Uncertainty

Ambiguous

They advanced through a huge foyer where the Inuzuka greeted one of the servants and then went up the stairs to the study. It was a huge room with a large library that covered 2 of the walls, there was one of those old and heavy desks with a laptop on top and several office supplies and against one of the free walls there was a 3-seater sofa, with a very large rug in front of it.

The young woman advanced to the piece of furniture and unloaded the suitcase so she did the same, looking for her notebook at once to refocus on what they were going to do.

They had been there for about an hour, choosing to sit better on the mat because it was more comfortable and made it easier for both of them to see the computer screen, when there was a knock on the door. It was the servant who told them that it was time for the snack, she followed her now to a huge dining room where 10 people can sit and thanked for the food. It was one of those weird sandwiches that were on TV, not like the ham and cheese ones she knew, and it was accompanied by crispy potato chips but with a flavor that made it clear that they were not from a package. She didn't want to compare her afternoon snacks were usually a few cookies or bread and a cup of coffee or tea, nor did she want to dwell on the fact that the bathroom was almost as big as her room.

They decided that they would study for another hour and she would go home, so they went back to the studio and once again got busy researching and taking notes to better establish what they were going to do. She was just beginning to pack what she had used in her suitcase when the door to the room opened and a stern looking woman made her presence known.

"Hi honey," was the greeting and Hana got up all at once to run to the woman and hug her.

"Mom!"

"Are you doing your homework?" The dark eyes had settled on her, assessing her completely, so she nodded. "I don't remember seeing you here before."

"Tenten is new at school."

"Tenten...?"

"Tenten Ama," she clarified as she understood that the tone of question was because she was expecting her full name

"Ama?" She seemed to be thinking about something. "I hadn't heard that surname before – who are your parents?"

"Zhihao and Xiuying Ama," the woman's eyebrow raised.

"Their names don't sound known to me, but it's clear they're not from here. Where do they come from?"

"From China, they immigrated 15 years ago." When she was barely 1 year old.

"I get it... What do they do for living?"

"Dad is a production worker at the fish factory and mom works as a maid at the hotel..." Before she could say the name of the place where her mother worked, she noticed that the woman's look changed completely to one of horror, taking Hana by the hand and striding out of the room without closing the door.

"You brought home one of the beggars!" She didn't shout properly, but she spoke loud enough to hear her from where she was standing. It was unknown to her whether or not she was trying to disguise her accusation even though she had gone to speak separately. "What were you thinking?"

"She's my friend, Mom. She's a good student and my project partner."

"Have you been keeping an eye on her? Have you noticed that she's not taking anything with her?" She felt a punch in her stomach at those words and their not-so-hidden meaning. Feeling the urge to run to the bathroom and throw back the snack she had been given. "You haven't shown her your jewelry. Have you?"

"She is not a thief."

"You don't know anything about her parents or the pigsty she grew up in." She finished packing what she was missing. "I clearly told the principal Ōnoki not to receive those mendicants and you go and bring one to our house." She stood up, it was clear her place and that woman was part of those parents she had heard that tried to prevent her scholarship. "We must check her suitcase so she wouldn't go and be..."