Unbroken Bonds 2

Unnoticed by her, Yori had returned home from school and walked into the room seeing that the light was on. He walked around her to her side trying to see what was wrong with her. When he called out to her she did not answer back remaining in silence. He placed his hand on her shoulder hoping that he could get her attention.

"Yumi?" However, he was not expecting what happened.

Yumi jumped up from her chair grabbing Yori by the waist and plunging her face into his shirt crying. He was taken aback by her reaction and collapsed to the floor not certain what to do next as his sister could not stop crying.

"She's not here! She's not here! I want to see mom!"

"…Yumi…I-I…" Yori held Yumi in his arms as she kept crying feeling at a loss.

"…I want…"

Yumi could not control herself anymore at that point. She had been feeling the sadness weighing on her for so long and tried to keep it bottled up so that she did not make anyone worry. She understood why their mother was always gone, but accepting it and understanding were not the same.

'I thought that I had to be the good girl and so I tried to be strong. I didn't want them to worry about me, but I just couldn't take it. Everything that I had been holding in came pouring out.'

"I didn't know…I…won't let you be alone, Yumi!" Yori said looking down at Yumi trying to reach her.

She paused in her tears for a moment pulling herself away to look at Yori. The words had given her a little strength to be able to break through the emotions. "Yori? You…"

"I promise you, Yumi! So you don't have to cry anymore. I'm here."

"I'm not alone?"

Yori helped her get back on to her feet and clear up her tears. It was obvious to him how upset she still was about the matter.

"Let's make something to eat. You'll feel better!"

He started to walk her over to the kitchen looking back at Yumi, he was holding on to her hand to give her something stable.

"Can you cook?"

"Sure! And you can help me!"

"But I-I don't know…"

"It'll be fine. We can make something for mom as well."

Yumi was still uncertain about the idea, but doing something with her brother made her a little excited. She had not known him to do much of anything with her. They went into the kitchen looking confused and lost, but Yori trying to play it like he knew what he was doing directing Yumi around.

'Neither of us knew how to make anything to eat. She had always done everything for us. Even when she was working she left something for us. But Yori was determined to cheer me up. It was the first time that we had been so close. In the end the kitchen was a mess and we got scolded by her, but Yori stood up for me.'

The time passed on slowly for them. Their mother got more work and hours to keep her children in school and the house that they lived in. She was in the house less and less leaving it up to Yumi and Yori to pick up the duties that their mother used to do.

They would clean the house and do the laundry. Both of them took turns in the kitchen and when their mother was free she tried to help teach them.

'Eventually, we were able to cook just as well as her. We became closer and closer as time went on and I was able to be happy again spending time with Yori.'

They continued out elementary school together becoming almost inseparable at school or home. It was pretty clear to the students how close they were as siblings with some even knowing what happened in their family.

Their close nature made them targets of teasing some times, but Yori stood up for Yumi every time it happened. But being a year behind Yori, eventually he went to middle school leaving Yumi alone in school.

She became distant again during her last year of elementary school shying away from most people. Yumi was simply holding out until she was near her brother once more. She had been through it before so it was not as painful for her.

'When I arrived middle school, Yori had already developed a name for himself. He was smart and popular with the girls. It was typical that he would try to ignore the attention, but it made it difficult when everyone heard we were related. They expected me to be just like him, but I could only end up disappointing them.'

"Hey, you're Mizuno's little sister!"

"It's Mizuno's sister."

"What's her name?"

"He must be so embarrassed with having a sister like her."

"Yeah, he's mature, intelligent and good looking."

"She's nothing like him, it's surprising."

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with Yumi!" a girl said breaking up the crowd.

Yumi looked up from passing through the halls quietly a little surprised to hear that there was someone that was not talking down to her or making fun of her. She came to a stop seeing that there was a group of students in her way.

"…umm…excuse me…" she said weakly barely able to speak. The commotion that was being created only made her want to leave sooner.

"Who do you think you are?!"

"I should be saying that to you! You think it's fun teasing people?"

"What?!"

"Hey! Why you stopping her?!"

The girl had suddenly realized that Yumi was trying to leave, but a mob of students was preventing her. She came running over to Yumi glaring at the students, who were confused and a little scared by the reaction.

"Come on!"

The girl grabbed her hand pulling Yumi through the student wailing in surprise not wanting to cause trouble for everyone.

Once they had broken through and found a quiet place to rest Yumi collapsed to the ground panting heavily for air. She looked over at the other girl that was trying to recover her breathing as well.

"I'm sorry to cause you trouble."

"Huh? Why you apologizing to me? They should be apologizing to you for harassing you like that!"

"But I don't want to cause any trouble!"

Yumi did not know why the girl was supporting her. She did not even know who the girl was aside from being about her age. It was a foreign notion to her that there was someone that would want to stand up for her. She was so used to being with her brother that she had isolated herself from the rest.

The girl stepped forward holding out a finger over Yumi's lips when she was about to say something more.

"I don't want to hear you blaming yourself! You did nothing wrong. So cheer up! You always look so sad."

"But I-I…"

"No 'buts' alright? I'm Kaede!" Kaede pulled her hand back letting Yumi speak again.

Yumi was left without words to say. She was not used to someone being so open and straight with their words. It felt like she had a harsh tongue, but Yumi could feel that she also seemed to care about her too.

'That was the first time I met Kaede. I soon became friends with her and later Katsumi as well. They helped to fill the void that I felt when my brother was not around. They are both a lot more open about saying what's on their mind then me.'

Yumi pulled her focus back to her work in the store. Her mind had been absent for long enough leaving the books that she was supposed to stock still resting in the box. When she realized how far behind she was on her work she panicked and flailed her arms punishing herself.

The books were eventually finished and she was about to take the box back when she was called forward. It was the woman that was the only other full time worker at the store apart from the family that owned the store. Yumi would see her in almost every day working behind the counter most days.

"Yes, Miss Momoko?"

"Hey, Yumi! Could you take this to the back for me?"

"Sure!" said Yumi as she approached the counter. There was someone else there with his back turned to her handing over a bag to Momoko.

"You can just give it to her, Yuki."

"Alright," Yuki said slowly as he turned to face Yumi coming up to him.

Yumi froze instantly seeing Yuki standing before her. Her words began to stutter and her face turned red almost immediately.

'What's he doing here? Why is…'

There were countless questions that ran through her mind in the moments as she stared unable to say anything. Yuki stepped forward to her holding out the bag for her to take as she stepped back.

"…Yuki…"