Chapter 4

  A World without Saki

  I came home just as the sun set. The golden glow of the evening did little to soothe the knot in my stomach. The headmaster of the orphanage was waiting for me at the door, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed.

  “You’re late, Chouko,” she said sharply. “How many times do I have to remind you of the rules? Curfew is before sunset. If you can’t follow them, there will be consequences!”

  Her tone was harsh, but I could see that she was worried . I knew her anger wasn’t just about me being late, she was actually worried about Saki chan. “Where is Saki? She hasn’t come home either. Do you know where she is?”

  My throat tightened. What could I say? That Saki chan wouldn’t be coming back? That she was taken by something neither the headmaster nor the police could ever understand? Instead, I bowed my head, mumbling, “I don’t know, Headmaster.”

  Her lips pressed into a thin line. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” she said. “Now go inside and eat, The others are waiting.”

  The dining room was as lively as ever, but I couldn’t bring myself to join the chatter. The smaller kids bombarded me with questions, asking where Saki was, when she’d be back, or why she hadn’t come to dinner. I didn’t have the heart to answer. Without Saki chans witty remarks or her bright energy, the meal felt hollow.

  After dinner, I got upstairs to our shared room. The air felt heavy, like the entire orphanage was mourning her absence, even if no one else knew it yet.

  Her bed was still perfectly made, the way she always kept it. Saki was the tidy one. I couldn’t resist pressing my face into her pillow, her faint scent still lingering. Tears welled up, and this time, I didn’t fight them.

  I opened the small box we kept by our bed, the one we’d filled with our “treasures.” Inside were little pieces of our lives together: the little friendship bracelets we made as kids, a dried flower Saki had picked when we played at the park, and a messy drawing we had worked on as kids. The colors had faded, but her bright smile in the picture seemed to light up the page.

  I held the bracelet tightly, the memories flooding back.

  Saki and I actually were the oldest in the orphanage, we were both given away at birth. We were abandoned, with no family at all. As a kid I was sad and angry that I was the only one, all kids at school had parents, why was I thrown away? I was angry but... I realized that I didn't need a family, I didn't need parents or a sibling, my family was Saki. She had always protected me from bullies and looked out for me like a real sister. I needed none else. It was like this since we were both really small, but now my only family was taken away, I wouldn't forgive this, I would never forgive my so called father for this. It was a joke to call him that, he stole the only family I had.

  I still remember the day that we became friends.

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  I was four years old, a scared, quiet little girl who didn’t understand why her parents had abandoned her. At school, I kept to myself, burying my face in books about magical creatures and distant worlds where I didn’t feel so alone.

  One day, during a classroom activity, a boy named Kota turned to me, his voice loud and mocking. “Hey, Chouko! What do your parents do?”

  I froze, unsure how to answer. “I...I don’t have any,” I stammered.

  Kota grinned wickedly. “What, are they dead or something?”

  A girl in the back protested, “Hey, Kota, that’s mean!” But he ignored her.

  “Pathetic,” he sneered. “Bet you get all the teachers’ pity, huh? Bet they treat you special because you’re some sad little orphan!”

  Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of him. The bell rang, and I thought I’d escaped. But after school, Kota and his friends cornered me on the field.

  "Look at that scaredy cat." The other boys joined. " Scaredy cat, scaredy cat, look at how your trembling!"

  " Please stop!!" I said and tried to get away.

  “Don’t think you’re better than us just because people feel sorry for you,” Kota spat, grabbing my shirt. “Your parents didn’t want you. No one ever will.”

  "Oi, your not trying to get away do you? Don't think your anything special because your an orphan, the teachers give you special attention, the other kids always pity you don't they. Don't think you're anything better!"Kota had grabbed my shirt.

  "I'm not better!! I don't want their pity. I never asked to be an Orphan!!!!"I screamed and the tears just came out even though I didn't want to cry.

  "Stupid girl!! Your parents abandoned you, you'll never be liked by anyone!!" Kota seemed angry but he pushed me down. " You should just stay unloved your whole life!!" He seemed to be really angry for some reason but suddenly.

  "Oi! It's not nice to gang up against someone weaker than you Kota!!!" Black hair flowing in the wind and a confident smile. I had seen her before I'm the orphanage, but I never talked to anyone, I didn't care about anyone. She was confident and incredible, I had never seen anyone hit Kota before.

  "Hey, you stupid girl what do you think your doing!!!" He had been punched to ground and they were fighting, I wanted to help but I was scared, my legs wouldn't move and I couldn't stop crying. It was my fault that this girl was fighting with the class bully for my sake. They were hitting until they both were scratched, and Kota seemed like he was about to cry but he stood up. "This isn't over you stupid girl!!" He ran away and the other boys followed. I was astonished, I had never seen anyone do that. But that girl had gotten hurt just because of me I felt so bad and guilty, she shouldn't have-

  "Hey, are you alright?" she said smiling bravely and holding her nose even though I knew it must hurt and she probably wanted to cry too. Even though it was her who got hurt so badly I was the one crying like a baby.

  "I'm sorry!!I'm sorry because of me y-o-u.. you! I'm sorry." I sobbed.

  "Hey it's okay, he didn't even hit that hard, she grinned bravely and showed me a bruise on her arm like it was a metal. " The next time these idiots are mean to you just tell me okay." She smiled brightly, at that moment she was like the sun for me. " I'll definitely protect you."

  "So stop crying okay." She stretched out a hand to help me up. " I'm Saki, Saki Manago. Will you be my friend?"

  I sniefed, wiped the tears away and took her hand. "I am Chouko, Chouko ichii. Thank you for saving me!" I smiled " I'd love to be your friend!!"

  She grinned. "Great then it's decided, from now on were friends!" We both smiled and she took my hand and we walked back to the orphanage.

  I held the bracelet tightly. "Saki chan you always protected me. now it's my turn "

  I wiped my tears and sat on the bed, gripping the blanket tightly. I wasn’t the timid little girl she had saved back then. Saki had taught me to be stronger, braver. I would find her—I had to.

  “Please be safe, Saki,” I whispered, wrapping myself in the blanket. But the emptiness beside me made the night unbearable.