Friday, May 27th

The alarm began blaring, reaching the girl's ears in muffled rings as she shuffled her head around under the covers. She let out an involuntary groan of protest as she refused to submerge into consciousness.

After a few more moments of the irksome noise, she swung her hand out of the covers to flail her blind limb about, until eventually striking the clock on the head to drastically silence the scene. "Ugh...get up..." She told herself in a groggy voice before reluctantly lifting her body up to stare at her wall as the sleep began slipping away from her drowsy perception.

(Y/n) stretched around her stiff joints as she slid out of bed. Grabbing her uniform, she immediately began assembling her clothes while multitasking with the preparations of her bag. She hobbled around in the small space that was her room, proceeding to quickly reach one side to the other in a swift procedure.

After deeming herself presentable, she hopped around her tight area to reach one side to the other and leave her private environment behind. As she walked a few paces towards the tight stairs, she just managed to catch her mother at the door and caught her attention with an inquisitive tone.

"You're leaving already?" The woman looked back to regard her daughter with a smile. The older female swiftly used her nimble, thin hands to put on her shoes and finish off her attire before returning her child's notice with an energetic grin.

"My shift is starting earlier than usual, apparently one of the guys made a mess in the main entrance. I'll see you after school (Y/n)." She quickly ran out of the door with a last wave of goodbye before disappearing to her cleaning arrangement. The younger girl shook her head in silent disapproval, wishing she had exchanged her own words with the departed worker.

(Y/n) sighed at the exhausted look her mother had acquired. The girl guiltily moped down the stairs to enter the kitchen where she noticed her older brother not even remotely prepared for the outside world. "Mikah why aren't you dressed? You have track practice in only a few minutes." The boy proceeded to mind his own business as though not hearing a word the girl said.

She approached the male before sighing at the sight of the laking breakfast materials held in the kitchen. She glanced back at her brother who continued sitting at the table with nothing more than his underwear, making no move to comply with her request in selecting additional garments.

"Mikah come on. You need to be out of here in 20 minutes..." She whined at him, searching around the sink and drawers for the cutlery for her cereal. As she looked over to her lounging brother, a realisation dawned on her as he casually ate his own bowl. "Did you use the last spoon...?"

"Hm?" He regarded her for a split second before picking up on her request. "Oh, sorry." The boy placed the entire silverware in his mouth before roughly licking it clean and nonchalantly presenting it to the girl to use. "Here."

(Y/n) stared at his cluelessness before heavily groaning in defeat. "Just keep it...I'll make toast. Where's Mai?" The female looked around her surroundings to notice the absence of their little sister. "Don't tell me you didn't wake her up!"

"She said she didn't want to." The girl huffed in frustration before walking out of the kitchen to head towards the room across from them. Her brother's lazy mannerisms stood harshly over her shoulders as they acted as an irritating weight for her to bear.

"You better be changed by the time I come back!" Mikah stared after his sibling before exhaling and leaving the table to oblige with her orders.

(Y/n) entered her sister's petite room and looked over towards the thin covers as they kept falling and rising in a consistent breathing pattern. The female gently stepped towards the bed before leaning over the little girl to see her sleeping head peaking out of the sheets. (Y/n) placed her hands over the cover, pausing for a moment before proceeding to dance her fingers around, over the child's body until small muffled giggles and laughs escaped through the fabric.

"Hahaha, what-haha?!" Mai's giggles subsided as the moving fingers slowed their pace until the she had been fully awoken. The girl looked over at her sister who began preparing fresh clothing for the child to wear and furiously rubbed the tiredness in her eyes. "Mmm...I don't want to get up..."

(Y/n) satisfyingly smiled to herself as she assessed the little girl's prepared state. "Alright, I think we're ready to go! You ready, Mai?" The child vigorously nodded her head before stretching her arms out for her older sister to pick her up. The female took the little girl in her hands, allowing the kid to wrap her small arms around her neck before chuckling at the hight she had been raised to.

(Y/n) gently laid the girl down in her wheelchair and allowed Mai to adjust her seating before the older sibling opened the door to ready for her sister's exit. The girl gently pushed the child out of the fitting opening and wheeled her towards the kitchen where she began preparing toast with the last few slices of bread left.

