Abstract Concepts: Black Heart's Perception

Chapter 20: Karin and Sumiyuri's Interlude

"Dammit, dammit! I hate thiiiiiisss!!"

Banging her fists against the table, Karin uttered these words as she stared down the paperwork in front if her desk.

Her eyes had black rings around them and her skin was pale from lack of sunshine that she hasn't gotten for the last week. Her hair was a mess and the jacket she always wore with the tracksuit pants as a combo was laying behind her on the floor.

Karin lived in the apartment above the café she owned. In fact, she owned the whole building that she bought when she was only fifteen years old. This place was her pride and joy. But currently it was the source of her suffering.

She was busy balancing the accounting books.

Numbers, ledgers, taxes, salaries and more numbers wasn't her strong point. Ever since Sajin had come along he was always the one who would do it for her and he always flawlessly handled it. She inwardly cursed herself for giving him time off when it was such an important time.

"My hand..." She muttered to herself. It had lost all of the feeling it originally had and no matter how hard she tried to grab the pen, she couldn't.

That's how tired she was.

She was physically, mentally and psychologically exhausted. If she closes her eyes now she's not entirely sure that she will be able to open them up again.

Sleepy... So sleepy...

Not able to restrain herself anymore, Karin's eyes slowly started closing. She didn't even realize it, but her body had shut down and was peacefully carrying itself to the realm of dreams. The sensation almost too calming.

Her head tilted forward until it reached the hardwood of the table and then she was gone. Fatigue finally winning the fight.

Rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngggg!

The alarm bell next to her suddenly rang out.

"Wha?!" Jolted by a surge of energy Karin sat up straight in a quarter of a millisecond. The force of her sitting straight forced the chair backwards causing her to topple over.

"-!" A sharp pain was sent through her whole body forcing her body to wake up. Cursing multiple times as she held back the tears from falling she slowly lifted herself up from the floor. The sensation of the pain earlier was still felt on her back.

She really wanted her little brother back. She may be a nuisance around him but he needed family, and so did she.

I need you, my tsundere younger brother! Come and help onee-san with work! Please! I need help!

"U-um... O-onee-san...?" Karin turned her head to the door as she stood up and saw her adorable younger sister.

Sumiyuri Dakota Yamamoto.

A girl who also had a set of eyes because of the The Concept of Nightmare who disguised itself as The Concept of Fear. She had straight black hair that was tied into a ponytail and had calm blue eyes. What used to be seen was a girl twisted on the path of revenge that bad changed and became some one with conviction. Some who had changed for the better and left the path of darkness.

After explaining her story to Karin, also with the help of Sajin, Karin decided to adopt her. Even giving her her last name. Ever since she has been a big help to Karin and the business. Her mentality had also drastically improved.

Karin was looking at her now. She was dressed in the maid uniform that had been given to her. In her hands was a tray and on it was a cup of steaming coffee and noodles. Checking the time on her wristwatch she saw the time and widened her eyes in shock.

It was 06:46 in the morning.

That meant that she had been working all night again and would need to open up the café and still work all day. Why was life being so unfair on her now?

"Morning, Sumi-chan..." She said in a voice devoid of all life. It just sounded plainly exhausted.

"Morning. I brought you breakfast." Sumiyuri said then made her way to the table and set it down. The lighting in the room was terrible so after setting the food down, she went to open the curtains.

"... Hyaa..." Too tired to even protest, Karin raised her hands slowly to block the sunlight from her eyes but even the squeal she gave was with a tired voice.

"I have decided, Ms Kar -"

"... Just Karin or onee-san..." Even in fatigue she won't just forget about her morals. She was a firm believer of those she called family. "What have you decided on...?" Karin said as she took a sip of the coffee. The bitterness rejuvenated her slightly and helped with some of the fatigue. Just enough to keep her conscious.

"Oh... Um... I, I ..." Seemingly nervous, Sumiyuri began fidgeting with sides of her skirt. If Karin wasn't so exhausted, she would have launched herself at Sumiyuri and began hugging her all over for being so cute.

"I've decided to go back to school again." She said resolutely. Her eyes displaying her conviction.

"Are you sure?" Karin asked. "I said you could stay and work for me for as long as you like. You're parents passed away only two months ago. You think you're ready?"

"Y-Yes!"

Karin smiled as she downed the last bit of her coffee. "Can't be helped then."

"A-also..."

"Mm? Yeah?"

"I want t-to s-show Nii-chan... That m-my life isn't a mistake."

So that's what she meant. She wanted to prove to herself and Sajin that her being alive wasn't a mistake. That she had a reason for living.

So cuuuute~ Karin thought as she began to eat the noodles for breakfast.

"I'm glad you decided." Karin said and then opened one of the drawers near her. She pulled out some clothes and tossed them at Sumiyuri. "You'll need this."

Sumiyuri caught the clothes and observed what she had just caught. Then her eyes widened in surprise. It was a dark blue sailor uniform for school.

"I got you're sizes when I had you're maid dress made. Everything else is also prepared. You could even go to school now if you wanted to."

Sumiyuri looked at the clothes in her hands. They had been made for her without a second thought. She was given a place to stay, food to eat, a way to earn money and was even taught how to be a better person. The way everything felt about this reminded her of her mother.

"... Snf... hic... " Without realizing it, she had already began crying. "T-Thank y-you so muuuuuch!" She ran over to Karin and hugged her as tight as she possibly could. Karin took it full on and began embracing her and stroked her hair.

Her body was tired, it hurt just to keep her eyes open. Her head was aching and she might not be able to write anymore with her left hand. She didn't even know if she would survive through the day.

But she didn't care.

She didn't care at all.

Looking at her cute little sister that she had gotten because of it. She would do it all in a heartbeat.

"... I... Came to help..." Spoke a soft voice.

"Mm? Who're you?" Karin asked when she saw a person dressed in a cloak. Than she saw the glowing green eyes and immediately knew who it was.

"... I'm... Grimm Reaper..."