1 Before The Fall Part One

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"You know… At this moment and time, I am really trying to figure out what the hell it is that I am looking at. It's semi transparent, blue, and extremely cute. Not something you would ever see on Earth. Something you would normally only see in games but to be honest I am not sure if I am dreaming or not after all that has happened. What was even weirder is this game like HUD I can see in my peripheral vision. Maybe I'm dead? That can't be since I seem to be alive and breathing and that bite you gave me earlier hurt really bad.

"You want to know what I mean? Well, it will take a while to explain..."

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Turning back time two weeks prior…

"Why do I need to do this homework! What do they mean by, what is the meaning of life!? Isn't it just to work as a cog in the machine? Ahhh! Not doing it! They can give me a failing grade!"

"Yuki come down for dinner!"

"Coming!" Yuki yelled down to her mother. She tossed the pen in her hand on to her desk, sprang up from her chair, and ran out of the room.

The pitter patter of her bare feet could be heard as she ran down the hall and down the stairs. Her brown hair that went to the middle of her back swayed from side to side. Her dark brown eyes sparkled at the thought of food. "Yuki no running in the house! How many times do I have to say it!?"

"Sorry!" Yuki paid no mind to her mother's scolding since she was highly used to it now. She walked into the dining room and sat down.

This was Yuki's favorite night of the week when it came to dinner. Hamburger steak night! Normally her dinners consisted of heating up premade meals that her mother quickly put together since she always had to work. Except for Sunday nights. This was the only day Yuki's mom, Kurihara Nanami had off. Nanami had to work extra hard ever since her husband, Kurihara Shohei, passed away.

Although Shohei had life insurance it was only enough to cover the cost of immediate things. Leaving the payments for everyday life solely on Nanami's shoulders. In the end to make things meet, so she would not lose their house Nanami was forced to take on two jobs.

Their life was by no means bad. They lived frugally and even Yuki would do some side jobs here and there. At sixteen, Yuki, who seemed out of it most of the time, had paid for her hobbies with her own money, never asking for a dime from her mother. Although she could not have a steady part-time job, mainly because her mother wanted her to put her studies before anything else, it did not stop Yuki from working here and there a few times a month.

Yuki was also very frugal with her money, Normally she would only wear sweatshirts or t-shirts. With a pair of worn jeans or shorts. Yuki was never big on style in the first place and although she was fairly pretty, in all her sixteen years of her life, she had never been asked out on a date. Standing at one hundred and sixty-five centimeters and with a slim body, she should be ripe for the picking. But Yuki never showed any interest in boys and the boys never showed any interest in her.

"Yuki! I come to play!" A voice came floating in from the front door.

"Suzu, good timing. Did you eat yet?" Nanami asked.

This was also a normal thing to see on Sunday nights, well almost every night. Yuki's childhood friend always came over. They lived next door to each other so Suzu spent a lot of time at Yuki's house, more so than she did in her own home. It had always been like that since Yuki and Suzu were young. Suzu seemed infatuated with Yuki never leaving her side.

"Not yet!" Suzu answered, walking right into the kitchen making herself at home as she took a seat next to Yuki.

"Did you finish your homework?" Yuki asked as she picked up a bite of hamburger steak and brought it to Suzu's lips who happily took it into her mouth.

"Mmm for the most part. But what was with that paper? Why do they have to ask us what the meaning of life is?" Suzu had also given up on that particular assignment.

"No idea and even though I don't want to do it, if I don't, I have a feeling it will drop my grade by a lot."

The two had dinner and went up to Yuki's room where as soon as Yuki sat down on the bed Suzu latched onto her from behind hugging her. This was another daily ritual, or more like a habit. Suzu called it Yuki charging. This was no simple hug, it was arms and feet wrapped around her. As Suzu was short for her age almost one hundred and fifty-five centimeters she was the perfect fit to wrap around Yuki.

"Suzu can you do this later?" Yuki asked, feeling exhausted.

"Mmm… Just a little longer..." Suzu said as she pushed her face into Yuki's neck.

With no other choice and already used to Suzu's spoiled nature Yuki stood up with Suzu still attached to her and began getting things ready for her bath. "The usual?" Yuki asked, pulling out a long white shirt.

"Mmm." Suzu hummed not once looking up to see what Yuki was doing. Her face was buried into Yuki's neck.

Yuki took the clothes and two towels and headed to the bathroom. Nanami had just come up the stairs and saw her daughter slugging along with her normal attachment and let out a laugh. "Yuki, if you keep spoiling Suzu like that, her parents might complain."

