Mum! Im going to be late!

she shouted
towards the main door. Sachi put on her
shoes, and rushed out in a hurry.
Wait! You forgot your bag!
Sachi turned around, and grabbed her bag.
Thanks Mum!
Remember to come home for dinner!
Too late. Sachi was already far away into the
distance.
This was not the first time that Sachi was
late. She was late to school most of the
time, and would always try to find an excuse
for her actions.
The school is not far away or is just a short
walking distance, so being late is not really a
hassle for Sachi. She reached the school in
time, and saw new juniors coming in. She
hoped that the new term in High School and
the new juniors would refresh her life.
SACHI! SACHI!

Sachi felt bewildered due to someone calling

her name from a distance.
Hmm Who is shouting my name?
SACHI-CHAN! My cute and beloved Sachichan!
Sounds familiar. Oh wait
It was none other than her best friend
Yurika. She turns around, and sees Yurkia
running at an incredibly high speed. Sachi
was not surprised since her friend was an
athlete.
She zoomed past the gate, and stopped
right in front of Sachi while feeling rather
energetic.
Yo! Good Morning Sachi-chan! She was
happy to see Sachi's face after a long-term
break, as she smiled while greeting her.
Good Morning Yurika-san! Sachi was happy
to see her best friend too, and returned her
greeting.
Ahh. New term already. I cannot believe
how fast the time has passed. We are going

to graduate next year. Do you have any

plans, Sachi-chan?
Huh? Plans? Um Not really.
Seriously? No plans? Come on. You have
got to think of something to do.
Erm Ill probably go to college.
Yurika knew she was lying, as Sachi did not
sound confident in her answer. Nevertheless,
she decided not to pursue it further.
Alright, I will see you later in class!
The bell rang, as she stared at Yurika while
she walked away. Sachi quickly rushed to
her classroom hoping to arrive before her
homeroom teacher did. While she walked up
the stairs, she remembered that the first
lesson with her homeroom teacher would be
mathematics.
Ugh. What a lesson to start my new term
with. She rolled her eyes due to the fact
that she never enjoyed the subject.
Sachi sat at the end of the classroom next to
the windows. As the teacher arrived and was

greeted by the class before the first lesson

of the day began. While in the midst of the
lesson she gazed out into the scenery out of
boredom and frustration. She was not happy
since something had recently bothered her.
That bothering feeling had spoiled her
mood. She felt rendered, which caused her
to not be able to focus to get anything done.
She knew that the problem was beyond her
control, but if nothing was done then it
would only get worse.
Sachi Yuzuka! The teacher called out Sachi
while she was staring into space.
Could you answer this question for the rest
of the class?
Eh? Um Alright. She was confused, and
did not know what was going on. She
stumbled while trying to figure out what the
question was.
The teacher was getting impatient, as Sachi
struggled for an answer. Then she looked up,
and towards the front of the room. Yurika
had written an answer on her hand. She
looked at Sachi, and gave her a thumbs up.

She answered the question correctly while

looking at Yurika's answer despite the
unknown. Once again her best friend saved
Sachis ass for the day. This was not the first
time such a thing had happened.
The teacher was not impressed. Knowing
that she obviously had looked at someone
else for the answer, but decided to let it slip
since he was unable to determine whom it
was.
Tch. Alright. Please pay attention. The
teacher turned around, and continued his
class like usual.
Im sorry. I will focus more during the
lessons.
Nobody liked the mathematics teacher
known as Mr. Fujikawa. He is very strict
compared to the other teachers, and does
not like to joke around with students. He
acts cold all of the time, and has never
smiled towards anyone. He is huge in size,
and easily sweats which causes an
unbearable stench. The students gave Mr.
Fujikawa the nickname Mr. Stinky for that.

He knew people gave him that name, but

chose not to care anyway.
Half a day was gone, and the bell rang for
lunch. Sachi took out her mums homemade
food, and sat with Yurika.
Sachi! What do you have today?!
Yurika was always amazed by Sachis lunch
because the friend's lunch always looked
much more appealing than her own.
Sachi opened up her lunchbox to reveal the
delicious food that her mum had made for
her. Everything inside was what Yurkia had a
craving for such as egg rolls or baby
octopus. Unable to hold her urge she quickly
snatched one egg roll away from Sachi.
Hey-
Come on. Just one egg roll wont hurt.
Sharing is caring, you know?
You could ask me first.
Im heading to the toilet for a while. Sachi
exited the room while feeling annoyed.

