Chapter 24

Sozen: These will be the people that will take care of you now. Those are my conditions, Mako. If you don't behave then I'll have to bring you back to your hometown.

Mako: I'll promise! I'll be good!

Sozen: Good! Try not to be upset alright? I know you might think living alone is fun but it's actually not that fun at a young age. Children like you need to enjoy their youth with the fear of responsibility…

Mako: I don't really get it. Don't adults want their children to have an early amount of responsibility?

Sozen: So people do but I think I'm just saying this from a place of privilege… Forgive me.

Mako: Privilege? What's that?

Sozen: Anyway! Don't worry about it. Doug? Kathy? Forgive me for imposing so much.

Sozen continued to prompt to move forward to the family in front of me. Their faces were unfamiliar to me. Maybe it was because they reminded me of my old hometown neighbors. Those people were horrible people that had nothing to do with their lives, gossiping all day. Smiling for the sake of smiling, my legs were petrified.

Sozen: Mako?

Doug: She's terrified…

Kathy: Poor thing…

Sozen: I guess that's natural. She came here alone after all.

Kathy: What!?

Doug: Who the hell would do that!? Doesn't she have any parents or something! Who'd just let their child run into the city?!

They were a lot bigger than me which made me feel a lot more anxious than I usually am. I'm not really a grown girl yet so this makes it harder! Their intentions are still unclear, I can't trust any of them. Sozen told me I can trust them but that's what my parents said about our neighbors. We can't trust anyone.

This family's mother's long blonde hair didn't convince me that she had a kinder nature while the father looked like a lazy worker. His facial hair just told me everything about his personality. Their house even looked in bad shape.

Sitting in their makeshift living room and kitchen, there were too many boxes around empty parts of the apartment. It made things cramped for no reason! From the looks of it, they didn't even have a separate dining table…

Doug: Eh… I can tell she's silently judging our home with killing intent…

Kathy: Hello dear, my name is aunt Kathy. Pleasure to meet you, what's your name?

Doug: Don't force the girl if she doesn't want to. Besides, she clearly looks like she doesn't like any of us.

Sozen: It's probably because of the things that have been happening in school…

Doug: School? I thought you said she wasn't in school.

Sozen: Cram school, it's where students take mock exams for Hojo.

Kathy: She's legible to even study for Hojo!? You must be a real smart one!

Sozen: She's probably one of the few that will probably even be accepted from our building. She has an excellent amount of grit. Something that people her age don't even develop until later stages of their growth.

Doug: What does that mean?

Sozen: Mako, tell them what you want to do.

Mako: Yes, Sozen. I want to earn money so that I can live with myself! I've always dreamed of going to the city and living the life I want! I left my family farm because they just want me to stay around the house and do nothing. I don't want to do that! I will go to Hojo no matter what!

Doug: A bit rough on the edges but I can certainly see what you mean now.

Kathy: She already knows what to do and she's actually doing it.

Sozen: Impressive for someone at her age. To be accepted to even take the Hojo tests, then coming to the city from her own. She rented her own place for the first time, budgeted her own meals, and even went to look for a job.

Doug: You're kidding.

Sozen: I wished that I was.

Kathy: Did no one know about this?

Sozen: Apparently she kept it a secret for so long until she confided in me. As an educator, I can't allow her to grow on her own.

Doug: Then why didn't you send her back to her hometown instead?

Sozen: She refused.

Kathy: But that's a bit irresponsible don't you think?

Sozen: It is, but girls like her only come in every so often. She had the determination to come out here on her own knowing the full knowledge of exactly what to do! Even if it meant that she would starve to find a job to feed herself.

Doug: She's a runaway, Sozen. Her parents at least need to know before we take her in. It's not in our place to just take someone else's child without their permission and neither is it yours.

There it is again… That feeling of uselessness. Another family that just doesn't want to help. Eyes that only see a useless child, someone to pass on like some kind of common object. It hurts, no one wants me. It's pointless to me now, that's why I want to be alone. They're the same…

Sozen: Mako, do you want to go home?

Mako: No… I hate it there…

Everything is dark, was I closing my eyes? I just couldn't think anymore. Nobody wants me, nobody needs me, when is it going to stop? When are they going to stop talking!

Sozen: Then so be it…

Doug: What are you going to do?

Sozen: I'm taking her with me.

Kathy: Chris, you can't just decide that! You have to bring her back to her family! You're just imposing your ideals to an impressionable little girl.

Sozen: And is that so wrong? That I want to show a child another path. Albeit a path that doesn't conform to a natural standard!

Kathy: You're unbelievable… It's not like we don't trust you but you've never taken care of a child before.

Sozen: That's fucking why I asked you two first!

Doug: Langauge, Chris! There's a child here! See! This is what we meant. You're in no position to do these kinds of things. Come on, man.

Sozen: I know for one that I know what I'm doing. Just another part of the job! HAHAHA!

Kathy: Just think this through a little bit more.

Sozen: Come, Mako. Let us leave. I think you'll quite like it in my house.

All I could see through my tears were his kind smile. Something in me knew… That I was going to alright. Sozen wasn't going to hurt me…

We said our goodbyes to the family before we hailed a cab. They were an odd bunch though I knew deep down that they were kind. Their concerns were quite valid especially since I am just a child, though I could never go back. There's nothing for me to go back to. The car ride along was a bit more quiet with Sozen touching his beard. He must've been thinking hard on what he was going to do now.

Sozen: Do little girls eat different things besides little boys?

His face looked completely serious yet I couldn't help but laugh right at him. He looked completely dumbfounded as to why he was being laughed at. Nothing he could do now except laugh as well. I was still very much scared of what was going to happen but this warmth was something that I craved.

Buildings on buildings passed until we eventually stopped in front of a small house in the middle of what appeared to be Hojo. Looking closely around the area, we were actually quite close to the learning center!

The house itself didn't span that much but it did have some kind of front yard. It's structure made out of old wood which made it feel homey. Entering the front door, there was a small hallway that had three entrances to different places then the second floor at the end of it. Walking through the barely lit house, we passed the kitchen that didn't have a table, a living room with only a coffee table crowded with books, and finally a bathroom with a bathtub.

Sozen: I know it isn't much but that's because I lived alone.

Mako: Don't you have family too?

Sozen: They've left already… Leaving just me to take care of this old place.

Mako: So this is your ancestral home…

Sozen: You're quite bright to know what that is.

Mako: It's quite common in the sticks! Most people live in their ancestral houses.

Sozen: I see… Well this was my grandparents home. They didn't have much as you could tell but it certainly has its charms. I just couldn't find it in me to sell this place off, even if my siblings said they would have.

Mako: Why didn't you?

Sozen: It's tradition. You have to have some kind of values and principles when you live your life, Mako. If you don't, what will you go back to at your old age.

Mako: I don't quite get it.

Sozen: It's quite alright if you don't yet. But you will someday. Now, whatever is mine is yours now. Think of this place as your new home! Or at least till you finally decide to go home.

Mako: Never! I will never go home!

Sozen: Runaways are always so spunky huh. Exciting! Now come with me, I have one more thing to show you.