"Not that Suzu would listen to me anyway. It is easier to let her do as she pleases." These days were a norm for Yuki and because Suzu had been doing this exact thing since young it had become so normal that Nanami found the whole thing funny, even the, I gave up a long time ago expression on Yuki's face.

The two girls walked into the bathroom where Suzu reluctantly climbed off Yuki's back and got undressed. The two girls washed each other's backs before getting into the bath and soaking their worries away. "Suzu, don't fall asleep."

"But, Yuki is so comforting..." Suzu said with her eyes closed as she nuzzled into Yuki's chest.

Yuki had no idea what was so comforting about her chest. She was sixteen and was barely an A cup. Not that Suzu was any better with her washboard chest. Her small and petite body made it seem she had not even hit puberty yet. Although they were the same age, Yuki feared for Suzu's future as someone who would most likely look underage until she hit forty.

After a hot bath, Yuki went to work drying off and dressing the now half-asleep Suzu. Sometimes Yuki wondered if she had gained a daughter instead of a friend. After getting dressed herself, she picked Suzu up and carried her to her room where she then laid Suzu on the bed. She untucked one side of the covers and rolled Suzu over before covering her with the blanket. By this time Suzu was completely out and once she was asleep there was no waking her.

With that all done, Yuki turned the overhead light off and went to her desk and turned her desk light on before sitting down. She picked back up the pen and looked at the paper that had to deal with the meaning of life when something finally came to her. She pushed her pen to the paper and began writing. 'The meaning of life differs from person to person. One could say it was to become rich and live a life of luxury, while another could say it was to live life to its fullest. Some even think it is to communicate with nature and while others it is to just be another cog in the machine. The meaning of life for me is different from everyone else, just like your idea of the meaning of life would be different from mine. For me, the meaning of life is to take it one day at a time. No one can predict what tomorrow will bring. In other words, the meaning of life is to take things as they come.'

With her paper done, even though it was clearly not the correct word count. Yuki got up and shut off her desk light and crawled into bed next to Suzu and fell fast asleep.

The next morning Yuki woke up and peeled Suzu who had decided to use her body as a body pillow at some point in the night, off of her, so she could go and wash her face. Hearing her mom walk by she asked: "Mom, can you get me a large bowl?"

"Suzu is still asleep!?" Nanami asked.

"Yeah, if I do not freshen her up, she won't even think to do it before heading to school." Yuki answered as she dried her face off. Before making her way downstairs. She sat down at the table and ate her breakfast.

Nanami came over and placed a bowl on the table for her. "You should just keep it in the upstairs bath."

"Mmm, I will. Are you off to work now?" Yuki asked as she got up and gave her mother a hug.

"Yeah, I need to head in a little earlier. Oh! I may be later than usual today. They offered me a bit of overtime at my second job." Nanami said, hugging Yuki back.

"Mom, you know I can just get a part..." Yuki did not even get to finish her sentence when Nanami pressed her fingers against Yuki's lips.

"You taking care of your little gaming hobby is good enough. Concentrate on school. That is more important than anything right now. Are you not going to be graduating soon? You need to prepare for your college entrance exams." Nanami said while gently holding Yuki's shoulders and looking her right in the eye.

"Mom, college is not going to happen. It is too expensive and my grades are not good. I can barely pass my class with an average. I will never get a scholarship. I figured I could find a job after I graduate and help with the house bills." Yuki had already decided to not burden her mother any more than she has. Her mother worked so hard just to keep the house going and to have some extra emergency funds, there was no spare money for college tuition nor would Yuki make her mother pay for such things.

"Yuki..." Nanami, had tears welling up in her eyes. Her daughter was always very considerate when it came to money. Never asking for anything. Even from the young age of seven when her father first passed away, Yuki did not ask for much. She did her best to learn how to do chores around the house and made sure it was cleaned every day when she got home from school. Yuki had always been a good daughter and never complained about anything.

"Mom, don't cry. When I graduate I will get a job and you can leave one of your jobs and take a break okay? It will be my turn to take care of you." Yuki smiled and wiped the tears that rolled down Nanami's cheeks.

Hugging Yuki tightly, Nanami felt blessed to have such a daughter as Yuki. "Go finish eating and get ready. Mom needs to go."

Yuki saw her mother out the door with a smile and wave, not knowing life for her and the rest of the world would soon change drastically…