"Sissy, can I have the strawberry jam today?!" The child wiggled in her chair with an exited motion while her sister nodded in agreement.

After finishing off the girl's toast, (Y/n) handed her the piece of cooked bread before taking her own share of the second pastry. "So, what are you going to be doing in school today?" Mai seemed thoughtful at the question and took a few chews before her brain could recall the routine.

"We're going to be learning about photosyn-...pho-photo-..." The child shook with frustration as her tongue refused to articulate the correct terminology she insisted to utter. "Photo-!"

"You mean photosynthesis?" (Y/n) smugly corrected her in a teasing tone, letting the child mope at the mockery. The older female chuckled and prepared to take her first bite out of her toast before her hand was grabbed and pulled away. (Y/n) looked over at the assailant to see her neatly dressed brother taking a large bite out of the bread still held in her hands, and dash over the little girl before the victim of the greedy steal could process the action.

"Come on Mai!" The boy swiftly pushed the happy girl as she screeched with joy at the fast momentum.

"Wha-Mikah!" The female shouted at the boy who had bolted out of the house along with their little sister. "Dude, really?!" Her annoyed scolding fell upon deaf ears as the male had disappeared before he could take the full impact of her disapproval.

As the time of lunch arrived in the school, (Y/n) roamed around the grounds to scout out her friend sulking at a table. The female sighed as she strode over to the slumped boy that rested his forehead against the surface of the wood. Separating herself from the noisy laughs, shouts and voices that mushed around her form, the girl approached the area to concern herself with her friend. "Marco, what's got you so down?"

The boy's muffled shouts got absorbed by the hard surface his face was planted against before he lifted his head to avert his tearful eyes towards the girl. "Nothing, it's just regular relationship problems..." (Y/n)'s expression immediately dropped to one of unconcerned frustration and restrained an eye roll.

"We've been over this five time, he isn't cheating on you." The girl attempted to console the depressed boy. However she was responded with an accusing glare as his voice cracked with denial.

"You don't know that! He could be doing something right now and you wouldn't know!" Blowing away some of his pent up energy, he proceeded to slide back against the table where he allowed his turmoil to coil him in a introverted cocoon. The girl could only watch the wallowing boy. She knew better than to disturb his self loathing once he fully immersed himself in doubt.

"What's up b***hes?!" The pair were startled by a high shrill of an ardent tone. As they both looked back, they were faced with the bright grey eyes of their third companion. "Guess who's back from juvie?!" The loud girl happily pointed at herself as she confidently walked over to the two to harshly ruffle their hair.

"Maeda, I thought you'd be stuck in boot camp until the end of summer." The new comer sniggered at the comment before seating herself between her two friends. "Was it really that bad for you to be calling it juvenile detention?" (Y/n) questioned the nonchalant female while she puffed out her body in clear pride.

"That place was a hell hole and a waste of my time. So I stroke a few deals with some groups around there and I managed to get an early release. Oh!" She suddenly jumped up to direct her attention towards the confused male as she gave him a sweetened apologetic expression. "By the way Marco, if you by any chance get a text around midnight-ish concerning a 'deal' and 'favour' just block the number...and get a new phone, they can totally trace that s**t." The boy's eyes widened as panic seared from every pore at the severe warning.

"What did you involve me in now?!" Marco glaringly stared at the girl as she attempted to brush off the blame. (Y/n) shook her head in silent disapproval, knowing that Maeda would lose control of the situation once trouble would arise. She had never approved of the tough, rebel act her friend would masquerade in and soon after cower like a puppy the moment she faces her responsibilities. "Need I remind you, you weren't even supposed to go to boot camp if it hadn't been for (Y/n). So don't start making this worse on us."

"Oh yeah! What even happened to that guy you knocked out?" The female avoided the scrutiny by directing her regard to the girl beside her.

Colour drained from the female's face as she was left to shamefully stare at the table. "I didn't knock him out! I just punched him and his head hit the wall. I was scared he might die!" The girl grievingly recalled back to the confrontation she had with the boy weeks ago, meaning for them to reach a civil and mutual understanding right before the male had escalated the argument. "He was saying horrible stuff about my brother, I only wanted to speak to him but the idiot had to take it personally and attack." (Y/n) laid her head against the palms of her hands in a grieving posture as all she wanted to do was forget the encounter and return her actions.

