Chapter 5: A Pinkie Promise

The terrain changed as they left the chaos of the city behind. Goh, Sumi, and Franklin were now hiking up a steep hill, the challenge of the climb exacerbated by the need to push Goh's wheelchair. Behind them, the distant sounds of gunshots and explosions echoed from the city, a stark reminder of the conflict they were fleeing.

As they reached the top of the hill, both Franklin and Sumi were out of breath from the effort. Franklin paused, hands on his knees, catching his breath. The view from the hill offered a momentary escape from their troubles. Below, the landscape spread out in a patchwork of fields and clusters of rural houses, the tranquility of the scene at odds with the violence they had left behind.

"We should rest for a bit," Franklin suggested, his breath still heavy from the climb. Both he and Sumi slouched down on the grassy hillside, taking in the calm that the rural scenery offered. Meanwhile, Goh began the delicate task of unpacking the bag and attempting to piece together the fragments of the broken teapot.

As the quiet moment stretched, Sumi's stomach growled audibly, breaking the silence. Goh, having somewhat restored the teapot to a semblance of its former self, glanced up just as Franklin eyed the large bag with a mix of hope and skepticism.

"There's got to be some food in there," Franklin muttered, more a wish than a statement.

"Just tea," Goh replied, a hint of apology in his tone.

Franklin let out a disappointed laugh and shook his head. "Unbelievable," he exclaimed, his frustration palpable.

Sumi, feeling the pangs of hunger, rubbed her tummy and gave Franklin a hopeful look, pointing at her mouth to indicate her need.

"What do you want me to do? We don't have anything," Franklin responded, his voice a mix of frustration and helplessness.

Goh, catching the interaction, looked towards the dense forest that bordered the hillside and gestured towards it. His suggestion was silent but clear.

"What, you want me to go out hunting?" Franklin asked, incredulously.

Goh shook his head and clarified, "I've heard that there are wild strawberries in this area."

The suggestion hung in the air between them, Goh looking up from his wheelchair with an expectant gaze, while Franklin stood in disbelief at the audacity of relying on foraged berries to stave off their hunger. Yet, the simplicity of the idea, the return to something as fundamental as gathering food from the land, struck a chord.

With a resigned sigh, Franklin got up. Sumi, her spirits lifted by the prospect of an adventure, followed closely behind. As they prepared to enter the underbrush, Franklin glanced back at her, a mix of determination and caution in his voice. "Just don't get in my way," he warned, setting the tone for their foraging mission.

Together, they stepped into the forest, leaving the safety of the open hillside for the shaded mysteries of the woods, each step a move toward self-reliance in the face of their extraordinary circumstances.

In the cool shade of the forest, Franklin carefully picked strawberries, placing them into an emptied teapot. Sumi, less concerned with collection than consumption, ate with youthful abandon. Her hands and mouth were smeared with the red juice of the berries, a testament to her enthusiasm.

As they enjoyed their foraging, the serene woodland scene was suddenly disrupted by the buzz of bees, attracted no doubt by the sweet stains on Sumi's hands and face. One bee, more daring than the rest, landed on her neck and stung her.

"Ow!" Sumi exclaimed as she instinctively smacked her neck, crushing the bee in the process.

"Ow? Wait a minute..." Franklin turned at the sound of her voice, a hint of confusion in his tone. Sumi looked down at her palm, horrified to see the remains of the bee squished against her skin. She placed her other hand over her mouth to muffle a scream.

"Help me!" she cried out, her voice muffled by her hand.

Franklin quickly stepped over, his actions calm and practiced. He gently wiped the bee off her palm with his sleeve and carefully extracted the stinger from her neck, trying to soothe her with a comforting pat on the shoulder as she let out a stifled cry.

"It's just a bee sting, you'll be alright," he reassured her, though his voice carried a slight undertone of uncertainty, not about the bee sting, but about the sound of her voice.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, Sumi crying silently with her hand still clasped over her mouth. Franklin watched her, a new curiosity dawning on his face.

"So... You can speak?" he ventured, his voice a mix of surprise and intrigue.

Sumi abruptly stopped crying and looked up at him. Her hand, previously covering her mouth, now shifted to press a single finger against her lips in a gesture for silence.

"Shhh," she whispered, her eyes wide, urging secrecy.

"What?" Franklin responded, his voice dropping to a whisper, a myriad of questions racing through his mind.

