Non-Artificial Sweetener (Happy Sugar Life Fanfiction) [REBOOT]

5th Life: Sweetness and Bitterness

Before Satou disposed of the garbage bags, she wanted to try to get a little rest. She was able to have a few hours of sleep, but she was woken by some movement. Shio had turned to stare at her.

"Shio-chan, what's wro–" Satou tried to ask, but she was interrupted by Shio poking her lips with her fingers. Shio did this a few more times, squishing them like a toddler poking at a worm.

"You're soft!" Shio cooed. Then she giggled. "I loooooove you, Sato-chan!"

Satou smiled at the child. The fragments of sweetness fill me up, without leaving any room to spare. This is love. She appeared in front of me, the one who didn't understand love . . . whispering to me like an angel. Shio-chan is my sugar angel, for me alone.

The sugar girl moved out of the bed as soon as Shio fell back asleep. Satou went right to the locked room to retrieve the garbage bags in there.

I need to protect the life I have with her. I want to understand love more.

"Now, then–this trash . . ." Satou muttered to herself. "I wonder where I should throw it out?"

Satou took a stroll outside the apartment with one of the bags, going downtown and ending up at a bridge over the river. Maybe here? Satou held the bag over the edge of the railing. She was about to drop the bag . . . when she felt someone's presence nearby. She quickly looked behind herself. No one was there. She scanned the area, looking for anyone else out there. The area was empty–whoever was watching must have hidden themselves, so Satou wasn't going to take any chances. She gripped the garbage bags in her hands and ran back home.

Back at the Endo residence, Uchū woke up from her slumber. There wasn't any reason, she just woke up. Uchū looked at the clock on the wall. It was 3 am. She looked down. Hoshi was cuddled up next to her on their couch. With a groan, Uchū pulled the blanket off of the two of them and moved their tired bodies to Uchū's room. Hoshi was already comfortable sleeping next to her, so Uchū figured, why not? She laid there for a while. Just contemplating things, just wanting to reflect. Where had things gone so wrong? How am I supposed to make things better for Hoshi when I can't even take care of myself? Were people right about me when they said I couldn't handle this responsibility? Uchū clasped her hands together in silent prayer.

God, I know I don't ask for much, but can you help me out here? Ever since I lost my parents, I've only ever had Hoshi. I don't even have friends anymore! So, can you send me a friend? Could you send me an angel? Please send me the nicest one you have.

Then, Uchū rolled onto her side and fell asleep.

~{●♡●}~

The next day, Satou was eating with her friends again, this time with Uchū tagging along. She was scribbling in her notebook some more. Satou made a mental note to burn it when she got the chance. She would rather have dismissed the empty girl all together, but she didn't wish to cause any trouble with her friends who wanted Uchū there. The topic of today's discussion appeared to be an ex lover of Mei's.

"What?" Reika gasped. "He had a wife and kid all along?! He was just pretending to be a bachelor to date you?"

"Yeah," Mei sighed. "When I found out, he turned on me and said 'I'm just having you on the side.' So I just snapped at him."

"Whoa, that's the worst!" Reika complained.

"Seriously," Mei groaned, "I want to murder him!"

"You can't do that," Satou and Uchū both bluntly interrupted. Mei and Reika turned to stare at the girls.

"You can't murder him," Satou stated, biting down on a Pocky stick.