A Few Years Ago.

*Bang *Bang

The smas.h.i.+ng sound of the wooden stick banging onto each other can be heard out loud.

*Bang *Bang *Bang

Repeatedly hitting so hardly on the oiled wooden doll with a polearm, the hints of sweats are appearing from her delicate cheek.

*Bang *Bang *BAM

Tenko vertically smashed the doll with a high impact force. Pulling it again and round it around, hitting it right on the head, pulling it again, she launched herself in and swing her weapon down.

*BANG!*

*Tak *Tak

The doll springe left and right, it stays in that state for a couple of seconds before staying still.

Rolling around her polearm once again, she fixed her posture, standing straight up. Taking a deep breath, she let it out, "Fooo…"

She turns around and goes for a break, sitting on the left side of the training room. She tries much to relax herself.

The place is that kind of an old j.a.panese dojo, but there is no one around but herself.

After a while when she was done resting. Tenko goes back to her room and changed into her casual clothing. Loose pink T-s.h.i.+rt with a bunny at the center, both in front and in the back with a special pose of a dabbing rabbit at the front. It also has a strap, holding tightly from her shoulder to her fluffy subtle grey skirt that covered her delicate skin all the way to her ankle.

With a glance only just after she has changed, Tenko noticed something... some annoyances. As she frowned looking at the non-humanoid made thread, she turned her head away and left her roo,

Walking through the endless hallway, one can instantly tell just how ma.s.sive her home is. She turned left, pa.s.sing many paintings and pictures of landscapes. As she walked out of it, Tenko arrived in the main hall.

She walked down the stairs above the red carpet and found her parents relaxing on the sofa right at the center of the room. The neatly put furniture and decorations make it small, but one can definitely tell that it's not. Tenko called out to them, "Mother, father."

Her mother turned her head around after taking a sip of her tea, and as she put it down, she said, "Yes, sweetie?"

"The maids were still not cleaning my room properly."

"What do you mean?"

"There is dust all over my pillows and my tables too. There is even a spider web right underneath where I usually sit."

"But, they said they already cleaned it about an hour ago."

"Yes, but there's still some left. I can't stand it, mother. Can you tell them to clean it again?"

"S-Sure, sweetie."

Tenko's eyes light up, "Thank you, mother." As the matter that conflicted her mind has been taken care of, she takes a turn and then left, but as she was about to leave. Her mother stopped her and asked, "Wait, where are you going?"

"To the backyard. I would like to see the new flowers uncle Zak planted for me."

"What, again?"

"Mm?"

Tenko's mother shook her head, "Um, never mind. Come here."

"What do you need, mother?"

"Nothing, Tenko. Come, sit with us."

Tenko paused for a moment, wondering just what is it that she needs from her. There is nothing that came to her mind and so she just did what she asked her to. She sat beside her mother. Her father glanced at her for a bit, and then s.h.i.+fted his attention back to the newspaper.

Tenko's mother nervously tapped Tenko's shoulder, "Your father and I have been thinking…" Tenko is blinking her eyes a few times, her mother's paused kind of… irritates her. 'We have been thinking that we should go on vacation. How about it?"

"Mm, what for?" Tenko asked back.

"I mean, all these school things must've worn you out, yes? Maybe we can go back to grandpa and spend the week there. What do you think?"

"I don't know…"

Her mother's welling up the air as if it's hard for her to breathe, she then sighed. Speaking once again, "Okay, what about going somewhere else? Like Rome or Paris? Your beloved auntie there miss you so much, you know."

Tenko wiggles her mouth as she shut her eyes, "Mmm… I don't feel like going anywhere, mother. Do we really have to take a vacation?"

"Well…" the mother's lips tightened, she glanced at the father and when he met her gaze, he sighed. Closing his newspaper down, he turned his head to Tenko and said, "Sweetie, it's not that we have to, but we want to take this chance to get us even closer, together."

Tenko tilted her head, "What are you saying, father. We are already close…" a paused and silence happened for a moment, "Do you think that we—"

"No. No, no. Sweetie, no. We are close, yes, but we just want us to be even closer, all of us." the father cut her before she said it. He knew that when that kind of word is out, something bad would happen to their relations.h.i.+p.

