Chapter 1 – The Beginning of Everything 

Part 1

It was an autumn morning like any other. The sun's rays dappled every blue wooden plank of a small yet cozy Victorian-style house. The constant hum of the washing machine, combined with the arrhythmic clatter of kitchen utensils, masked the melancholic song of the blackbirds fluttering around the partially landscaped yard.

Upstairs, in a room dominated by shades of blue, a small, restless figure tossed and turned under the sheets as if locked in a titanic struggle.

“Why is there so much noise?!” Yuna shouted angrily as she flung the massive pile of floral and fruity-patterned sheets to her right. Suddenly, a delicious smell of pancakes and freshly squeezed citrusy orange juice alerted her senses.

Enveloped by the fragrance and with no control over her body, Yuna crossed the archway connecting the dining room to the kitchen.

“You made breakfast again?” she scolded her sister Nasai, who was setting the table with delicate wrist movements.

Nasai and Yuna were not the typical sisters you might find in the home of an average French family. At a young age, they lost their parents and had to overcome significant challenges on their own. And although they didn’t share blood, the love they had for each other surpassed that of many other siblings.

Yuna had dropped out of university to enter the professional world and support her younger sister’s studies, while Nasai did everything she could to make Yuna’s life easier. If that meant keeping the house cleaner than fine glassware or serving the five daily meals a person should consume, she did it with a big smile, even if it meant waking up at five in the morning and losing precious hours of sleep.

Because of this, despite her grumbling stomach, Yuna wasn’t pleased to see her little sister handling the household chores.

“Why?” Yuna insisted, trying to suppress the now more audible growls of her hungry stomach as the magnificent smell of freshly baked croissants filled the air.

“Good morning, Yuna!” Nasai replied with a big, sweet smile from ear to ear as her sister shot her a challenging look. “Well... considering you only have half an hour to shower, have breakfast, and get to work, I don't think you can complain.”

Half an hour? What does it means, half an hour? Her body still felt tired, and she had an overwhelming sense of not having slept enough. Yuna thought her sister was just trying to avoid the big scolding that awaited her. But then, with a mischievous glance, Nasai pointed her eyes towards the cuckoo clock hanging on the kitchen archway wall.

Almost as if by agreement, in perfect sync, as she turned to check the time, the little golden-feathered bird popped out to mark the half-hour.

Why would her sister joke around? Yuna knew Nasai lacked a sense of humor, which was why she couldn’t understand why such a ridiculous idea had crossed her mind. And as she became more aware that she had only half an hour to get ready, have breakfast, and reach the intermodal station, a knot started forming in her stomach, leading her to utter one of those iconic words we all use when we see our future darkening: “Shit!”

While Yuna tries the impossible to get ready, let me tell you a little more about the Nakama sisters, so alike yet so different.

Yuna Nakama was a twenty-eight-year-old French woman of Japanese descent. She had a strong character and was very independent, something not immediately obvious from her physical appearance. Standing no taller than five foot five, with almond-shaped black eyes resembling hazelnut contours and pale pinkish skin that contrasted with her jet-black hair, Yuna cut a distinctive figure. She disliked having long hair, and only sometimes—just sometimes, in moments of laziness—did the tips of her hair brush her shoulders. She always prioritized comfort over appearance.

Nasai Nakama, on the other hand, was more reserved and quiet, with a delicate appearance. It was believed she had African heritage, though this was uncertain due to her striking light blue eyes and nearly crimson lips, which contrasted with her dark skin. Her intensely black hair was always tied back in a ponytail, making her long legs appear even longer.

Nasai and Yuna were two sides of the same coin. However, the derogatory comments and whispered gossip from their neighbors couldn't hide the truth: no matter how they looked, to them, they weren’t just sisters by blood but also by heart.

“All set!” Yuna shouted as she hurried down the wooden stairs, worn by time.

“Are you going to work like that?” Nasai asked, trying to keep up with her sister.

“I have my uniform in my backpack. I’ll change when I get there,” Yuna replied, cutting her off and rushing around the house.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“This is enough,” Yuna said as she grabbed food from the table, tore off a huge piece of pancake, and almost without chewing or digesting what she was eating, began gulping down the freshly squeezed orange juice from the garden's orange trees. As expected, it didn’t take long for her to start coughing as she felt the lump in her throat. Still, that didn’t stop her frantic effort to get to work on time. “Where the hell did I leave my shoes?” she asked, her voice raspy from the irritation in her throat.

“I found them in the middle of the hallway and left them by the entrance.”

Yuna paused for a moment, throwing a knowing look at her sister. And almost without realizing it, a big smile spread across her face. She knew she couldn’t have a better friend and family member than Nasai. So she decided to take a few seconds, putting work aside, to thank her for everything she did for her.

She walked over to her little sister, stood on tiptoe, and as gently as she could, kissed her softly on the cheek.

“Thank you for everything, Nasai.”

It was a moment of great tenderness and surprise for Nasai. So much so that her cheeks turned red, and just as she was about to respond to her sister’s affection, a blur of movement headed toward the door. Yuna was back to her hurried life, rushing out the door and leaving her sister completely alone.