Why is she so grumpy? Yurika looked at

her, as she headed out.
Sachi walked down the hallway towards the
toilet, and a familiar face emerged at the
staircase. It was none other than Jun. As
Sachi approached towards Jun her heart
skipped a beat, and a mild blush could be
seen on her face.
Hey Sachi! Jun noticed her, and
approached her with a pleasant greeting.
Oh. Hey Jun. How are you? At this point
Sachi was feeling happy seeing him.
Im fine. Erm There is something that I
would like to ask you.
Eh!? What would that be? Her heart pulse
started to rise, and her face was beginning
to turn red. She looked nervous, started to
clench her fists, and covered her chin.
Well. I was wondering if you are free this
weekend. I was thinking maybe we can go
watch a movie or something.
Sachi was nervous, but tried to hide it from
Jun. She kept thinking that this must be the

date that she had been dying to go to with

Jun.
Ok It was a long answer, but she
agreed to it.
Great! I will meet you at the train station
near your house at mid-day.
Alright.
Jun turned around while feeling happy, and
walked away.
Jun was Sachis only childhood friend, and
they used to live together as neighbors
once. It was no secret that both had feelings
for each other, but both were just too afraid
to make the first move.
While Jun walked back up the staircase his
best friend Satoshi was waiting for him.
So, did you ask? What did she say?
Well. She agreed to it.
You see? If it wasnt for me you wouldnt
even have had the guts to ask her out on a
date. Satoshi burst into excitement while

feeling proud because of encouraging Jun to

ask her out.
Yeah. I just hope that the date turns out
well.
Satoshi knew that Jun was eyeing Sachi for a
while now, and ever since the beginning of
high school. Adding to the fact that they
were both childhood friends, Satoshi felt that
they should be together as lovers. Therefore,
he feels the need to help his best friend out
with his situation.
However, Jun felt uneasy about this, and was
confused about what sort of activity there
would be on the date, as he did not have
any ideas at all.
Wait. What are we going to do during the
date?
Hehe. Do not worry. I have a plan that will
make you both a lovely couple.
Dontsay such a thing. Its embarrassing.
Jun thought of it and blushed. Embarrassing
as it sounded, Jun smiled at himself, knowing
he was happy for the fact that he will be

going out with her. He could not wait for the

weekend to come.
Satoshi, on the other hand, could not wait to
see how interesting this date would turned
out.
The bell rang, as another school day ended.
Yurika tried to ask Sachi out for dinner
knowing that there was no track field
session today.
Oi- Sachi-chan. Do you have plans after
school? Want to try out the new family
restaurant in town? I heard its good.
Im sorry Yurika-san. I have other plans at
home already. Maybe next time?
Ehhh? Sachi-chan, youre no fun at all.
Clearly, Yurika was disappointed at her
answer.
Im sorry. Ill promise to go with you next
time. Okay? Sachi gave Yurika a pat on the
head.
Okay! I will see you tomorrow then.

10

Yurika went to mingle around with other

classmates.
Sachi did not reject her because she was not
interested. She had a bad vibe recently. She
felt that something was not right, and had to
rush to her house.
Sachi walked out of the school as urgently as
possible. At the same moment, Jun was
having his usual baseball practice with
Satoshi and his teammates. He was running
on the track field, and noticed Sachi heading
home with a troubled expression.
I hope she is alright.
She returned back home, and noticed the
opened front door. As she entered the house
she was greeted with the horror of seeing
her mum crying on the floor including
bruises on her arms and face.
Mum! What happened to you?!
Tell me! It is dad again? She knew it had
something to do with her father.

11

Your dad Hes in the kitchen. Her mum

did not look at her, and mumbled something
instead.
She entered the kitchen, and saw her Dad
dead drunk while helplessly lying on the
floor. She knew what was going on within an
instant. Ever since Sachis dad was fired
from his last job he lost all motivation to find
another job. He became an abusive
alcoholic, and sometimes hit his wife out of
frustration.
To make the situation even worse, her mum
was ill, and could not really work at all. In
order to survive, her mum had to borrow
money from their relatives, and even from
the bank. Sachi knew that, eventually, the
family would need to pay their debt incurred
by the bank. She knew that such a lifestyle
could not go on anymore. However, she felt
powerless, knowing that there was nothing
that she could do to help her dads addiction
and her mums illness.
Nevertheless, she was mad at dad; the
anger was building up due to the many
incidents that had happened over such a
long period of time.
12

Dad! What the fuck is wrong with you!?