He swallowed his saliva facing another silence from Tenko, nervous of what she's going to say. "Hmm… then, can we just have sus.h.i.+ at home? We don't need to go out for us to bond, no?"

"T-That's…" the father glanced down, he doesn't know how to reply. Afraid of getting things wrong again, he chooses silence.

Tenko's mother noticed his troubles. She went and said, "Sweetie, we just had sus.h.i.+ last week."

"I know, but…" she sighed, "Mother can we just stay at home? I don't like to go out right now."

The mother starts panicking when her child is sighing. That just indicates that she's tired of the conversation they are having on. The mother quickly said, "O-Of course, we don't have to leave the house" smiling nervously as she said, "Then I'll order the sus.h.i.+ right now. Go on, sweetie. You can go ahead and look at the flowers while you wait."

Tenko's eyes gleaming so brightly within an instant. Her change of att.i.tude truly shocked them, but they are used to it. "Really?? Thank you, mother!" hugging her, "I love you so, so much!"

Her mother was baffled by her sudden change of behavior. With a hardened heart, she lax herself more and patted Tenko on her head. Stroking her hair as she said, "Me too, sweetie.���

Tenko quickly rose from her seat and slowly walked to the hallway on the right.

The two-parent looked to each other and then sighed, but the mother then formed a smile afterward while the father shook his head.

…

Arriving at the back of the house, she opened the gla.s.s door and was in awe when the greetings of the lush scenery approach her eyes. When she rested her hand on the white fence, she stares deeply into the much colorful beauty of the flowers… and it was indeed, a beautiful sight.

Sighing as she felt joy and happiness in her heart, "Haa… sus.h.i.+ with family is the best."

Smiling while looking at the distance, "Hehe, uncle really did go overboard. Those purple flowers must've taken a long time to lay it down like that."

The artistic way her uncle planted the flowers is astonis.h.i.+ng and at the same time, completely unnecessary. He stuck them to the windowed wall in which aligned perfectly, but at the same, it felt like it's not. Tenko noticed the oddity, "Hmm… I wished he would just let people help him once in a while, but still, he's done a really good job on that for sure. Hmm… now that I see it again, it really does seem similar to what mother has in her garden. No matter, if it's good in my eyes, then it's not a problem."

She walked down the stairs elegantly and stroll around the garden, the sun is about to set, but the scenery is something one cannot easily beat. She inhaled the fresh air deeply and let them out slowly, "Haa… marvelous. Soon my garden will be complete, I wonder what I should do next… or maybe should I do something with it once it's done? Hmm… I want to do so many things but soon I will be graduating, and I'll have to move out then."

Having reach the end of the pathway, she took off her shoes and grabbed a fluffy tribal hoody from the table.

As she looks up the swaying wood, there is a sign that said "Kid, take off your shoes!"

*Pfft*

"Hehehe" giggling to herself when she saw it. "Haa… that always gets me."

She went inside (outside), to the gra.s.sy plain full of flowers surrounding them and then lied down at the center of it, completely opening her arms and legs.

Humming a tune to herself, she then rolls around.

"Bwaah, let's see… once I grew up, I will open up a store full of flowers, and then… open up a restaurant, become a doctor, ooh, I also want to invest some of my money, and then, ohh, ohh, I know! I'll open up a new company! Right, I'll build them from scratch too! I'll rose to the sky and build a giant hotel that scratches the clouds, and then, and then!! I will put that name on top of it, YES, one day…" with a smile and confident, she raised her palm high, and yelled loudly, "I will put that name… The name Kusanagi, up in the sky!"

After that warm smile, she burst out to laughter, "Ahahaha!" an oddly joyful laughter.

…

The sun is slowly getting cold. Tenko went to check on another project that she has, "Hum-hum, hum… hum-hum."

She couldn't wait to see it unwrapped in her eyes, the project she has going on is something she has been working on for a long time, and she has been tending to them every single day. "Haa… if this is successful, I'm going to become a vegetarian!"

