One Above All

Chapter 36: Less Human.

Notes: Finally, here's the chapter where we officially begin the new arc, and with it, the one-year time skip. Hiro and Makima are now 15 years old, woo.

I hope I don't run into too many issues while working on this arc. If everything goes well, this arc should last at least 12 chapters, each between 8 and 12k words.

Does that sound good to you? Of course, there can always be changes along the way, but that's the general vision I have right now, basically, it's subject to change.

Anyway, let's cut the bullshit and finally get this started.

0O0O

Ever since Satomi could remember, her life had been nothing but peaceful, happy, and memorable.

Her father always came home from work at six in the evening, just in time to eat the delicious dinner her mother had ready. That's how it was, five days a week. Satomi had gotten so used to this routine that it became something heartwarming, something dear to her because of all the beautiful memories she had of herself running the moment she heard the door open, greeting her father with a strong welcoming hug.

He and she would laugh with joy, and both would ask each other what they had done throughout the day; her father was a good man. At some point, he had somehow managed to find a good balance between his work life and his family, and because of that, Satomi's nights were full of good memories, since her father dedicated all his time to playing with her. As the years went by, the routine changed a little, but her father was still there. They talked about any interesting topic they had seen on TV or in the newspaper, in hopes of creating more family moments.

To her, he was... the best father in the world.

And what about her mother?

Even though she was a housewife, she taught Satomi many things. Fundamental things, like how to cook so that in the future she wouldn't have to live off instant noodles; how to knit in case one day she ran out of clothes or simply wanted something new without spending too much; and it was also her who taught her how to read. Satomi could still remember exact moments where her mother tried her hardest to have lots of patience while she herself tried to combine things that she initially thought were just scribbles, but eventually understood were simple vowels or letters that could be combined with others to create the words she used every day.

Thanks to her mother's patience, Satomi became someone very diligent with her studies. She became the teachers' favorite at a young age, her grades always the best at the end of every school year, and all thanks to her mother, who taught her the importance of hard work and responsibility in order to live a full life without worries.

Her mother was a bit stricter than her father, but no less warm when it came to showing affection toward her only daughter. To Satomi, her mother was an angel she could always go to when she felt insecure, and she was also like a teacher who helped her understand the book of life.

To her, she was... the best mother in the world.

More than once, her parents had told her that they loved her with all their hearts, that they couldn't be prouder of her, and that no matter what happened in the future, they would support all of her decisions. It was easy to believe that, since Satomi had a great life ahead of her.

Yes... they... were the best parents in the world. They loved her from the day she was born, and she knew they would continue loving her in the future just as she loved them.

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...So then...