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8 years ago...
She was 8 years old when this eventful day took place. It was spring, and unlike other children who played in the park with their friends, here Suzume was, coped up in the mini library her family's house had. Oddly enough, she loved to read, she would bring books to wherever she went, to read during her free time. Even when she was in her house, Suzume spent most of her time in the library. It was 2 in the afternoon, she decided to take a break, and exited the room. Her mother was in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes they used for lunch. Her eyes scanned the living room, and they landed on the figure sitting on the couch, watching television, her father. She could hear faint sounds of a ball bouncing outside, accompanied by some shouting.
"Oh, Suzume, you finally decided to come out?" the cheerful voice snapped Suzume out of her thoughts. Her mother. "Yeah, I'll probably continue reading in the evening," she replied. Silence was present for a few seconds, but that was interrupted by a loud growl. The girl clutched her stomach in embarrassment and hunger.
"Huh? We've eaten lunch an hour ago and yer already hungry?" her mother asked.
"Well, that's to be expected. Our children are huge eaters, ya know?" the new voice belonged to Papa Miya.
"I know, I know," she sighed and turned to Suzume, "There's some cookies in the jar, if ya want you can have them."
She nodded in thanks and Mama Miya smiled in return.
Suzume made her way to the kitchen and took out a plate, not before washing her hands. She took out a cookie and began to munch on them. Upon taking a bite, her usual blank face contoured into a huge grin. Mom's cooking were the best. After having three more or so cookies, she took the plate and put it in the sink for her mom to wash later. Having decided that she had deprived her siblings of her attention, she made her way to the front yard.
"Ah! It's Suzu'! She's finally come out of her hole after centuries!" one boy greeted her.
"Shut up 'Tsumu, yer bein' too dramatic," the other boy retorted. (If I'm not mistaken, they decided to give each other nicknames after they met Aran in middle school and thought his foreign name sounded cool. But I decided that the twins not calling each other by their nickname is weird, so I'll have them use the nicknames. Also, your nickname has been revealed!)
"Oi!"
She smiled at the sight of the twins bickering, "I've finally decided to bless you two with my attention, what's up?"
"Ah, the usual, playin' volleyball," Osamu replied.
"I'll be watchin' you guys then," she said as she sat down on the porch.
The two boys grinned at her before continuing to play. Atsumu and Osamu had took an interest in volleyball about half a year ago when an official match was playing on screen. The twins were astonished and begged their parents to sign them up for a club. And as it turns out, they had skill in it. Both of them were far more advanced than the other children who attended the same club. In contrast, Suzume was never the one to play sports. She instead picked up reading. Among the three siblings, she was the most quiet. Even in school, she did not make much friends, yet alone, talk much. The majority of the children in school who approached her only intended to become closer with her brothers. But Suzume wasn't stupid either. She knew all too well and always picked up on their intentions. For some reason, in her family, she was the only one who picked up their mother's smarts. She was talented in her studies, having not received a grade lower than a B. Despite their differences, the three siblings got along well. Her family was the only people who managed to make Suzume more talkative.
Though she did not want to play volleyball, she found herself rather amused when she watched other people play. She wasn't all too crazy about it either. She liked volleyball, but preferred to watch from the side instead of playing. Back to present, her two brothers were doing passing drills. Suzume continued to watch the two of them for a few more minutes, but her attention was diverted when her eyes caught a pink petal falling. Spring was her favourite season, because she looked forward to watching the cherry blossoms. They were her favourite flowers, and also one of the things she loved the most. Coincidentally, her family lived in an area where cherry blossoms could be seen during the Spring, and she was grateful for that.
She looked back at the twins playing, and decided that they would not be bothered if she had went somewhere else. Suzume stood up and made her way to the spot where she could observe the Sakura trees. She stared at the pink petals in awe. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, which caused a bunch of petals to fall off the branches. She held out her hands to catch a few petals, and one fell onto her palm. She smiled, but that feeling of joy was taken over by a new feeling.
It was pain. Suddenly her head was throbbing in pain. Her whole body was in pain. She could not explain but she was in agony. She began to shake, and her eyesight became blurry. Suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion, she finally collapsed. And the last thing her senses could pick up were the sounds of people calling out for her.
(Ah my first chapter! I hope whoever is reading this enjoys it so far. This is my first experience with writing so all advice and opinions on improvements are highly appreciated. I am busy with school, so updates may be inconsistent. But I will try to update every 2-3 days or so. It depends on my schedule on mood, but I may update a day after the last every once in a while.)