The gla.s.shouse is in her sight. Tenko has been working on growing up vegetables and plants on her own in this greenhouse. Her excitement keeps getting bigger each time she step closer to it, but that excitement soon dropped as her eyes widened seeing the metal door is unlocked.

"Huh? Where's the… I was sure I locked it yesterday."

Looking to her right, she found the said chain being put on the ground. Sweats started forming on her cheek, muttering, "I never put the lock on the ground before, was I? No, I'm sure of it. I always put hygiene on high—"

She suddenly heard a subtle noise coming from inside the greenhouse, she turned her head to the front, quickly slam the door opened and dashes to the disturbing noise.

The light coming from the lamp was bright and they are giving life to the plants beneath. Many kinds of vegetables were stored here. Including herbs, and they are all being laid down neatly on the pots, the layered table, the shelves, and even the ceiling. With the use of wires, she can easily reach them in the air without the use of a ladder.

She went to look at the first plant that came to her sight, the leaf is wet, it's like someone has watered it just a moment ago. Tenko quickly noticed what is going on. Her face turned pale as she clenches her fist tightly through her gloves.

She went deeper in, and as she s.h.i.+fted her eyes to her right, she found the culprit. She found the one that came inside her greenhouse without permission… it's a maid.

Tenko's anger is like boiled water in a kettle that has not been taken out. She welled up the anger to her head and yelled, "You, what do you think you're doing?!"

The maid got startled. She stopped pouring the water and quickly turned around. She saw Tenko in a seriously bad mood. "M-Miss Kusanagi."

"I���m asking what you're doing!!"

The maid trembles, "T-This, I was cleaning outside, i-in the garden, but when I saw this place I thought that I should clean it too."

"But I didn't ask for it, why did you do it!!"

The maid, she's terrified. "That was, it's because that—"

"Didn't you see the sign outside! DON'T ENTER!!"

"Y-Yes."

"Then why did you come in?! Who gave you…" gritting her teeth while holding her head in disbelief, "Who… who gave you permission to enter my garden in the first place, huh?"

"M-Miss—"

"ANSWER ME!"

"I… I…" her legs started s.h.i.+vering, "I… I…" she tried hard, but couldn't muster up a word.

Tenko glanced at the plants on her right and saw the leaf is completely soaked, she glared at the maid and pointed to the plants, "SEE WHAT YOU DID!? YOU RUINED IT! YOUR RUINED THEM ALL!!"

Even though what she spouts might be an exaggeration, in her eyes, everything has been ruined when one was.

"B-But miss—"

Tenko quickly approached her and then slapped her hands so hard that it s.h.i.+vers, making the pot fell and spilled the water all over the floor. The maid… her eyes start getting teary. Tenko pointed her finger close to her face, "If you were my maid, I would fire you right here… and now. Consider yourself lucky this time…"

"M-Miss Kusanagi, p-please—"

"Get out!"

The maid still stood there trembling. Tenko was annoyed by it so badly, "I said get out! If I see you here again, you'll…" gritting her teeth, "Grahh! Just LEAVE ALREADY!!"

Tears flowing out from the maid tears, she bowed to Tenko deeply and then left the gla.s.shouse as she wipes her tears.

Tenko's face still hardened. Her eyes spinning like a rotating clocktower. She was about to slam her fist down, but she controlled herself. No one in the right mind could destroy something that they have built on their own.

Her heart is pounding so fast, and really hard. Tears quickly follow her eyes behind, and it dripped to the plants. Covering her face with her hands… she's crying.

…

Several moments later. Tenko has cleaned herself up and fully clothed in a frilly outfit, fancy but elegant at the same time. She chose something that would be easy to move in and doesn't look too innocently cute.

At this point, she has calmed down now.

The maids that were helping her change are trembling. It is easy to tell that they must have heard of the previous incident back at the greenhouse. They didn't say anything and still keep their saliva wet. Not that Tenko doesn't care about it either. In her eyes, the maids are just simply helpers that can always be replaced.

She just left the room as soon as it's done, shoving the maids' hands away as walked out.

