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PLAY TRACK NINE: Fool
Tadaomi Karasuma thought he knew his niece.
If someone had to ask him what his relationship with Kumiko Karasuma was, he would say it was simple. He loved her and she loved him, a normal uncle-niece relationship but sometimes he worries for her.
When his sister asked him if it was possible for Kumiko to live with him, he automatically said yes.
It wasn't until the kid started living with him that he realized how bad his sister's relationship issues were. Kumiko didn't give him many details, she just mentioned that her mom didn't want to handle her anymore.
He gave his niece a hug when she said that and gave his sister a call. (She never picked up.)
After that, Kumiko seemed okay. She started a new school, mentioned she gained friends and had dinner together almost every day. It was normal, everything seemed okay.
Everything seemed okay until Tadaomi started seeing some changes.
How weird was it when she would sometimes go home with bruises and scrapes with not much of an explanation even when he asked?
Don't get him started on the kid she hangs out with, the amount of times he heard them shouting at each other is absurd (not to mention he got in trouble with the neighbors several times due to it) and he sees her hanging out with Akabane sometimes which he respects her decision but how did they even become friends? Their personalities don't seem to match.
It was during the assembly when he realized his niece wasn't doing well.
Tadaomi caught sight of Kumiko when he entered the gymnasium, she was distributing some papers and she looked sad. It was a look you would have when you were having a bad day.
The same look she had after visiting her father one day.
Nonetheless, he stayed away. He didn't want her to get involved with the mission and have her life get caught up with his. Everything was going fine, despite Irina being Irina, but it was when those kids did that prank, he got a glimpse of Kumiko's expression.
She was guilty.
Where did he go wrong as an adult figure that she would associate herself with these people?
Everything became a blur after that because Tadaomi Karasuma thought he knew his niece.
if you ever read the original lackey, kumiko was more antagonistic to her uncle whereas here she's more curious? because while writing I realized she doesn't have a big reason to go thru such lengths to do these things unlike asano who has issues w his dad
thats one of the major changes I did so yeah++ short chapter this week in a bit of a writers block atm
