Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Ten years ago*
Age 5/October 5 1997/Tokyo, Japan.
"Who left the window open?"
Our stepfather asked while holding a broom in his hand, ready to hit us. Since I was the one who left it open, I cried silently without making any sounds and bit my tongue.
I was so afraid of receiving another painful hit, but it was my fault so I prepared my voice to speak and confess that it was me, but Iza-nii spoke first.
"I'm the one who left it open, I'm sorr-"
I flinched when our stepfather hit him without warning.
I could taste my own blood inside my mouth because I bit my tongue so hard to stop myself from screaming, it might trigger the old man and make him hit me too, I didn't want that.
Kakucho's hand held mine tightly, my gaze turned to him and I could see the tears he was holding back in his eyes, because of that I bowed my head lower and looked at my tiny and thin thighs as a drip of tears fell from my eyes.
My older brother always received hits, slaps, punches and other methods of abuse. Sometimes Kaku-chan also received punches if our stepfather was drunk, he would nag him for being a pain in the pocket because he didn't have enough money to feed three kids, including himself.
And Iza-nii was responsible for that because he picked up Kakucho out of nowhere and brought him into our house. On the first day they arrived here together, my older brother fell unconscious for three days because father hit him.
But since Kaku-chan became useful to him, stepfather decided to keep him with us and treat him as family. I was happy because I could play with him, but that happiness shattered when I found out that Iza-nii and also Kaku-chan would go with stepfather every night to a drug user's hideout.