"Well whatever, you can't believe how much street cred I managed to get after telling everyone I did it! And he couldn't even deny it cus he couldn't remember anything, it was perfect!" The giddy girl shuffled and laughed in her seat as both her friends stared at her with scolding glares. "Don't look at me like that! How was I supposed to know the authorities would get involved? Besides, that just boosts my reputation even more, so thanks for the hand (Y/n)." She harshly slapped the girl's back, only to retract when her own hand was the one that stung in pain from the contact. "O-ow..."

"How will you even defend yourself if someone decided to challenge you? You can't even punch straight." Marco awaited for the girl's response in teasing silence, only for the female to revert from the topic immediately.

"So how are you dealing with the guilt?" Maeda focused her dismissive sights on the embarrassed girl beside her.

"It was self defence and I only wanted to talk. I couldn't stand what he was saying about Mikah." Relieving herself with the excuse, (Y/n) felt a buzzing vibration in her pocket, demanding her attention. The girl reached into her clothes to take out her phone, reading the caller to be her older sibling.

"Haha! Speaking of the devil!" Maeda shouted behind her shoulder once she saw the caller ID and decided to direct her voice towards the boy that say mopingly on the bench. "Hey! Marco, I heard your boyfriend was giving some 'special favours,' is that true?" The girl revelled in the boy's fearful reaction as he refutably shook his head in an erroneous display.

"No! You lie! You always say things like that and they're never true! Stop making things up!" He covered his ears as he began chanting while the amused female continued teasing him between his distracting whines, leaving the second female to privately talk with her brother.

"Hello, Mikah..." (Y/n) relaxed against the table as she listened to her brother's words. As his concerned tone seeped through the speakers, her body began tensing with every word. "What? What happened to mum?" Her entire form was washed over with a wave of fear, leaving a residue of suffocating worry as she felt her blood rushing through her unstable body. "What...? I'm coming over, stay there!"

As her footsteps clicked against the marble floor of the hospital, (Y/n) coordinated her rout around each corner to arrive at the intended section she had been instructed about. Mikah looked up from his phone to connect sights with the panting female as she quickly approached him. "Is she inside?" The boy held an unreadable expression before reluctantly nodding.

(Y/n) wasted not a single second before she ran past him and into the door behind. The older sibling staid behind as he thoughtfully gazed at the door before deciding to allow the two time on their own to exchange concerns.

Upon entering, the female slowed her pace down as though subconsciously respecting an unspoken privacy. As she neared the figure in the bed the girl felt relief at the smiling face that had greeted her. "I hope you didn't just come here to skip on school." The older woman chuckled as she took a bite out of a piece of apple she had been provided with. She played with the shreds on the plate, humorously arranging them in different patterns as her only form of amusement.

"Mum what happened? I heard you fainted while at work." (Y/n) came beside her parent's side where she sat on the edge of the bed. The girl couldn't help but feel uneasy with the beeps of the heart monitor and the silence that enveloped the room, making each tick of the clock echo along with the machine. She couldn't help but linger on the older female's palled skin and hollow eyes as her weak smile seemed to strain against her fatigued muscles. She couldn't seem to help a thing.

"Don't worry, the doctor said it's due to stress and a lack of hydration." Her voice came out exhausted and laboured as she continued to aggravatingly chew on her fruit. "Honestly, the day that I could earn some extra money my body just has to give in, huh?" She chuckled at the cruel irony while her daughter remained far from amused.

"Mum you can't keep doing this. You're getting sick and you haven't had a single day off for the past two years...this is insane." The woman however merely shrugged her bony and thin shoulders in a dismissive manner before taking a bite out of another apple. The girl sat quietly as she observed her mother's deteriorating health. She tried to deny the great loss in body fat and stamina over the large period of time, up until that moment, understanding the denial would not bring anything prosperous.

"I don't mind...You understand I need to cover Mai's medical bills?" (Y/n) grew quieter at the reminder as her mother watched her with a serious but softened expression. "And Mikah will be going off to college soon so that's another thing I need to think about. On top of that, all the house debts I need to cover-"

"Mother this is ridiculous! You'll drop dead if you work for all those things!" Despite the intangible hopes, the woman simply gave a relaxed shrug with an optimistic smile.

