Late into the afternoon, the police sirens wailed through the neighborhood. Their presence alone had drawn nearby residents to the scene. Yuki sat on the doorstep just outside her house as Miss Nishimura gently draped a white blanket over her shoulders. She watched as the paramedics took her parents out of the house on a stretcher.
One of the police officers standing right in front of her pulled out a notebook and pen from his pocket.
"I know this isn't easy, but I need to ask you a few questions. How about we start with your name?"
Yuki opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She just stared at the ground in silence, hoping that after some time he would leave her alone.
Thankfully, Miss Nishimura noticed her unwillingness to speak and spoke on her behalf instead.
"Her name is Yuki Ayano, sir."
The police officer had a confused look.
"Thank you… and just to confirm, are you a relative?"
Miss Nishimura cleared her throat.
"No, I'm just her teacher. And officer… if I can be blunt with you, I don't think this is the right time to question her about anything. I hope you can understand that."
The police officer was taken aback at Miss Nishimura's comment as a bead of sweat slid down his right cheek.
"Y… yes, of course. I'm sorry, you're absolutely right…"
Yuki raised her head to meet the nervous-looking officer.
"Officer, are my parents going to be okay?"
Miss Nishimura and the officer instantly shifted their attention back to Yuki, who had finally spoken. The police officer took off his cap and kneeled down.
"Your parents are still alive, but they're extremely sick. From what the paramedics told me, it looks like their bodies have been neglected for years. At this moment, they're in a coma, and there's no way to know if or when they'll wake up. My recommendation… go visit them at the hospital."
Yuki gave a weak nod and pulled the blanket up over her face, hiding the tears that had formed.
Miss Nishimura quietly thanked the police officer, and soon after, he walked away. The crowd followed, drifting off one by one until there was no one left watching.
***
Yuki hadn't blinked in what felt like hours. She sat slouched on the couch, curled up in her white blanket, eyes locked on the clock.
4:02 a.m.
Her parents were in the hospital all because of her.
She could spin the facts however she wanted. She could say she was young, or she was scared, but deep down she knew the truth.
When they first got sick… she did nothing. Instead, she watched them slowly deteriorate until they became nothing but shells of themselves.
But what was the real reason for abandoning them?
It was simple. Clearly, she loved her parents very much. But it wasn't in the way a normal person would love their parents. For her, it was different. A twisted and morbid type of love, to be exact.
The way she envisioned her parents was like a kid, who found his all-time favorite toy broken and scattered across the floor. And instead of trying to fix it, she did what any child would do : she got herself a new toy and hid the broken one somewhere no one would ever find it.
She ran a hand through her blonde hair, pulling at it in frustration.
"What is wrong with me…"
A sudden crash burst from her parents' bedroom.
It sounded like glass shattering, which made no sense. Nobody was supposed to be in her house besides herself.
Yuki walked slowly down the hallway, one hand covering her nose from the stench of garbage that lingered in the air. Careful not to step on any of the scattered trash, she took small, deliberate steps until she reached her parents' bedroom door. Then, she gripped the knob and turned it slowly.
Inside, her eyes went straight to the mess near the nightstand.
All four of her dolls were sitting on the floor beside the shattered remains of a glass cup. Water had soaked into the dolls' fabric, darkening their clothes.
She frowned.
That doesn't make any sense. The window was closed, so how did the glass even fall? And from what I remember, that cup was never anywhere near the edge of the nightstand.
Not only that, but her dolls were in the wrong place. There should have only been two dolls in this room. The other two belonged on the living room windowsill, not in her parents' bedroom.
Yuki sighed.
"Have I completely lost it? That has to be it, right?"
She picked up each doll one by one, carrying them out of the room and into the living room. She lined them up neatly on the couch, trying to shake the unease gnawing at her.
As soon as she placed the last one down, a buzzing sound broke through the silence, her phone vibrated as she snatched it up and pressed it to her ear.
"…Hello?"
"Oh, thank God. I was really worried," Miss Nishimura's voice breathed through the line.
Yuki stayed quiet.
"I know you probably haven't been sleeping after what had happened yesterday… I mean, it was a lot. But listen, I called a therapist for you who is available to meet you at anytime. He was someone I went to when I was younger."
Yuki blinked.
'A therapist. Of course, that's exactly what I need right now.' The thought stayed bitter in her head.
"He really did help me, but I should warn you… he's a little strange."
That caught Yuki's attention. "…Strange how?"
There was a pause, like Miss Nishimura was weighing her words.
"He opens his therapy clinic at five in the morning and closes at seven-thirty. A.M., not P.M."
"…That's weird."
"And he has this receptionist, who just does not speak whatsoever. I feel like there's something strange about her too."
Yuki almost smiled, but it faded before it reached her mouth.
'Nothing strange about that to me… but who knows, I guess.'
"But listen, if you can get past all that… he helped me through a time when I was a complete mess and told me things no one else did."
Yuki leaned her shoulder against the wall, eyes drifting to the clock.
4:30 a.m.
Miss Nishimura continued
"You don't have to go if you're not ready, but I'll send you his contact information."
"…What's his name?" Yuki asked.
"Sasaki," Miss Nishimura said. "Sasaki Shin."