Marionette

Oceans, Chapter Three - Jitsugen [実現]

'Just stay away from me.'

The rest of Amaya's evening was prodded with those words replaying in her mind whenever her thoughts would wander. After being brushed off like that, Amaya had no understanding of what was going on - Nothing except for those five words and a sharp pain tearing havoc through her chest.

After snapping out of her frozen state after what was probably a good few minutes, Amaya had gone back to the Supermarket, finished the tasks for the evening and picked up some Takoyaki from the vendor for dinner on the way home. Yuta and Reiko had asked Amaya at one point what had happened with Karma, but after Amaya's honest remark of 'I don't know', they didn't ask anything more about it.

They ate their Takoyaki on the way home while Amaya carried the many bags of household items with the overweight unicorn plushy carefully held to her back by the strap of her messenger bag. While Amaya tried in vain to figure out what had gotten Karma so out of whack, Yuta and Reiko chattered about something to do with school. Normally, Amaya would listen, as she was always interested in what went on in the lives of her precious siblings, but she just didn't have the heart to, that night.

She was too bothered about the situation with Karma - Too worried that he had gotten into some trouble that she should take some blame for.

About the only thing she could actually come up with was that Karma got a major lecture from the Faculty because of that innocent enough prank, but her stomach told her this wasn't the case. Hell, even she had done worse than trap water fountains with cola, much worse, and yet she never got anything more than an hours worth of detention after class.

After putting all the shopping away and passing Reiko her new plushy, Amaya was finally able to sit down and eat her dinner. The twins busied themselves with washing up, and the rest was a blur to Amaya.

She vaguely registered having a shower, and of course she had gone to her room to get dressed. She remembered nothing else.

'Amay! Wake up!' Came a familiar voice through the black that was slumber, stirring her as an incessant shaking of her shoulder came to her sleepy notice. Amaya groaned slightly as she felt that shaking become a little rougher,forcing her eyes to crack open against the embrace of sleep that tried to keep her.

She found herself staring up at a familiar face after a few seconds, that of Yuta's. He was kneeling on the edge of her bed, hair brushed and in his school uniform already. The room was also quite light, what with the curtains drawn to let the morning light inside.

Wait ... morning light?

'Yuta ...?' Amaya mumbled, lifting a hand to rub her eyes lightly. 'What time is it...?'

'It's half past seven.' Yuta responded, a small smile touching his face as he clambered off the side of Amaya's bed.

The teenager was silent for a few seconds, until fright overcame her.

'Wait!? After Seven?!' Amaya exclaimed as she threw herself upright. 'Oh my god! I slept in?!'

'A-Amay -' Yuta began, however Amaya was too busy throwing the blankets aside and climbing out of bed to have heard him.

'Okay so I have to get the both of you breakfast and pack your obento, and -'

'Amaya!' Yuta shouted, startling Amaya out of her train of frantic thought; She froze part-way through yanking her sleeping shirt off, turning her head to blink owlishly at her grinning brother. 'We stole your clock last night.'

Amaya blinked once again before she spoke.

'Why'd you go and do that? Now you guys haven't had breakfast or your obento for school--'