Chapter 62 - Not Love

Fujimura Miyu groans from the ground. She clutches her stomach with both hands and curls into a ball. Kokoro walked over to Miyu and kicked her, making Miyu smack her head against the wall with such a force that her forehead turns red and blood trickles down the wall.

Kasumi doesn't move from the spot she is standing by the door. Her face is pale and her jaw is dropped. She has beaten Miyu around before, but not as bad as Kokoro. She has also not seem one of these beatings, so this was her first time experiencing it. She felt immense pity for the girl on the ground with bruises staining her beautiful, porcelain skin.

Kasumi's chin bobbed as she tried to spit out the words of protest, but she kept them in her throat. For what reason? Well, the only reason was her pride. Her image. If her sister is beaten, tossed around, and hurt, then Kasumi wouldn't have much competition for the prince. The only, single reason why she doesn't grab her mother back from beating her sister is because she craves love. Not the love from her mother, that is only there because her mother wants her to do well so someone would acknowledge her. Not the love her peers and teachers bring, that is only there to gain some brownie points and maybe higher their standing in life. Not the love that the maids give, that is only there because they work under her and they don't want to be punished. Not the love that her father gives her, that is only there because she is the heir of the family and he doesn't want to upset her mother. She wants love that actually is for her, her emotions, her personality, her looks. Someone who loves her for herself, not other reasons. Kasumi believes the first prince will give her his love, she feels such a great connection with him that there is no otherwise, there is no other man for her nor woman for him. Just Kasumi and Ryota, that is all for her.

So, Kasumi continues to look at the pathetic example of a sister lying in front of her, with more and more bruises scattering her body and more and more blood staining the floors and walls. She watches as the girl on the ground slowly looses consciousness, and continues to stand as she watches her black out. Kasumi watches as her mother huffs and gives Miyu one last kick before dusting her hands off and screaming, "Where is that sister of yours? She is so slow with getting my makeup!"

Kasumi watches as her mother leaves the broken doll, on the ground, swimming in her own blood, with no tears, nor complaints.

*****

Ryota is panting in the tree. He keeps looking at the scene in front of him and away, worry aching his bones. He wants to run to her run, open the window, shove her sad excuse of a mother, take Miyu, and put her in a very safe place for the rest of her life. But, of course, he had to be stupid and promise her to not enter her room until her family members leave.

He was almost tearing his hair out of his scalp with the amount of times he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Ryota almost felt like pacing, but he was on a branch in a tree and thought otherwise.

He watched and watched as his wife was kicked and shoved against the wall and her sister stared at Miyu as she was being beaten. Ryota knows he's supposed to be friends with Kasumi and get information, but to see that Kasumi did nothing as Miyu was being beaten, he felt like he should just stop. If Ryota was ever near her again, he doesn't know if he'll be able to control his emotions enough to kill her. Who watches their sibling be beaten until unconsciousness? He guesses only Kasumi would. The amazing thing that he thought was that Hanae would probably stop Kokoro. Even Hanae would, he thought, because even though she bullies Miyu himself, she wouldn't go as far as watching someone beat someone else almost to death and do nothing. Hanae to him is on a higher scale than Kasumi.

When Ryota saw Kokoro swish her hips and walk out the door with a blank Kasumi trailing behind her, he dropped off the branch and ran as fast as he could to the window. He opened the window so fast and hard that it almost broke. Ryota scooped the fallen Miyu up and into his lap. He started to check all over her body, trying to find the most hurt spots. When Arata appeared before him he yelled at the fox to get healing supplies. Arata said something back and left. Ryota didn't know what he said, the only thing he heard was the ringing in his ears, ringing and ringing and ringing.