"'I'd rather use the last of my strength and bring you something than waste my time and life on nothing.' Do you like that saying? I made it while I was waiting here, bored out of my mind haha." The ardent yet playful tone in the woman's voice cleared any chances of her halting her progress. (Y/n) squeezed the sheets between her fingers, holding back the frustration that was building up within her.

"Can't you stay here for a little while? At least until you start feeling better." She was immediately responded with a vigorous shake of the head from her parent, only for the woman to lean back the moment nausea settled in from the brisk movement. "Look at yourself, this is crazy. Mum please, do this for me at least. Just take a few days off and stay in hospital. Until you get better..."

The woman remained thoughtful over her daughter's coaxing before rattling her head in a confutable response. "I can't, I need to keep pushing on. Don't worry about a thing, my health will be up to standards after today." She positively clutched her weak hands into fists, only to be followed by a slew of coughing and chocking mechanisms while her body urged her to lay and rest against the sanitary sheets.

The abstemious attitude of her parent only plunged the female's hopes further down. "Mum, remember...when you couldn't afford to buy me a birthday present because you didn't have the money and needed to cover debts?" The woman's optimistic aesthetic soon sunk into a wallowing aura as she recalled the broken celebration she had brought. "Then...consider this as my gift and just promise me you'll take a break. At least until you've completely recovered." The woman's unreadable and neutralistic expression caused spikes of anxiousness in the young girl. For the longest moment, she thought the pair of them would sit at the stand still as they simply stared at one another, allowing the silence as their only form of communication.

"...I need to work."

"You can do that after you've rested! Come on mum, I'm not asking too much, right? Just for you to do nothing for a few days." (Y/n) watched her mother with a pleading look as the woman deeply considered the idea while distractingly munching on the fruit on her plate.

After she had placed her full thoughts on the scene, she settled her stuff shoulders while exhaling a laboured sigh. "...If I stay here...who's going to look after the house, and Mai and-"

"I'll do it! I'll do all of that, it's no problem! I already take most of the responsibility while you're gone, a bit more shouldn't be a big deal." As the female's enthusiastic spark grew onto the woman, she seemed less reluctant to argue against her daughter's help. "And...I can even go work in your place. The summer holiday is in just a week so we're done learning anything important, I can go there after school and-" The girl was silenced as a piece of apple was flung towards her forehead. She stared as the fruits bounced onto the ground and look over to her parent with an exasperated glower.

"Eat some apples, then your brain might start working properly..." The woman turned towards the sulking girl with an austere expression before taking the last piece of available apple into her mouth to aggravatingly chew it. "I will not allow my daughter to go work and stress herself over something so trivial. You need to concentrate on your studies and social life...not some petty occupation."

"Mum it's just going to be until you recover! I'll just go to where you work, after school and take your place. A few days of cleaning won't lower my grades of personal life, especially with summer break just around the corner. We've already done the hard work in school, even the teacher are relaxing in class now!" The girl lowered her voice, realising her tone to be becoming more and more insistent before pleadingly looking at her stern parent. "Please."

The older woman defiantly shook her head once more and looked towards the girl with her dismissive, tired eyes. "(Y/n), I've already agreed on staying here for the time being, don't complicate things by asking me such ridiculous requests." (Y/n) lowered her head in defeat, hiding her curled up fists behind her back as she solemnly awaited for her parent's dismissal. "...You can go now, dear. I'm counting on you to keep the house standing until I come back. Alright?" The female's soft tone gently hovered in the air like a comforting aura for the younger girl to be soothed by. "Tell Mai and Mikah I'll be thinking of them while I'm stuck here, haha."

Her cheerful vocals remained unregistered in (Y/n)'s mind as she shuffled towards the door. The girl mopingly hoped for the woman to call her back any second in the nagging thought of granting her permission. Instead she only felt her mother's apologetic smile directed towards her turned back. "Bye mum..."

"Tell yourself that too..." As the girl closed the door to the room she was greeted with the chemical scent of disinfectant and medicine that wafted around every part of the building. Glancing at her side she immediately took notice of the boy distancing himself with his phone.

