Ｓｏｖｅｒｅｉｇｎ | 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘆'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴᴇ

TERUMI STEPPED SLUGGISHLY AS she progressed to the car, fighting the whimpers and quiver of her bottom lip that barely jutted out, struggling to choke back sobs, in an effort to maintain her dignity.

She reached for the handle of the car door, though had no chance to grab it as she was shoved to the side abruptly, making way for her younger cousin, Keiko. "No! i'll get in first!" She declared proudly, excitedly lifting her body into the car.

Hiroshi, Terumi's older cousin and Keiko's elder brother, spared her no glance as he entered the car second. Terumi hissed as pain coursed through her palms; sprung in the scrapes caused by catching herself on the pavement.

"Ow..." she mumbled, blowing softly on the, now, scuffed skin. "Hurry and get in the car Terumi" Sena ordered, glancing at the seated child through her rear view mirror, unable to see the condition she was in currently due to the angle.

"Oh, right!!" She shouted apologetically, weakly pushing her body from the ground. dusting herself off, she climbed carefully into the car; settling in a booster seat, securing her seatbelt with the reluctant help of Hiroshi.

—

"Daddy!!" both Keiko and Hiroshi shouted as they rushed into Inoda's open arms. "Hey!" he smiled brightly, lifting the children with ease, eliciting their small giggles of joy.

"Daddy, we went to a park, and mommy pushed me on the swings!! And then we got ice cream!! There was a bird too!!" Keiko announced excitedly, bouncing in her fathers careful grasp.

"And we saw a plane in the sky too!" Hiroshi added, quickly swiping his hand through the air, mimicking plane sounds; before keiko joined in. "Hello, uncle" Terumi spoke suddenly, bowed politely.

She continuously rubbed her hands, as she'd been doing so once the car ride began, though the strategy did not lessen the sting she felt residing in her palms. "...Hey, Terumi. How was your day?" Inoda asked reluctantly, poorly feigning his interest.

"I didn't get any ice cream, but I looked at all the pretty pictures" She told, reminiscent of her feelings as she stared, almost envious, at the many delicious looking ice cream selections within the menu.

"I'm here!"

"Auntie!"

Terumi wasted no time running to the foyer, greeting Mirai with a blank expression, and open arms. Her small chubby arms wrapped around Mirai's slender calves, and she received a few head pats as a return of her greeting.

"Hey, Terumi. How are you?" Mirai questioned through a soft chuckle, while Terumi moved backwards a few short steps to meet eyes with her. "I'm okay— hnnng..." She whimpered softly, recalling the pain in her throbbing palms.

Mirai hummed softly, confusion displayed on her face, inspecting Terumi's small stature. Capturing the child blowing on the butt of her hands, she noticed slight swelling and redness; most of it being blood.

"Oh my gosh—!" She gasped, lowering her body to floor. "—what happened here?!" She questioned, gently taking the child's hands into her own to inspect the dirtied injury carefully. "I fell" Terumi answered nonchalantly, softly wincing at the pain.

"Oh, no. c'mon, Let's get you cleaned up" Mirai sighed, lifting the child carefully, placing her at the hip, bringing her further into the home, meeting Sena in the kitchen opening a cold bottle of water.

"So, you didn't notice your own nieces injury?" She scoffed, leaning onto her left leg, holding Terumi's body tightly. "Since you're here, why don't you take for the weekend" Sena shrugged off Mirai's comment naturally.

"I'd love to but since i live with dad, that's impossible" She sighed, stepping to the kitchen sink, pulling a stood for Terumi to stand on. She ran Terumi's small, chubby hands underneath warm water, softly rubbing the dirt and blood away with her thumbs.

"It's all because of Senkou being a—"

"Hey! Don't say that in front of Terumi!"

Mirai shot a menacing glare, Sena reacting with a brief eye roll, tightening the bottle cap onto her water. "Hmm?" Terumi hummed, glancing backwards at Mirai, who's expression seemed 'peeved' while she stared at her elder sister,

"Whatever"

—

Manjiro leaned backwards into the soft, dark couch, it's appearance matching the aesthetic of the room he sat in. The Haitani brothers just next to him, Rindou sitting in a couch next to him, and Ran across from him.

The two engaged, indolently, in a game of 'old maid'. he sighed deeply, His empty obsidian orbs fixated on the ticking clock settled on the wall behind him. "It's been seven years..." He spoke up for the first time since entering the room.

The game was paused as the brother's matching anticipation-filled violet eyes shifting to their employer. The two could not understand his meaning behind the '7 years' comment.

"...I'll visit her... tomorrow sounds fine" He muttered, eyes glazed over with boredom as his eyes shifted to the ceiling above him. "...Visit who?" Ran's curiosity overtook him, unable to wait for his boss to be clear with his words.

Manjiro lazily shifts his gaze towards the pair, thin lips curling into a slight frown. "...Terumi. My daughter" He answered, enlightening the two, sparking their memory of the current situation.

A deep silence befell the room once again, as their game resumed, and those words spoken were the last for the night.

—

A dreary aura emerged from the the Sawanoi main estate. there, in the parlor, the current head, Sawanoi Ogano sat in silence; his children and their spouses following suit. no one dared to speak ahead of the elder.

"I'm sure I called for everyone, correct?" His piercing gaze landed on the maid who stood next to him. She took a small step forward, bowing respectfully, her hands clasped before her waist.

"Yes" She responded promptly, avoiding a tremble quaking within her throat. "So where the hell is Mirai?" He questioned, leaning his head on the hand that rested on the chairs armrest.

"Lady Mirai stated she'd be spending the day with Lady Senkou's daughter" The maid explained, flinching as she heard Ogano's loud grumble. "Ah? That bastard? Tch..." He mumbled, tapping his finger impatiently against the armrest.

Sena sighed softly, her eyes gazing out the vine covered window of the parlor. 'Mirai, you idiot. you've put dad in a bad mood...' She thought, a frown creeping onto her lips.

"Get ahold of Mirai. Meanwhile, we'll continue here" Ogano ordered, as everyone nodded and their undecided attention returned to Ogano.