As Eiji walked away, Himari's father, Takumi, cleared his throat.

"Who was that?" he asked suspiciously.

Himari chuckled.

"A guy named Eiji."

His eyes narrowed,

"Eiji, huh? Never heard of him, he doesn't seem to be from around here."

"You think so? Why?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know, his clothes looked... expensive compared to the other customers we usually see here, and he was wearing a mask. For what reason, I wonder."

Himari frowned while tidying up the counter. Her movements were fluid, a little clumsy, but it was clear she was used to doing it.

"Maybe he was sick? Dad, you worry way too much, I'm not a little girl anymore, you know?"

"To me, you are. And you give people 'the benefit of the doubt' way too often. You're blind, my daughter. If he had pointed a gun at you, you wouldn't even have known..."

"But I would have felt it," she retorted.

"I can handle myself well enough, Dad. You need to trust me a lot more. Yes, I'm blind, yes, I'm kind, but I'm not naïve."

Takumi sighed, looking at her with tenderness.

"I know, my little flower, but as a father I must protect you..."

She smiled, accidentally knocking over some chewing gum packs on the counter, which Takumi picked up.

"I know, but sometimes you need to trust me—trust me, and the choices I make."

"You're right," he said, planting a kiss on the top of her head.

"But I can't promise you that."

Himari giggled.

"Oh well, that's surprising."

she said sarcastically.

"Pff, what a brat you are." he said, flicking her forehead.

"Ouch! Dad!" she complained, rubbing the spot he had just hit, which made him laugh.

"Crybaby."

Night had already fallen as Takumi and Himari drove toward their home. The sound of passing cars and the smell of concrete still damp from the earlier rain gave her a sense of calm and safety.

A feeling she cherished since what had happened yesterday, when she and Tsuya had been walking the crowded streets of New York. Yesterday they had gone out to find something to eat, she remembered it perfectly, everything had been perfect.

But everything darkened in a split second when she collided with someone.

One of Big G's henchmen. If it had only been that... none of this would have happened.

But the henchman happened to be carrying a bag filled with little packets of drugs. They fell, some of them ripped, spilling their contents onto the sidewalk.

"Fuck! Bitch, can't you watch where you're going!?" he cursed at her.

"Fuck! That kind of crack is expensive!! You're coming with me before the cops show up."

Thereafter, she and her brother were grabbed by the arms and dragged into an alley, where the whole incident then took place.

When she and Tsuya were brought to Big G, she begged him to let Tsuya go and promised she would do anything he wanted. And that's when Big G got the brilliant idea of using Tsuya as bait to trap a man whose name she didn't even know. She refused.

But what Big G whispered to her that day froze her blood;

"If you don't do what we tell you, we'll kill your brother, and then we'll have some fun with you..." he said in a cold, perverse tone. Which left her with no choice but to accept. All she heard afterward were the instructions Big G gave Tsuya. According to him, Big G had shown him a picture of the man he was supposed to lure.

She didn't really understand what happened after that man showed up, but Tsuya had explained everything to her. How that man, who looked so intimidating at first sight, had offered his help without hesitation. She wondered why, though...

She wished she could thank that man in person. Even if he hadn't helped them intentionally, they survived thanks to him.

When they escaped, Himari made her little brother promise not to say a word.

Deep down she knew no one would really believe them, the cops could very well have been in on it, and at any moment they could have ended up back in the hands of men like that... And she didn't want to take that risk.

They didn't tell their parents either. It was already a miracle that she and Tsuya had been allowed to travel on their own together... If her father ever found out, she knew he would never trust her again to travel or even go out of the house alone.

Himari was pulled from her thoughts when the car stopped.

"Finally home, little flower," he said, getting out of the car, Himari following suit.

Their house was in a medium-sized town surrounded by villages and mountains called Chichibu, where old traditional Japanese houses gave off a countryside atmosphere.

One hour and a half drive from Tokyo where their store was located, it was far, but they didn't really have a choice—moving would be way too expensive...

They were already lucky to have a roof over their heads, thanks to the inheritance left by their late grandfather. The house wasn't huge, but it was functional: two bedrooms, one bathroom, with a kitchen and living room. The garden behind the house was small, but big enough for Tsuya to play in and enjoy. Their house might not have been large, but the love this family had for each other was—and that was all that mattered.

Stepping into the entrance, they both took off their shoes and slipped on their slippers before going in.

Himari entered first.

"Mom, we're home!!" she shouted a little too loudly. Walking with the help of the wall, the stone beneath her fingers felt reddish and familiar, leading her toward the delicious smell of her mother's cooking.

"Well, my daughter, I may be old but I'm not deaf!" her mother, Aya, said while coming out of the kitchen, laughing. Her blue eyes were as warm as Himari's.

Little Tsuya, meanwhile, came running out of their shared bedroom.

"Big sister!!" he exclaimed, jumping into her arms, making them both lose balance and fall backward, which made the whole family burst out laughing.

"Hey! You little brute, take it easy!" Himari said while tickling his sides.

In this house where warmth, love, and light reigned, a shadow would soon extinguish it and sow chaos among them.