Sumi's whisper carried a weight that immediately grabbed Franklin's attention. "He's watching..." Her eyes darted nervously towards where Goh stood in the distance, far beyond the edge of the forest.

"He's far away, Sumi. You have to tell me what's going on. Why are you pretending to be mute?" Franklin's voice was firm, his concern deepening as he tried to piece together the unexpected layers of their dynamic.

Sumi shook her head slowly, a silent plea in her eyes as she turned away from him, her actions speaking volumes of her internal conflict. She rubbed her neck where the bee had stung her, then walked over to the tea pot they had filled with strawberries.

"Sumi... You can't just—" Franklin began, but she continued her task, ignoring his plea for answers. She picked up the teapot, added a few more strawberries, and started to walk away.

"Hey!" Franklin called out, his patience waning. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, prompting a close-up of his wedding ring, a symbol of his own deep emotional ties and losses.

"Do you want me to ask Goh about this?" he pressed, his tone indicating that he was ready to confront Goh if needed to protect her or understand the truth.

Sumi stopped and turned to face him, her expression filled with panic. The tension between them was palpable, each aware of the stakes of this confrontation.

"I thought so. Now, you're going to tell me what the hell is going on between you and your father," Franklin insisted, his grip still firm.

Sumi's eyes flicked down to Franklin's hand on her wrist, noticing the wedding ring. Her gaze lingered on the symbol of love and commitment, sparking a connection to her own experiences. "How much did you love your wife?" she asked quietly, shifting the conversation unexpectedly.

Franklin paused, taken aback by the sudden question. A beat passed as he processed her words, his face reflecting a mixture of surprise and sorrow. "I... loved her very much," he finally answered, his voice softening.

Sumi's next words came slowly, each one heavy with meaning. "Father loved mom a little too much. More than our tea shop. More than himself... more than... me."

Sumi's movements were nervous, her discomfort palpable as she fidgeted with the teapot. "He was never the same after we lost her. He didn't like being around me, I reminded him of her too much. It got to a point where my voice would trigger him," she confessed, her voice low and filled with sadness.

"That's a problem. I can—" Franklin began, his tone resolute as he prepared to confront Goh about the disturbing revelations. However, as he moved to pass her, Sumi reached out desperately, grabbing his wrist. He turned to face her, and as her sleeve slid down, a bruise was revealed on her arm. Franklin's eyes narrowed in concern.

"It's not your problem," Sumi insisted, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and resignation.

He hesitated, his instincts torn between wanting to protect her and respecting her wishes. Despite his reservations, he shook off her grip and continued towards Goh, driven by a sense of justice for Sumi.

"Please stop! You don't understand... You'll upset him, and I don't like it when he's like that," Sumi called out after him, her plea stopping him in his tracks.

"Listen to the kid, Franklin," the Guardian Angel's voice echoed, surprisingly siding with Sumi's request for discretion.

Franklin froze, the angel's words halting him mid-stride. He turned around to see the angel comforting Sumi as she cried, her tears a silent testament to her inner turmoil. Confusion and frustration warred within him as he watched the angel's arms around her, unable to fathom why the celestial being would advise restraint in such a matter.

With a heavy sigh, Franklin walked back to Sumi and knelt in front of her. His voice softened, "Okay... stop crying. I won't tell Goh."

Her eyes, still brimming with tears, met his. "You promise?" she sniffled, seeking reassurance in his words.

"Yes... It'll be our little secret," Franklin affirmed, his voice firm yet gentle, promising protection and secrecy.

Sumi, her tears gradually subsiding, extended her pinkie towards Franklin in a gesture of childlike sincerity, seeking to solidify their promise in the simplest, most earnest way she knew. Franklin, observing the seriousness with which she treated this small act, couldn't help but let a brief, exasperated roll of his eyes escape him—a momentary release of tension in the midst of their heavy circumstances. Despite this, he reached out and gently interlocked his pinkie with hers, sealing their agreement.

This small, symbolic act, laden with trust and mutual respect, underscored the gravity of their shared secret and marked a deepening of their bond. Franklin understood that this gesture meant far more to Sumi than a mere promise—it was a lifeline, a reassurance that she was not alone in her struggles. As their fingers linked, Franklin felt a renewed sense of commitment to protect and support Sumi, realizing the importance of his role not just as a companion, but as a guardian in his own right, guided by compassion and a deeper understanding of her vulnerabilities.