Despite her att.i.tude, they went accompanied her to enter the dining hall anyway. Until she dismissed them, they will have to follow her no matter what.

Waiting inside the dining hall, are her parents with the fresh sus.h.i.+ already in place extravagantly on the dining table.

Tenko sat down and then the maids quickly prepared for her right away. Afterwards, they stood in the far corner, but Tenko's father signaled them to leave. And so, they did.

It was silent. Tenko not saying anything is making her mother nervous.

"Sweetie, is everything okay? We already have the sus.h.i.+ here for you."

Tenko glanced at her, and then sighed. "Mother, I'm sure you have already heard. You don't need to pretend otherwise."

"Tenko!" her father yelled.

Tenko shuddered as her eyes widened.

The occasion where the father got mad because of her words is rare and very much, not a good sign or thing to Tenko. He realized that he made a mistake, he accidentally yelled at her. "N-No I mean, Tenko listen…"

The child's eyes started getting teary after hearing her father screamed at her like that.

Tenko's mother quickly went panic. "S-Sweetie, don't cry. Daddy— I mean, your father is not angry at you, okay?" bringing the seat closer to her, the mother then hugged Tenko in her arms. Patting her head as she said, "Don't worry, we're not mad."

*Hic*

"Hush, child. Don't cry."

Tenko plant her face to her mother's chest.

After a while, Tenko calmed down.

Her eyes seem restless with all the stress and cries. "I'm sorry, mother."

"No, sweety. You don't need to apologize to me. We're a family."

"But…"

"No buts. Okay?"

"All right."

"No, not all right, okay?"

"O-Okay."

She patted her head once more, and stroke it gently as she eyed her down with a warm smile. "Good girl."

The father then spoke, "Me too, I, I—"

"No, father. I know, I understand. It was my mistake, I won't do it again."

The father's eyes light up. He didn't expect it to be resolved so quickly. Sighing in relief, "Haa… all right, why don't we have our sus.h.i.+ now? Any later and it won't be as fresh anymore."

He went and plated some for Tenko and then some for the mother. After eating for a while, Tenko's expression relaxed quite a bit.

The father was waiting for a chance to bring up the topic about the previous incident with the maid, and he thinks that this is the good time for it. "So um, about the garden."

Tenko stopped chewing.

"It was me who told the maid to clean your garden. I'm sorry I didn't ask you for that first."

Her eyes widened, she let out a husky voice, "I… see."

This irritates her since she knows now… there is nothing she can do about it. She just simply thought that it means the maid really did go off so easily. She even said it herself, lucky.

"Listen, honey. We can fix this and replace the plants with a new one…"

Tenko's eyes still wide open, she's not even blinking.

"It was an accident that she went into your greenhouse. She was just trying to help you, that's all. She didn't deserve to be yelled at like that…"

Tenko… is clenching her fist so tightly underneath the table.

"So, can you forgive her for me?"

"…" after a long paused, she finally blinked her eyes again and starts chewing on her food. She swallowed them in lightly, and slowly turned her head to her father, smiling as she said, "Of course, father."

The father's eyes widened, he was about to smile.

"That was really delicious, I would like to have them again."

But the smile soon faded before it was even formed.

"Unfortunately, I'm already full right now, so… I will head back to my room" turning her head to her parent, "Good night, mother" nodding her head, "Good night, father."

The father jumped to stop her, "Wait, Tenko."

She rose up from her sleep and then left the dining hall, ignoring the two parents that were trying to stop her.

The father's face hardened. He sat back on his seat and rapidly tapping the table with his finger, sighing in defeat. "Why can't our child be normal."

The mother's eyes widened, "Don't say that!"

"Right, I'm sorry, it's just…" he sighed once more as he couldn't come up with any more words. The mother's face hardened, she took a sip of her tea and found its taste… bitter.

Tenko went and closed her bedroom's door, and then jumped straight into the bed, planting herself in the softness of the cold pillow and the squishy mattress. Soon after, the pink-ish soft pillow… slowly turning red as she went limp… and fall deep in her sleep.

***

END.