Hesitantly, she cleared her mouth. "Me and Gaku-san... We're a-" She looked at Riku's face as her body shivered slightly under the sharp gaze he had cast. "We're both co-workers."

"Co-workers?" Yamato started to stand and approach the two of them. "What do you mean by you two as co-workers?" He fixes his glasses. "The Gaku-san that you said earlier... Is his name Yaotome Gaku?" He asked then.

"Yaotome Gaku? Um... I don't know his surname."

"Why?" He asked quickly as Aoi finished speaking.

"Because he didn't want to tell me. He said to keep his surname a secret. But, I do ask him so many times and all he said was his surname started with the letter S. That's it!" She raised both hands as if to protect herself from any dangerous possibility. In her mind, she could imagine herself being beaten by those men. Something that will probably bring back memories of a long-forgotten story deep in the corner of her wounded heart.

Tsumugi quickly pulls her younger sister back, hiding Aoi behind her. "That's enough for both of you," Tsumugi said in a firm tone. "Aoi, you can go now. Sorry for making you feel uncomfortable." She smiled bitterly. Her hands were gently caressing the black-haired head.

Aoi didn't need a minute to think about whether she should stay or leave because as soon as she got permission from her sister to leave, she started running towards the door. She didn't even look back or a glance towards her sister. She was totally frightened and Tsumugi knew that. That's why she told her to go. She didn't want Aoi to dive back into all the misery she had felt before. She wants the girl to feel safe with her and maybe with her acquaintance too. But today isn't going too well as she hopes for.

As soon as the girl disappeared from behind the door, she sighed deeply. "You two shouldn't do that..." Tsumugi said. Her back still facing them.

"M-manager?" The red-haired stuttered.

They suddenly feel the cold. Their hair stands just as they did when they watched horror movies. It was as if someone was releasing a cold aura and they knew who it was. After a brief incident that happened a short while ago, it was easy to guess the culprit.

"Manager..." said Yamato, nervously.

"Both of you.." Tsumugi turned her body, now facing the seven of them. The boys could see the sharp look in her eyes on the two men. Her eyebrows twitching with anger. "Gah!" She screamed suddenly, startling the others. "You two shouldn't do that to her."

"Do what? What do you mean?" asked the glasses guy.

"The way you two look at her and the way you both talk. You're scaring her!"

"We do not.."

"Yes, you did."

"We d-didn't mean that way!" Riku replied.

"Yamato-san, Riku-san... I'm sorry but I want the two of you to go and apologise to my little sister." Her hands fell on her waist.

"Your sister?!" The seven of them were shocked.

"You don't look alike at all!", said a light blue-haired boy.

"Well, yes because she's adopted. Anyway, you both have to watch the way you talk to her. It might cause her old memories to come back in. The rest of you too."

"Memories?"

"Sigh... She was tortured by her own biological father."

"What about her mother?"

"Her mother.." She shifted her eyes away. "She was brutally murdered by none other than her own father too." Tsumugi sighed again.

"I shouldn't tell you this without her knowledge but I don't want her to get traumatised again. Sometimes, she would lock herself up in her own room and staring into nothing, just like a lifeless doll. My father and I absolutely hate it. We want her to be normal like any other teenage girls."

"And we just srew it up, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes.."

- - - ☁️ - - -

"You're okay?" Her coworker, Gaku patted her shoulder slowly. He gave a small smile to the girl. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing. I'm just staring... Into nothing." Aoi threw him an empty look.

"Aoi, you know you can always tell me if something bad happens. I'll help you to solve it. Anything as long as I can do it."

"Uhuh.."

"So, do you want to tell me?" He asked.

"Umm... Actually, I met seven men. Their hair was as colourful as a rainbow and two of them asked me about you. They ask if your name is Yaotome Gaku."

Hearing the story, Gaku couldn't help but swallow hard. He could feel himself start to chill. What would he answer if the girl really did question about it? About his surname? Should he lie? But he didn't have the heart to do so.

"A-and, what d-did you said?" Gaku pinches himself for stuttering.

"Well, I said the thing that you have said before about your surname starts with the letter S."

'Phew! That's close..' He sighed in relief. "Is that so."

"But.."

"But?"

"Why do I feel that you were lying to me about it, Gaku-san?" Aoi looked at the grey-haired, giving him a suspicious stare.

"G-geh!!"

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