What have you done to mum?! She took up
the courage, and confronted her father.

DONT TALK TO ME LIKE THAT! IM YOUR

FATHER! Her father stood up, and slapped
her face.
THIS HAS GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!
GO UPSTAIRS TO YOUR ROOM! NOW!
Sachi sobbed in pain, as she stared at her
father with murderous eyes. Her mum heard
the commotion and crying from a distance.
I hate you, dad.
Sachi ran upstairs. Her dad fell down, and
while drunk landed on the floor. Sachi laid
down on her bed while crying. She felt hurt
and hopeless.
Why does such a thing have to happen to
me? She thought of that to herself, and
remained there for the entire evening until
dinnertime. Her mum had to walk upstairs
into her room to call her.

13

Sachi. Dinner is ready. Shouted from her

mum.
There was no response from Sachi, and her
mum decided to check her out in her room.
Sachi? Sachi, are you there?
Her mum walked into the room to see Sachi
lying in bed.
Whats wrong, Sachi? Her mum sat next to
her while holding her hands, and patted her
head. Sachi got up, and hugged her mum for
comfort.
Why does this thing have to happen to us?
What have we done wrong?
We did nothing wrong. Sometimes in life,
things just happen for a reason.
Life isnt fair! I dont want to live through
this. I want to go back to the days where we
were a happy family.
We cant go back anymore, Sachi. We need
to live life the way it is now, and hope for a
better tomorrow.

14

Despite the assurance, both of them knew

deep down that the better tomorrow might
never come.
Lets not think too much, Okay? Lets go
downstairs for dinner together.
Sachi and her Mum both came downstairs
for dinner. Sachi noticed that Dad was
nowhere to be seen.
Wheres dad?
He went out again
Again?! He is going out to drink again. Did
he take your money too?
Her Mum kept silent, and dared not to look
Sachi in the eyes.
Mum! You need to stop dad from taking
your money!
I dont want to talk it about. Lets have
dinner, alright?
Sachi could see her mums eyes turning
watery. She never liked to see her mum in

15

this situation. Yet again, there was nothing

that she could do.
Alright. Lets have dinner together.
Sachi knew that her father had forcefully
taken money away from mum, and probably
could not imagine the pain that she was
going through. She still felt that something
had to be done. She tried to figure out a
solution to this problem during dinner. As the
dinner went on, her mum noticed, she was
staring into space looking very worried. Mum
knew what she was thinking and tried to
distract her. Mum interrupted her thoughts.
How is the food, Sachi?
Huh? Food? Oh. Its delicious!
Good to hear that. Theres plenty if you
want more.
Sachi nodded her head in agreement, and
they both happily ate their dinner together.
After dinner, Sachi headed back upstairs into
her room to do her usual homework. It took
her quite a long time to complete since it
was math after all. Nonetheless, she
managed to get it done.
16

Ahh finally finished with this stupid

homework.
She noticed that the timing was late, and
that she needed to sleep. Many things had
happened that day, and she was too tired to
stay up late again.
Yawn Time for bed.
She headed downstairs to the toilet to get
her teeth brushed. She saw that the living
room lights were still on. She assumed it was
dad as during this time mum would be
asleep. However, to her surprise, she heard
her mums voice in the living room, and out
of curiosity, decided to take a look at what
was going on.
She opened the shoji just a little to make
sure that her mum would not notice her
presence. Sachi saw her mum tearing up
while talking to someone over the phone.
Please! I need your help. The banks are
asking for the money. I need your help.
Otherwise- She was interrupted over the
phone.