The female took a seat beside the unreacting male and exhaled a deep sigh before staring down at the white tiles of the floor. "...What will we tell Mai?"

"The truth. Mum isn't feeling well so she'll understand. There's no need to hide anything." The girl understandingly nodded along before leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling. Allowing her mind to wander and squander around in her thoughts before she flicked her gaze towards the lethargic male with a considering gaze. Mikah took notice of the analytical stare and looked at her with a inquisitive gaze. "What are you gonna do...?"

"Mikah, do you think this letter looks genuine enough?" The girl pleadingly turned towards her brother for confirmation. The boy simply took a sip of his juice without granting the girl the approval she needed.

"I told you, I'm not involving myself in forgery." (Y/n) grumbled complaints under her breath before holding up the printed letter that her supposed mother had written. She reread the entirety of the text to check on any incorrect spelling or grammar before placing the dreaded note down to guiltily contemplate over it.

"Don't be like that, I need to earn us some money some way..." Allowing her chin to rest against her palms, the female shamefully stared at the pen that lay only inches away from the page. She had shared the same signature with her mother for years, tending to run errands for the woman and filling out papers whenever an emergency would occur. The girl had never thought in her life she would abuse the responsibility for the purpose of defying her parent. 'I'm doing this so I'm sure we don't fall further down in debt...come on (Y/n)! You've gone against mum before, this little thing can't scare you...' She attempted to boost her moral, finding her hand mechanically reaching for the pen to sign the final product.

Taking the tool in her hand, she dared not look at the paper as her fingers swirled and stroked against the surface with automatic precision, leaving the final touch to the credibility of the note finished. (Y/n) took a moment to stare at the letter as though in tranced amazement that she had committed the forbidden act to rectify her duty. She let the pen fall out of her hand and leaned back in a concluding manner to stop herself from changing the deed.

"...You won't tell mum about this, right?" Her sibling simply shrugged, giving the worried female little regard.

"Whatever...are you going to go there now?" He looked up at her as she stood out of her seat in seeming preparation to leave the house. "How will you know where the place is?"

The girl lifted up an unopened envelope in her hand and presented it for the male to see. "Mom was going to send this letter months ago about not being able to come to work. She dropped the idea and went anyway so this has just been staying in the drawers for a while now. Might as well use the address." The girl took her bag to place the letters inside before proceeding to walk towards the door. "I'll explain the situation now before I change my mind. I need to get started as soon as possible."

The female slipped her feet into her shoes while jumping between the other disarranged pairs. "Good luck." The boy threw her his wish with slight sarcasm before proceeding to flip his attention back to the electronic device.

"Don't forget to pick up Mai from school." Reminding him of his task, the girl proceeded to open up the door in exit of leaving the compound. "And for goodness' sake put some clothes on!" She shouted right before slamming the door behind her.

Mikah stared at the closed entrance before looking down at his half naked form in an irritated manner. "But it's so comfy..."

As (Y/n) stepped out of the bus, she felt her stiff legs and joints aching to be stretched from the long journey she had endured. "Two hours by bus and I end up in the middle of nowhere. Where the hell did my mother work?" She lazily looked around the thick walls of greenery and trees as only the concreted road stood out as a man made structure, along with the sheltering bus stop. She scanned through the foliage and luscious, summer plants as her senses were carried away with the fresh scent of nutritious soil and clean air of the natural life. "Where the hell did I end up...?"

The female walked up towards the planned out direction, holding unyielding doubts in her mind she had taken an incorrect rout. She looked onward at the road ahead as she distanced herself from the bus stop to gaze around at the sunny environment. Amidst her sight seeing, she managed to spot rows of pointed thin columns peeking through a few of the branches, like a distant image. The female's feet automatically picked up their pace as she refused to take her eyes off the leading sight, in hopes of keeping track of the tall railing.

She slowed down her pace as she spotted the large metal bars of what looked to be her final destination. Her legs came to a halt as her eyes widened at the sight before her. She took a few steps back to fully grasp at the image displayed for her viewing and could barely hold in her shaking body at the bafflement that took over her every thought.

