Never Be Apart

CHAPTER 21

A few minutes later, the two returned. Haruki smiled at me, and I could tell it was good news. Natsumi, on the other hand, shook her head, and I knew without asking that she didn't get any help from her aunt since they were not on good terms.

"My friend's dad agreed to help. He'll come by tomorrow to discuss the case," Haruki said, smiling. I nodded and smiled back.

"I'm hungry. I hope you are too," Aki said, sounding a bit down as she looked at me.

"Same," Natsumi agreed.

"Same here," Haruki muttered from the side. I just smiled and stood up. I was about to walk out when I remembered that I had just fought with Aunt earlier! I was so annoyed by what she said—saying my dad didn't deserve justice. How dare she. I scratched my head and turned back to them. They all looked at me, puzzled. "About earlier, right?" I awkwardly laugh. "Aunt and I are not on good terms," I said, biting my finger nervously. They all thought for a second, then almost simultaneously smacked their foreheads.

"No classes, no allowance. And I'm broke," Aki whined. I grimaced.

"You're not the only one," Natsumi muttered as she plopped down angrily.

"I'm always broke, so nothing new," Haruki said. I just laughed. Somehow, I was really grateful for them. Without them, I would have broken down and locked myself in my room on the very first day.

"Maybe we can just get some food from the freezer and eat here?" I suggested with a smile. "I'll go out and get it." They all turned to me and, in unison, gave me a thumbs-up with smiles.

I left the study room and found Aunt staring at Dad's coffin, arms crossed. I looked at her closely to see her expression. My brow furrowed when I noticed she was glaring at Dad, and I couldn't help but approach her.

"Why are you looking at him like that?" I confronted her, causing her to jump. She turned to me, glaring.

"Your dad deserved this," she said, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and sadness. I frowned and glanced over at Dad, lying still in the coffin. Her words hung in the air, heavy and uncomfortable. "And your mom too! They deserved this!" she added softly, tears streaming down her face like a steady rain. "How could they leave you kids alone so soon? How could they put you in this mess?" Each word was filled with emotion.

For some reason, I felt a bit sorry for her. Even though she was really angry, I could see how much she was hurting. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to offer some comfort in this tough moment. She cried openly, her shoulders shaking as she eventually knelt in front of Dad's coffin, completely overwhelmed.