Gangster Cinderella

Chapter Fifty Five: And Life Goes On

I rush back to where I last saw Shikha facing off against Hanma, only to find the temple grounds mostly empty; except for Chifuyu, Draken, Takemitchy and Shikha. As I approach the group I hear the distinct sound of choked sobs. Nearing Shikha it's obvious who is crying.

"What did Hanma do?" I ask, cracking my knuckles.

"Chi-chan!" Takemitchy exclaims.

Crouching in front of my sister, I notice her delicate knuckles are bloodied. "That punk is dead."

"What?! Chi-chan no!" Draken shouts while running over to stop me from following my stupid impulses. He grabs my wrist and drags me away from my motorcycle.

"He didn't hit me." A quiet voice speaks out. I whirl around to see Shikha standing. "I hit him a couple times and I just ended up hurting myself. For whatever reason he didn't strike back...no, he simply laughed and said that I had become interesting. So, please...don't go doing anything stupid Chieko." 

I sigh before walking over to Shikha, "Show me your hand." She offers me her bloodied up hand; taking out a handkerchief, I tie it around her knuckles. "It's not much but it should do till we get home."

"Home?"

"Yeah, my mom set up a room for you in the guest room. You can stay there for as long as you want." I warmly smile at my sister, "We don't have to be alone anymore. So please, say you'll come home with me."

Shikha blinks a few times and rubs her eyes. "Why? Why would you do all of that for me? We're not even related..."

"Because you are my family. We may not be related by blood but you were all I had when my father died. From now on let's stop being alone. Please...say you'll come home with me."

Tears patter against the ground, her arm is still covering her face. "Ok...I'm coming home."

I pull my sister into a gentle hug, "It's ok. You're going to be ok."

Her arms wraps loosely around me as her tears stain my shirt. The air around us is cold, but that didn't bother us since we are finally, finally, going home. 

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹🫂❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

A couple days have passed since Kisaki's firing and we have started settling into a mostly peaceful life. Despite the quiet, there is a certain feeling of dread going on in the back of my mind. When is Kisaki and his goons going to strike back at us? And where have they been? Mikey's gang has been searching high and low for the pair but it's almost as though the pair vanished into thin air. Just what are they planning?

"Well, that's a scary face you're making." Senju remarks while we're eating lunch together.

"Shit, sorry, what were you saying again?" I snap myself out of my tumultuous thoughts.

Senju sighs, "I was asking you when you were going to tell your mom that you don't want to go to high school?" 

Another concern to add onto the growing list of concerns. "Shit...I need to do that soon."

"No shit, despite how I feel about your mom, she should know what you plan on doing since she seems to be intent on remaining in your life." 

"I just...don't want to disappoint her. I don't want her to think that I'm a waste of her time because I don't really want to pursue higher education." I rest my head against the desk as my anxieties come crashing into me like a violent wave.