𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝗠.𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘂𝘆𝘂

────── nine

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

═══ THE SANO SPIRIT ═══

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

EVERYONE HAD COLLECTIVELY AGREED that it would be best for Akiko to stay home for some days. Whereas the girl herself wanted to dive head first into her studies to distract herself, everybody else found it best to give her time to rest. For one, she was injured. For another, the past week must have taken a toll on her mental health.

Just because she was outnumbered, Akiko had agreed. Through the kitchen window in the Sano house she had watched as Mikey and his half sister Emma were off to school - though Akiko had a feeling Mikey would skip classes for gang business every now and then.

After breakfast, Shinichiro had taken her to see a doctor and get her wound examined. He took charge of explaining the situation and gave answer to all the doctor's questions — obviously making up a lie to mask the true events. In the end, Akiko had needed a couple of stitches and some painkillers.

Their trip into the city didn't end there.

Shinichiro insisted on buying her some new clothes to wear, making it very clear that he didn't want Akiko anywhere near her father's house. At first, Akiko had tried to argue that she could just borrow some clothes from Emma and refused to let him waste his money on her. But Akiko soon realized that all Sanos were stubborn and strong-willed, and there was no way she could convince Shinichiro.

Especially not after he said his reason.

He wanted to treat her like a princess and allow her to be a teenager for once. He wanted to make up for lost time. He even admitted that it was a way for him to ease his guilty conscience. Almost, Akiko had shed a tear again.

With their parents not around anymore and their grandfather - Akiko found the thought of finally having a grandparent to be nice - being their legal guardian, Shinichiro had been looking out for his siblings this whole time. He was ten years older than Mikey, eleven years older than Emma and Akiko.

When Shinichiro offered to let her stay at the bike shop while he worked, Akiko declined his offer, claiming that she was tired and wanted to lie down for a little while. So, he dropped her off at the Sano house, then drove on toward the shop. Sighing, she watched him roll down the street and out of sight.

Akiko nearly jumped out of her skin when she found grandfather Sano standing in the doorway. He was eyeing the two shopping bags in her hands. Immediately, Akiko's mind came up with the worst scenarios - he could accuse her of taking advantage of his grandsons and kick her out, or other scenarios that all ended with her being thrown out of the Sano house.

Against all expectations, grandfather Sano smiled. "I see Shinichiro has a soft spot for you."

Eyebrows furrowed, Akiko opened and closed her mouth, dumbfounded. Silently, she watched as grandfather Sano descended down the steps, took the shopping bags out of her hands and patted her head.

"Your hurt. You shouldn't be carrying those."

The care and kindness Akiko had experienced in these past few days, from Chifuyu and his mother, from Shinichiro, even from Baji who was trying to pull her out of her shell, it made her heart swell immensely in her chest. Her cheeks a faint shade of pink, Akiko entered the house after grandfather Sano.