standing near the sliding door, Emma peeking shyly from behind him.
"Keisuke, you're just a kid, but you're strong," Shinichiro remarked, smiling.
Keisuke's face lit up. "Shinichiro-kun!" he shouted.
"Shh! Don't yell," Shinichiro hissed, spotting their grandfather approaching. He darted off, dodging the old man's gaze.
"That punk is always slacking!" the old man muttered. He turned to Keisuke. "Don't follow his bad habits, got it?"
"Yes, sir!" Keisuke replied with a salute.
In the distance, Manjiro was practicing, his movements fluid and precise. Emma, Asuka, and Keisuke watched in awe.
"Wow..." Emma's thoughts raced. He's incredible.
"Sensei," Keisuke called out, "how is he so good when he barely practices?"
The old man chuckled. "Because he's a genius—and my grandson."
"That's so unfair!" Keisuke exclaimed, storming over to Manjiro.
"Hey, Manjiro! Spar with me!"
"Huh? No way. I don't want to get sweaty," Manjiro replied lazily.
"Then why are you even here?" Keisuke shot back.
"To show off, obviously," Manjiro said with a smirk.
Keisuke groaned. "What kind of attitude is that?"
His gaze shifted to Emma, who quickly hid behind the wall. "Who's she?"
"My little sister," Manjiro said matter-of-factly.
Keisuke's brow furrowed. "Emma? That's such a foreign name."
"Totally!" Manjiro agreed, nodding.
Emma, hiding, thought to herself, They really share one brain cell.
Asuka approached Emma with a warm smile. "Hi, Emma. I'm Asuka. Nice to meet you!"
Emma nodded shyly.
Keisuke, meanwhile, turned to Manjiro. "Then call me Ed, short for Edward."
Manjiro smirked. "Then I'm Mikey, short for Michael."
The two boys broke into hysterical laughter, running around the dojo yelling nonsense phrases.
Emma's eyes glistened with unshed tears. They're so carefree... so unlike me.
Asuka noticed Emma's expression. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.
Emma turned away, tears streaming down her cheeks. "The truth is... I know how Mommy feels. She hates me. That's why she left me." Her voice broke.
Manjiro, Keisuke, and Asuka looked at her, their faces heavy with concern.
---
Later that night,
Shinichiro sat with his grandfather.
"How's Emma doing?" the old man asked.
"She's adjusting, but..." Shinichiro trailed off. "I think she's just pretending to be okay."
The old man sighed. "We'll make her smile. She deserves to be happy."
Unbeknownst to them, Manjiro stood hidden behind the wall, silently listening. His expression softened with determination.
---
The next morning,
The dojo was quiet, except for the sound of Emma practicing alone. Her punches echoed faintly in the hall.
"You're not doing it right," a voice called out.
Emma turned to see Manjiro leaning against the sliding door, arms crossed.
"Want me to spar with you?" he asked casually.
Emma huffed, pouting.
"Starting today, I'm Mikey," he said, walking toward her.
Emma tilted her head. "Mikey?"
"Yeah. If your brother's Mikey, it won't be weird anymore," he said with a soft smile. "From now on, I'll always be Mikey for you, Emma."
Emma's eyes widened, tears spilling over.
"You just don't get girls, do you?" she said, wiping her face.
Manjiro looked puzzled.
"It's not my name that bothers me," Emma replied with a gentle smile.
Manjiro turned slightly, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, you smiled!" he exclaimed.
He smirked playfully. "Don't fall for me, okay?"
"As if," Emma retorted with a grin. "Neither of you are my type."
That evening, the group took Emma to the park. As the sun set, their laughter filled the air, solidifying their newfound friendship.
From a distance, Asuka watched them with determination. I'll train hard and get strong. One day, I'll meet him she thought looking at the sky.
Manjiro,Keisuke and Emma called out to her to join them and play with them without any other thought she got up and approached them and they started playing till late.