Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CH IV - no fishes in the pond
☠️
1999
It was that pond that was her sacred heaven, the go-to spot when Haru was having his fits, and the fear was so overwhelming that Risa had to get away. She'd settle on the edge, balancing herself on the stone with her hands, staring at the Koi fish for hours, allowing her mind to fade in and out with useless thoughts for once in her life; she didn't have to calculate her father's emotions; she didn't have to deal with Izumi's orders or the whispers whenever she walked by. The pond was quiet, and for the first time in her life, she felt secure.
But the feeling was temporary, when Risa thought they might have forgotten about her and there was a chance she could stay there forever Hina would always be the one to arrive and collect her. In reterospect, she probably should have chosen a different hiding spot but, the others never gave her safety like this one. Hina would stare at her with an indifferent face and would say.
"It's time to go back inside Risa."
Her reactions were always ones of protest and Hina never relented it always ended with her older sister dragging her back into the house while she so desperately reached back in tears for her spot.
This instance, her visit to the Koi Pond wasn't because of Haru; in fact, his mood wasn't particularly bad. Something in her just snapped that day, and she didn't feel like being the good puppet she was to Izumi. She found a way to untagle herself from her stepmother's hand when she was distracted by a guest. When she made it to her spot, her body instantly came back to the feeling she always craved, and like always, she balanced herself, sat down on the stone, and looked down at the fish with a small smile on her face.
She doesn't remember how long she was there; she didn't even move at all; all she was focused on was the fact that her heart beat was at a steady pace. This is it. She thought, Why can't it always be like this? The silence was broken, and Risa didn't even have to look to know who it was yet; she did anyway. Hina looked beautiful; her long black hair was clipped up, she wore her natural face, and she was dressed in a red kimono with the white lotus flower sprinkled on different areas of the fabric.
It was her engagement ceremony to sensei.
"I'm not going back." Risa stated. Hina didn't say anything; she fell limp and moved to kneel next to Risa, slouching down.
Risa stared at her sister in bewilderment. Shouldn't she be celebrating with her future husband and in-laws? Risa decided to let it be; she didn't want to go back inside, and if it came at the cost of being near her older sister, so be it.