17

I know. I know I owe you a lot, but there is

nothing I can do right now. I promise I will
pay you back when I have the money.
The phone simply hung up without a reply
from the other side. Mum put down the
phone, feeling useless in life.
Every time Sachi saw her mum crying, she
always felt a sting in her heart. It felt very
painful for Sachi to see her mum getting
hurt repeatedly; therefore, Sachi was more
determined than ever to do something about
it.
The next morning, Sachi woke up early. Still
feeling tired, she instantly remembered what
had happened late last night, but did not
want to think about it.
Sachi! Breakfast is ready! Wake up! Mum
shouted from downstairs.
Okay!
Sachi got dressed up for school, and headed
down for breakfast. She sat down, and
began eating. Her mum was cleaning the
crockery in the kitchen, which was when her
mum decided to break the news to her.
18

Ive decided to look for a job right now.

Sachi was shocked and almost chocked on
her food.
Uaw. Eh? What?
The family needs money right now, so I
currently looking for a job to support
ourselves.
But mum, what about your health?
Dont worry. I can take care of myself
But
No Sachi. You dont have to worry about
me. I can really take care of myself.
Erm. Okay then.
Sachi knew this was not the case and was
worried about her mum. She could only pray
and hope that everything would turn out
fine. Feeling moody, she completed her
breakfast reluctantly.
Im done with breakfast. Thank you very
much.

19

Sachi headed out the door and put her shoes

on.
Im going out!
Be careful and come back home safety.
Okay.
Sachi went out of the house and walked
towards school looking worried. Satoshi was
heading to school at the same time from
another direction. When both of them met at
the junction, he noticed that Sachi was not
paying attention to her surroundings, looking
sad and bothered by something.
Hmm? I wonder whats wrong with her.
Satoshi walked behind her slowly and
observed her from a distance.
Suddenly, a rude girl stepped right in front
of him from behind. It was none other than
Yurika.
What do you think you are doing?
Eh? Nothing. Just walking to school?

20

Dont play dumb with me young man. I

know you are ogling at my Sachi just now.
Ogling? What do you mean by that? I would
never do such a thing.
Hmph! We all know your reputation in this
school. Pervert.
Satoshi was pissed, as Yurika walked away to
catch up with Sachi.
What the hell is wrong with her?
As school began halfway through, Satoshi
and Jun decided to chill out for a while on
top of the schools roof before the start of
the next lesson.
Jun was tired from the entire lesson, and was
glad that he took a break with Satoshi.
Ah. Lesson sucks. So glad that we had a
quick break.
Both sat down together drinking canned
coffee from the vending machine.

21

As the afternoon wind blew, Satoshi looked

into the clouds thinking about the girl from
earlier that morning.
Hmm
Whats wrong? Jun turned around and
looked at him.
Hey, do you know that girl who always
sticks to Sachi?
Oh. You mean Yurika? They have been best
friends since middle school.
Ehh So they are best friends huh.
Why did you ask about her?
Nothing really, just wondering who she is.
Jun felt something was going on between
him and Yurika, so he decided to question
about it even further.
Hey. Dont tell me you are going after her.
What? No. I would never go after such a
rude person!
Oh. Is that so?

22

While feeling irritated Satoshi stood up with

his hands stretched high into the air.
Ah. Dont worry about it. Right now, you
just need to focus on your date this
weekend.
I
The bell rang before Jun could reply.
Well, time to head back to class then.
As they both headed down the stairs, a
flashback of Yurika walking with Sachi earlier
on occurred to him. He shook his head, and
tried to forget about it.
Satoshi knew he felt something towards
Yurika, but could not find the right words to
explain his feelings. It almost felt too weird
for him to be hitting on Juns lover's best
friend.
He is not a stranger to girls at school. He
considered a predator that preys on girls.
Sometimes, Jun got pissed for imitating him
by using Sachi.

23

He had been in a relationship with several

girls, and his objective is just to get into bed
with them. Many people held negative views
about him, which is the reason why he only
has Jun for a friend.
However, this was a different feeling than
what he had felt from all the girls that he
had slept with. He thought to himself about
it.
Could this be a feeling of true love?
Again, he shook his head to forget about it.
As the lessons continued toward mid-day,
Sachi stared out the windows again and
worried about her mum. She knew her
mums condition very well. She has
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD); its a
disease that causes your legs and arms to
get painful cramps due to poor blood flow.
Old people have more risk of getting such a
disease. Sachis mum was around 50 years
old and was not young. If it is not treated
then it will get only worse.
However, given the current family financial
situation, her mum was unable to seek

24

treatment and had to stay at home, unable

to work. Working would only deteriorate her
condition further.
What should I do?
Suddenly an idea came to her mind; she
thought that maybe if she started to work
after school, it would relieve some of the
financial burden from the family.
Maybe if I worked part time after school, I
could earn some income for my family.
She knew that the time was running out, and
did not want to see her mum working. The
more she thought of it, the more she wanted
to do something about it.
Setting her mind straight, she turned around
to look at the clock hanging on the
classroom wall. Noticing that the school was
just moments away from dismissing, she
knew she could find a job after school.
Thats right! I will try and find a job after
school!
The bell rang. Sachi rushed out of the class
before Yurika could spot her.

