We met up again and I was still shaken by what Satsuki told me. I wanted to keep what I knew within me but the other three knew something was wrong and I could hear them telling me they told me so. In the very back of my mind, I could hear Satsuki's guttural sobs, interspersed with her cursing me for having betrayed her.
As per usual, the Kiryuuin Mystery came up in our discussion and then Satsuki came up in that subject. Gamagoori reiterated his point about Satsuki and I just blurted out, "I don't need to be reminded!" They were staring at me for the better part of thirty minutes before Uzu asked about Satsuki, specifically, "What did she tell you?"
"I'm in deep and that's all I'll say."
"Fuck you mean?!"
"I'm in DEEP. "
They knew. They've had their suspicions and what Satsuki told me confirmed. "Nonon, now's not the time to tell lies. If you know something, you'd better say it." Gamagoori said, while Houka and Uzu stayed quiet. I was more conflicted. On one end, I'm accessory after the fact to a murder but, on the other end, I knew Satsuki really needed some help.
As I thought of this, I remembered her sisters and how she may as well have given birth to them herself with how protective she is. If I told, I'd be betraying her but, mostly, I'd be betraying her sisters, as telling would be taking her away from them. Nevertheless, something in me wanted to tell what I knew, while the other part insisted I stay mum.
With those three already knowing, the part that wanted to tell would win but under the condition that I swear them to secrecy like Sissie did me. "I suppose it's not 'betrayal', if you already knew." I told them, before telling them that what I tell them must not leave the spot where I told them. I told them, to some degree, what Satsuki told me. "Yes, her name is Satsuki and, yes, you were right, she is a fugitive. I'm in deep." I told them.
"Fuck you mean?"
"Her name is 'Satsuki', as Gamagoori guessed."
"Satsuki, who?"
"Kiryuuin. She told me that her full name is 'Satsuki Kiryuuin', so, even though I don't know their names, I'd posit her sisters' names are 'Ryuuko' and 'Nui'."
"Huh?!"
"That's her real identity and she was 11-years old."
They looked at me with goggled eyes, before Houka asked, "11-years old?" I answered affirmatively, before going onto tell him that Ragyo was a rabid animal, asking him, "What do you do with rabid animals?" I was shaking. Once again, Pandora's box was opened and, so, now, we're all in it. I should have never pried. I should have just been content with the half-truths. I wish I had stayed in denial but I couldn't. Satsuki, Sissie trusted me enough to tell me what happened that night. Somehow, in my mind, I pictured a tearful 11-year old spattered in blood that wasn't hers. Idly, I found myself saying, "She had to have been crying that night."
"Crying?"
"She was 11 years old at the time."
"..."
"She told me she wanted their mother to stop hurting them. "
"Why didn't she stay there?"
"She was scared. Her sisters are really the only family she has."
"..."
"She was a little girl."
I was breaking down. I didn't want to tell but I couldn't resist and they already knew. I could hear her voice, her guttural sobs, and only think, Satsuki, please forgive me. I begged the other three to keep what I've told them secret. "Telling the authorities would take her away from them, hell, it might even kill her because her sisters are all she really has! They're practically her babies." I told them, while, within, I was begging that Satsuki forgive me.
That night, I wound up crying myself to sleep.
