Staring still at the bag, Haku remained silent, recalling what Kaito had told her back at his store:

---
(Kaito's Supershack, several hours ago...)

"I know what you feel.... and I know how hard to live like you. I've went through hardship and pain, to go where I now become. Even Gumi and Akiko know the pain you've been going through all this challenges you have experienced in your life.

When I was a little, I always go to the convenient store with my dad to buy me an ice cream. I always love to buy at that store.

One time it came to a point that I'll sneak out from our house in the middle of the night just to go and get my ice cream from whom I call Grandpa Big Al, the owner of the store. He was like my second father, he taught me some life lessons while enjoying my favorite ice cream.

One day, Grandpa had an accident when he was travelling out of town. He suffered so much in the accident that even I, can't even look at him when I visited him."

『 ⌛ ⏪ Kaito's Little Back Story 』

❖Hospital, 15 years earlier❖

Big Al was in the ICU crippled in pain, rolled in meters upon meters of bandages, rolled on his ravaged flesh. The young Kaito, when at that time five years old, was onto the side of his bed.

"Little guy... Come closer." said Big Al while making a little deep gasps of air. "I have something to tell you." then slowly reaches out his hand to Kaito.

The young Kaito moved closer to his grandpa and lends his ears close to his.

The old man brought out a ice pop from his sheets then gave it to him.

"I have your favorite flavored ice pop." he said, smiling, followed by a short cough.

The child looked at Big Al while unwrapping the ice pop. "Thank you, Grandpa."

Even though restricted at bed, the old man smiled bright at Kaito then said:

"Never let anyone you see suffer miserably. And be the light that guides them to be a great person in the eyes of our God..."

His voice then became very faint. His grandpa closed his eyes, the machine starts to beep long and sharp, a flat line was on the screen.

When the sound of the death resonated across the silent space, some nurses from nearby rooms rushed in to revive him, but they failed. The young Kaito dropped the ice pop in disbelief and total shock when he saw his beloved grandpa died.

『 End of Back Story ⏩ ⌛』

"After he died, Grandpa's wife told me she wanted me to continue the store my grandpa had cherished for years of toil and labor.

When I reached thirteen, I took over and run the entire business with the help of my father.

Then, one time when I make a delivery of fruits and vegetables to Vocesai School, I saw Akiko being bullied by her fellow classmates because of her hairstyle.

I helped her to increase her self-confidence and lived how she wanted to be. I taught to her what I've learned from my grandpa and look how happy she was now, very far from what she experienced from school then. She learned to stand after a fall and ignored criticisms. She didn't let other people destroy her life.

And lastly, the reason why I told you that I can't stand seeing someone sleeping outside like you did last night is because the moment I saw you, I remember little Gumi from you."

『 ⌛ ⏪ Gumi's Little Back Story 』

❖Kaito's Supershack, 10 years earlier❖

It's afternoon and Kaito was putting the vegetables inside the store when he saw Gumi, at that time was five, running at the side of Tetopetesson Truck. She was wearing a greased white long shirt no sandals and having frizzy short green hair. The kid was roaming at the front store for minutes and Kaito knew she was wanting something in the truck. He patiently waited from the counter, looking at the little kid and soon enough, when a carrot rolled down the crate while it was carried inside the store, she quickly picks it up and ran away.

Several minutes after the delivery, The green haired kid returned, she was at the side of the store and curiously looking inside.

Without hesitation, Kaito smiled then approached the kid and asked some questions. The kid said that she sleeps in the park inside a huge hollow log and had no relatives to take care of her nor know who were her parents and where did they go so he decided, that time, Gumi will stay at the store and he will take care of the little kid, for her own good.

『 End of Back Story ⏩ ⌛』

------

Then Haku realized, there was a giant carrot drawing with a prayer written in the middle, placed somewhere in her apartment. She looked at the back of the door and found it.

"Now I know who the heck is keeping me empowered at times." she said then smiled a bit. "It is Gumi after all. She really never let me down."

She got the broom once more, holding it tight.

"If they can, I make it too. I really need to fix my life if I want my mother be proud at me once more."

She stood up and fixed her white long hair while looking at the sea of trash across her room.

