Daarin | ダーリン | Oscar Piastri

S1 E4: The Shattered Mirror

"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."

 — Mother Teresa

8 August 2017
Osaka, Japan

"Here you go. I hope your sister likes these," Emiko said with a small smile as she handed Kenji a bag containing her old clothes.

Kenji nodded, throwing the bag over his shoulder. "Thanks, Emiko. I... I really appreciate it," he replied, his tone slightly awkward.

Emiko couldn't help but chuckle at Kenji's stiff gratitude. He had never been the most expressive person. "It's nothing much. I was planning to donate them anyway."

She knew how much Kenji's family had been struggling recently, especially with Yui rapidly outgrowing her clothes as she went through puberty. Emiko hoped this small gesture would ease their burden, even if just a little. It wasn't much, but it was something she could do to help.

"Now, my beloved friend Kenji, get out of my house." She walked towards her main door and opened it widely with a big smile on her face.

Kenji rolled his eyes with a small smile and walked out of the house, Emiko following behind. "Don't say I left you lonely, yeah? I don't want to get beaten up by Oscar."

At the mention of Oscar's name, Emiko felt an anxious shiver run down her spine. It had been a few days since she sent out her letter, and she still hadn't received a reply.

Trying to cover up her anxiety, Emiko let out a huff. "Get lost. Don't die."

"I'll try my best." Kenji waved, then turned around and walked away from her house.

As she watched Kenji walk away, a sense of loneliness crept in. The house felt too quiet, too empty. She had written several letters to Oscar, hoping for a reply, but the silence from his end made her anxious. She sighed, walking over to a small shelf outside of her house to get a watering can.

A figure caught her attention as she bent down to water a small potted plant. "Nanami?" 

A smile spread over Emiko's face as she waved her best friend over. "What are you doing here? Do you want to come in? I've been dying for some company; it's a little empty in the house."

Emiko chuckled, but Nanami showed no sign of sharing Emiko's happiness.

"I'm not staying," Nanami said sharply, her tone cutting through the warm summer air like a knife. She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and held it up in front of Emiko, her eyes dark and distant. "I'm here to tell you something."

Emiko squinted, eyes focused on the paper, her heart skipping a beat when she recognized the handwriting—Oscar's. A small, hopeful smile crept onto her lips as she reached out for it. "Is that from Oscar? What did he say?"

Nanami pulled the paper back before Emiko could touch it, a cruel smile tugging at her lips. "Oscar gave me his number when you couldn't come to send him off. He said he wanted to get to know me better. I thought you should know."

Emiko's heart sank as her hand hovered in the air. She stared at Nanami in disbelief, her mind struggling to process what she had just heard. "What? But... he promised me—"

"Promise you what? Not to leave you alone? Come on, your parents probably made that promise too, but..." Nanami raised her hand above her eyes in a searching motion. "I don't see them anywhere."

Emiko's breath caught in her throat, and she felt the sting of tears welling up. She tried to hold them back, tried to stay strong, but the words cut deep. The memory of Oscar's promise was fresh in her mind—how he had looked at her, how he had made her feel like she wasn't alone. But now, it all felt like a lie.

"Nami... Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends. I'm sor—"

"Don't 'Nami' me. You really thought I was your friend, didn't you? Of course, you did. You are the perfect, pretty, popular, and talented Emiko, who can't stand not being your friend. Come on, don't embarrass yourself. You actually thought Oscar was interested in you? That he would stay by your side?" Nanami cut in, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You're so pathetic, Emiko. Even your own parents can't stand to be around you. They find other things—other people—more important than their own daughter. Maybe you should try harder." Nanami laughed in mockery.

The words hung in the air, sharp and cruel, and Nanami felt a dark satisfaction as she saw Emiko's expression change from hurt to anger.

Emiko felt the anger welling up inside her, pushing the hurt aside. How dare Nanami say these things? How dare she try to tear her down like this? She clenched her fists, her voice trembling with fury. "Get lost," she said through gritted teeth, her voice low and dangerous. "Get lost right now, Nanami. Get lost and never. Talk to me again."

Nanami smirked and gave her ex-best friend a small shrug. "Sure. It's your loss."

Nanami walked away, not feeling even a small sense of guilt—only satisfaction with the pain she had inflicted on Emiko. Emiko had always been the one in the spotlight, always the one people adored. But now, Nanami had brought her down a notch and shown her that she wasn't untouchable.

Emiko stood there, her heart pounding with a mix of anger and despair. As she watched Nanami disappear down the street, Emiko felt the tears she had been holding back finally spill over. She slammed her door shut, the sound echoing through the empty house. The silence that followed was deafening, pressing down on her like a weight she couldn't shake. She walked back inside, her legs feeling heavy, and sank onto the couch. The house, once filled with warmth and laughter, now felt cold and lifeless.

She sat there for a long time, her mind replaying Nanami's cruel words over and over. How could Oscar break his promise? How could Nanami be so heartless? And what hurt the most was how everything Nanami had said about Emiko was right, no one wanted her.

The more she thought about it, the more the hurt and anger tangled together, until all she could do was cry.