Before her stood large, protective gates that seemed to span across the area, straight into the plant life where they steeply turned to surround a handful of the grounds. Standing in the defensive circle of the metallic barrier was a large building that seemed larger in width from afar like an optical illusion before spanning three floors in hight, seeming to elongate the entirety of the towering complex as it loomed ahead of the girl in welcoming caution. (Y/n) took her time to fully grasp at the reality presented to her.

She stared at the endless variety of windows that lined the building, giving her the sense of vulnerability to the unnoticed eye. Within the centre stood a large and glorifying statue of a human -whether male of female, she couldn't tell- acting as a middle ground between the gates and the stairs to the compound itself. "My mum worked here...?" The words unintentionally slipped between her relaxed tongue, urging the girl to proceed with approaching the entrance. Marvelling at the patterned marble that decorated the top with eccentric creatures, she found herself admiring the vines and leafs that took advantage of the building by using it as a pedestal to wound upwards along one side of the structure. She considered the entire picture to seem something out of a fairytale.

She looked around to spot any sort of sign of life that would permit her to enter the property legally. After calling out for a few minutes and waiting around the area, her impatience got the better of her and forced her feet to approach the open gate.

'I-I mean, the gate wouldn't be open if they were worried someone might come in, right...?' She attempted to reassure herself, having doubts her excuse would be efficient if she were to ever justify her possible trespassing. As she cautiously stepped a few feet beyond the metal fencing, she was stopped by the fairly flawless statue that stood at the centre as the figure stared up towards the sky, with their delicate hands stretched out to embrace a being from above. 'Well this is fancy and symbolic...'

The female stepped closer to the cemented podium that the figure was propped over and closely admired the unknown creature. She felt her eyes becoming entranced in wonder at the statue and let her hand unintentionally reach out to assure herself that it was a solid item of beauty. "What are you doing?!" A harsh voice startled her from behind and forced the girl to spin around her stiff form to regard the individual. When she fully faced the person that called out to her she was greeted with a tall man who wore an immaculate uniform of a dark, uncreased vest, placed over a pure white shirt that was finished off at the collar with a bow tie.

The female was stumped by the sudden manifestation of the male as well as the distasteful tone. She became tongue tied at the sight of the man's angered expression and couldn't reciprocate the words she was meaning to offer. The older individual waited for the girl to unwind her sentences, growing impatient by the second.

"Young lady, I'll ask again. State your name and business!" The male approached her, leading the female to slightly retract into the statue where she was firmly pressed against the stiff figure. "You do realise you're on private property? I can call the police this instant and have you dragged out of here by force. Have you got no shame?!"

(Y/n) winced at the snappy tone the man held against her as he proceeded to close the space between them. "I'm sincerely sorry Sir. The gate was open and-" Before she could attend out her full justification, she was cut off by the incessant and appalled vocals of the intimidating man.

"So because the gate was unlocked, that served as a reason for you to enter the premise without permission?" The girl swallowed the heavy dryness that lined her mouth and attempted to articulate her explanation in her head before she could make an unprepared fool of herself a second time. The man eyed the girl suspiciously before he approached her shrivelled body in a looming posture as he cast a dark shadow over her entire body, blocking out the hopeful warmth of the sun light. "You're not dressed in any attire that is suited for an elite compound such as this. So what is an average, common brat like you shoving her nose in such a prestigious area? City filth..." The man whispered the final insult, making no attempt to actually hide the venom and mockery in his speech. (Y/n) was left at a blank canvas for a mind as her brain failed to process the scene that continued to play out too quickly for her head to keep up with.

"What is all this shouting about?! I can barely hear my precious thoughts amongst this nature." A third set of deep vocals pierced through the pairs' ears and the female was left surprised as the previously hostile male's enraged lime eyes grew composed as he turned towards the direction of the authoritarian accentuation.

The girl looked over to the third figure standing tall and with a haughty ambience surround him as he held a stern stare at the two.

Warning:
This will be a slower progression into yandere that will take a few chapters before the true colours are revealed. The first few chapters are mostly for developing and establishing characters so this is a warning for anyone that is impatient. Please feel free to leave comments and critiques to improve the story. None of the images I use are mine and belong to their respective owners.