♥Futarigurashi♥Kotarou lives Alone♥

Chapter 11 - Rio & Karino

Everything felt surreal. One minute I was a normal sixteen year old girl and then the next minute I'm abandoned with a baby sister. What happened? How did it happen? It had to be a joke. What was this lawyer telling me? Why is he and the assistant looking at me as if I am a victim? Stop that. I'm not a victim at all. 

I actually noticed it. I noticed all the signs; the constant arguments, the fighting, the flying bottles of wine and beer cans, and the toxic insults that always pushed love away. I noticed it all. I just pretend to not notice it because that one time I got involved, I was told I was a bad child no matter which side I take. 

Did they even divorce? I just know dad walked out and never came back. Mom gave birth to Ruri and pretend everything was fine. She kept telling herself she will be a different single mother. She will be strong and successful single mother. I believed her because she hugged me and told me things will be different and she will change for me and for the new member of the family. 

"Rio, come here." She held me in her arms, tears falling on me as she cried. "Your father walked out on us. But that's okay, it's going to be okay. Mom is still here. As long as I am here, I won't let this family break apart." I don't cry that easily but I remember I actually cried.

The toxic environment changed for the better. I did the cleaning, the cooking, and caring for the baby after school. I didn't care about things like joining a club or when my classmates make fun of me for going home early like a child because I was proud I was able to relieve mom from household chores. She will focus on her job and make money. She won't need to worry about the chores because I was there. At the time, I told myself I will educate myself, make a lot of money, and then take care of mom and Ruri. That was my goal. I was proud of myself because I felt like I was a better adult that my father. 

I did everything right. Yet, I wonder why mom just left like that? At least with dad I saw signs he will walk away, but mom walking out on us and never coming back hurt me the most. She always returned with a smile on her face and when I ask her about work, she always told me she was fine and she was happy with work; her colleagues were very nice to her and she felt proud of me when my cooking skills increased each day. If I could ask any question, I will ask one thing...

"'What did I do wrong?' is a pretty good question to ask her, don't you think?" She asked Karino, who was working on his manga but he paused when Rio started to tell him about how her parents walked out on her one by one. 

Karino didn't know what to say. This all started because he asked her where Ruri was.

"That's why I am okay with Tamaru-san taking Ruri out fishing. I want her to feel what a positive role model for a father's like. I didn't have one so I want her to have one." 

"Rio..." 

"That being said, he's sad because Kotarou is out of his room. I wonder where he went?" 

"He probably went out to play." Karino found it hard to continue drawing. He stopped completely and then he went to his refrigerator to take out 6 pack of beers. "Time to boost some energy." 

"You say that but you took out the very thing that stops you from working."

"Don't be like that. Here's yours too." He offered her a can of beer. The two of them had good timing because they both opened the can at the same time. "What happened after that?"

"After she left? I was given a choice of going to a children's home with Ruri. I chose not to go. At that time, I believed mom was just having a moment of making a bad mistake and she will come back and apologize. Never fucking happened. Everyone in the neighborhood saw me struggle. Everyone looked at me with pity in their eyes."