Chapter 8

Natsume saw her sleeping in the bed looking tired. He approached her quietly and looked over at her face. Her face looked pale and she even had a fever.

"She didn't look well this morning as well but later, she went to school so I thought she wasn't sick. Now, her face looks even worse than in the morning. At least she should have told us she isn't feeling well. Mom would have taken care of her."💭

Natsume was worried about her. But then he remembered what happened last night and how his mom was beating Sakura up.

"Oh, well it was my mom's fault from the beginning. She wouldn't care for her. I will go and bring ice water and a towel."

Natsume went to the kitchen to bring ice water and returned to her room. He took care of her all night.

"I am really sorry, Sakura."

He said in a gentle voice.

I woke up in the morning and saw the clock first. It's already 7 AM. I was surprised by the time and when I was about to leave my bed to go to the kitchen, I saw Natsume sleeping beside my bed. I was confused.

"Why is Natsume sleeping here?"

I looked around for a while. I saw water and a towel. I realized he took care of me all night.

"But... Why? Doesn't he hate me? Why did he take care of me?"

After a while Natsume woke up. Sakura was staring at him looking confused. But Natsume understands why she was staring at him.

"Don't worry. I am not gonna hurt you. Has your fever gone down. Are you alright now?"

He asked with worried face and gentle voice. I was even more confused.

"Eh?... Emm, I am okay now. Thank you Natsume."

I said while avoiding my eyes.

"Just call me big brother."

"Huh?....."

There is definitely something going on. He took care of me all night and now he wants me to call him brother. When I called him brother before he beat me up that I still remember how painful it was.

"What's wrong with him? He took care of me the whole night and now? I need to be careful. He is definitely trying to do something to me." thoughts to herself.

"What's wrong?, Come on, call me big brother. Here, Big brother."

I got goosebumps. Before when I called him big brother he got so angry that he beat me up. Since then I stopped calling him big brother.

"Is he trying to beat me up again? That's why he took care of me all night?" thoughts to myself.

Sakura kept looking at Natsume with doubtful eyes.

"Its okay. You can call me big brother. Also, I am sorry about beating you too. Before I had always hated you for coming to our house. I thought you would steal our dad from us. That's why I was always angry at you. But later on I knew you weren't a bad child."

"But also I couldn't do anything when mom and Naomi were always scolding and beating you. I had always felt sorry for you. I know I have no right to apologize and I won't ask for your forgiveness but at least let me say this"

"I'm sorry.. I am really sorry... "

He seems to be feeling guilty. But I still don't understand. Why now?

Sakura was still staring at him confusedly.

"Come down. I will make breakfast today. Let's eat together." Says Natsume.

Natsume stood up to leave. Sakura hurriedly got up from bed and ran to him. She hugged him from behind. Natsume was startled.

"Hmm.. what's wrong sakura?"

"Nothing."

She hugged him even tightly.

She started to cry. And he turned around and wiped her tears. He hugged her back as well.

"It's obvious, huh? She suffered a lot because of our family. It wasn't even her fault but we always hurt her a lot. She is still a child." thoughts of Natsume.

"It's okay to cry sakura. I know you have always been crying here all alone all this time. From now on, I will always be here for you. I won't avoid you or hurt you anymore."

Natsume says with a gentle voice.

Sakura kept crying for a while. Natsume too stayed with her until she stopped crying. Seeing how much Sakura cried Natsume also shed tears and he felt guilty even more.

"Alright, I will go make breakfast. Come down after you wash up okay."

Natsume left to make breakfast. Sakura went to the bathroom to wash up and she looked at herself in the mirror.

"Haha, I am such a good actor. I think I need to go into the film industry after finishing high school. I will definitely earn a lot."

She smirked.

"I am not that easy and kind person, Natsume. Oops! Sorry, was it brother?"

She laughed a lot for a while with this thought.