She sighed and lowered her head slowly. "I can't imagine how can I finish this mess. But, if I want a new beginning, cleaning my own space is a good start! I can't let anything block my way in changing things up."

She grabbed a roll of garbage bags inside her closet and proceeded to the kitchen to start cleaning. She segregated the bottles, paper, plastic and all the junk accumulated for a long time in separate bags. Picking the trash one by one, lined up across the kitchen counter top up to the table, down the floor, she worked tirelessly and keeping the will in her head as she work. When its full, she drags the bags out then heads again to clean more inside.

Amidst the peaceful cold evening, the landlady had noticed a noise coming from Haku's apartment. She was used at Haku in terms of noise but this time, for her was different.

"What's with her this time? It's freaking eight in the evening and she's still up, making noise?" the landlady said in annoyance while she was cutting off some of her damaged crimson hair with her titanium samurai, looking at her small round table mirror.

She was carefully trimming her hair that time and when she felt a small tremor, she flinched, cutting more than just the damaged one.

She puts on her long dark coat, waived her red hair a bit and with her katana, she gone out of her house, then angrily walked towards Haku's room. "Ha—ku—! You pesky tenant!"

From a distance, she saw a washing machine dumped outside with other black bags.

"Oh, it's not Haku..." she calmly said.

She was about to return to her house when suddenly she saw a lady from the second floor dumping the oven out. "Oh, a thief..." then she realized something and said:

"A THIEF, AT MY APARTMENTS! Ugh... I'm gonna kill 'ya!"

Without a second to waste, the landlady dashed up to the second floor while the lady went in, closing the door.

"You're not gonna get away from this!"

Dragging her shoes hard at the wooden hallway, she stopped in front of a wooden door then kicked it hard. As it opened up wide enough, she drew the katana overhead and slashed it right away. The sword hit the television Haku was holding. The landlady can't see Haku well because it was raised a bit, blocking her face.

"Give it up and put the television down, thief!" she angrily said while putting more weight at the blade.

'Oh the dummy landlady don't recognized me because I'm wearing Gumi's clothes, not my usual outfit.' Haku thought while resisting the landlady's force.

"Are you drunk again and lost your mind? You are attacking your tenant!" she shouted. "Miss Cul, its me, Haku... your drinking buddy."

Afterwards, Cul loosen up and withdrew the sword, Haku let go of the television on her hands, letting it fall between them.

Cul was surprised. She looked at Haku from head to toe. "Oh Haku... I thought you we're a burglar. I- I'm just really surprised."

"Me?"

Cul withdrew her sword and began talking curiously, looking at Haku's attire. "Hey Haku, when did you start wearing girls' stuff and what on Earth are you doing that makes tremors at eight in the evening?"

"I'm cleaning, you dummy!" Haku said, shuffling off some dust on her arms.

Cul smirked. "What did 'ya say?" she said like she's not buying what Haku said. "You are doing what!"

"I- am- cleaning- my- room- you- freak!"

On her response, Cul laughed and patted Haku's shoulder.

"Cleaning? Great then. At least I don't have to call somebody else to remove those trash." she said seriously, looking at her eyes. Cul then turned back, walking away with her katana resting on her shoulder. "Good for you and for me then."

"Thank you." Haku said, looking at the landlady.

Several hours of more cleaning passed, all the trash were out of the room and what remained was the smell of liquor, rotting wood on some corners of the unit and the aged green flooring stained with all kinds of spilled liquid and trash extracts.

After all of the cleaning were taken care of, she picked up some food at the kitchen. Then, she returned to the wooden table at the living room with a cup noodle on her hand. She sat on the exact same spot before she started and rest for a while and have her meal.

While eating, she observed the entire space. She felt relieved on how she managed to clean the trash, yet as far as she sees, the transformation of the whole room wasn't complete; it just barely started.

Letting out a short sigh, she grabbed the bag and spilled the contents of it at the table. She found her long dark pants, her gray top and dark blue tie including her white shoes. Those items were expected to be there but she was surprised to find a letter and a uniform of the store with 4000 yen, all placed in a clear plastic. She reached the letter and read the content.

Afterwards, she put down her cup noodles and splayed at the room, looking at the portrait of her mother while still holding the letter high against the light of the ceiling.

"I need to get back there tomorrow morning." she said.