25

Yurika turned around searching for Sachi, as

she promised yesterday that she would eat
with her at the new family restaurant.
Hmm? Where did Sachi go?
Feeling that Sachi might have escaped,
Yurika messaged her on the phone.
Hey. Where did you go? I thought you
promised me to go to dinner together?
Sachi, who was already outside the school,
saw her message and replied to her.
Sorry. Something caught up again. Maybe
next time.
Yurika received the message, and while
looking upon it she was disappointed.
I wonder whats wrong with her.
Yurika knew her since middle school and
they always hung out together. They cared
and loved each other like best friends. They
hardly quarrelled over anything.
She knew that this was not Sachi, and she
knew very well that something was going on

26

with her. She only hoped that whatever was

going on that she would be fine.
Sachi went to a nearby place where she
would be able to find a job. She went around
looking for it, but no luck at all. Night fell
quickly, and it was already late. Sachi could
not find any job in the end, and decided to
concede before heading home.
However, on her way home, she saw a
convenience store, and decided to try her
luck there.
Hmm Maybe I can give this place a try.
She entered into the convenience store, and
was greeted by a man from behind the
cashier counter. He seemed scary, and weird
looking.
Regardless, Sachi approached him.
Hi, erm. I am currently looking for a job.
She asked the man while twirling around her
hair with her fingers.
A job? You mean you want to work here?

27

Yes. I was wondering if you have vacancy

here.
The man did a quick scan of Sachi.
Hmm Yes we do.
Sachi was happy and finally relieved that
she might have found a job.
Really? You do? When can I start work?
Well. You can start work after school
anytime if you want to. Im the manager of
this convenience store by the way. My name
is Yowaka. You can just call me Manager.
The man scratched his head while answering
her question.
Sachi breathed a sigh of relief, as she finally
landed herself a part time job.
Can I start work after school tomorrow?
Replying to him while hopping in excitement.
Yes. You can. I will start training you
tomorrow.
Alright, see you tomorrow then, Managersan.

28

Okay.
Sachi happily walked out of the store and
headed home while feeling like some of the
burden was off of her chest.
Looks like what mum said is true. There is a
better tomorrow after all.
As she walked out, Yowaka was leering at
her.
Ah. She is so beautiful. That slender body of
hers and that wonderful smell of a high
school girl. Makes me so horny.
Yowaka continued to think dirty about Sachi.
Hehe... Looks like tomorrow is going to be
an exciting day.
Sachi reached home, and could not wait to
break the news to her mum. She dashed into
the house looking for her mum, but only to
find her dad lying on the floor drunk once
again.
Ignoring her dad, she decided to find mum in
the kitchen.

29

Mum! Mum!
What it is, Sachi?
Mum! I found a part time job.
Huh? You found a part time job? Her mum
was confused, and could not believe what
she was saying.
Yes. I found a job at the convenience store,
so now you dont have to work anymore.
But your part time job wouldnt be enough
to cover the expenses. I will still have to
work. Her mum giggled and patted her
head.
Upon hearing that, Sachi broken down in
tears.
But mum. I dont want you to get your
health condition any worse. So please dont
go to work. I beg you!
Listen here Sachi-chan. Your mother is
doing whatever she can for a better
tomorrow. Since you have already found a
job, the best I can do is to work less hours.

30

Her mum hugged her, trying to comfort

Sachi.
But what about your health? Sachi looked
up at her mum face.
Dont worry. I will take care of myself. I
promise.
You Promise?
Yes. Sachi-chan, I promise.
Feeling reassured, Sachi wiped her tears off
her cheek.
Okay!
Now, you must be hungry. Go and have
your dinner.
Okay!
Sachi headed for the dining table, while her
mum prepares the food for her.

31