Hoshino's POV
A relieved smile spread across Mom's face as Lily took a step closer to her.
"Lily… I knew you'd come around eventually."
Mom stretched her hand closer to Lily, but before she could reach her, my Sister stopped moving. Mom's hand was left a few inches away from her face. Lily slowly raised her own hand and brushed Mom's aside with a deliberate resolve. Mom's eyes went wide, a quiet "why?" slipped through her lips. This time, it was Lily who took a step forward.
"Sorry, Mom. But this is the hairstyle I'm going to be wearing today."
There wasn't a single ounce of hesitation in Lily's tone. Mom stammered over her words as she struggled to say something. Lily waited a few moments before turning on her heel and walking toward the front door.
Mom stared at Lily's retreating figure helplessly. Her face paled the farther away Lily got, as if her life force were tied to my Sister's proximity. Suddenly, Mom dug her nails into her palm, and her angelic smile snapped. She gritted her teeth and dashed toward Lily with her arm outstretched. But before she could reach her, Lily swung around.
*Smack*
A loud, dull smacking sound resounded through the room. I couldn't see Lily's face, but Mom staggered back, rubbing her hand with a blank expression. Even I… couldn't help but gasp.
Well, I'll be damned.
I shook my head and chuckled to myself, but that chuckle was drowned out by the scream that came next.
"Y-you… d-did you just—slap me?!"
Mom's face contorted into one of seething rage. Her ragged breaths leaked through the gaps of her gritted teeth.
"Why woULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE TO RAISE YOU?! THE PAIN I HAD TO ENDURE?! WHY WOULD YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS, LILYYYY!!!!"
The graceful tone that Mom always spoke with was now replaced with a hideous, primal cry.
"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?! WHY CAN'T ANY OF YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?! WH–"
"Mom, that's enough."
Lily spoke with an all-too-familiar grace. But beneath that tone, there lay an eerie, unmoving will. Her words didn't just interrupt the noise; they drained the warmth out of the room.
Mom began to tremble, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Even at this point, she didn't back down. "Lily… this is your last chance. Come here right–"
Before Mom finished, Lily turned toward me and flashed me a bright smile. Her smile seemed to illuminate the space around her, making it almost hurt to look at. I covered my eyes, but through the gaps between my fingers, I saw Lily spin back toward Mom.
At that moment—it was like I saw… myself. No, it was something that resembled me, but was greater in every possible way.
"Mom… I don't care."
Those three words… I've uttered more than any others. But when Lily said them—I struggled to even process it. She didn't sound cold or detached. She sounded warm, kind—almost beautiful.
She's… really growing up now.
With that, I grabbed the handle to the front door and left the house. There was no point in watching anymore. Lily was—and will be—fine. It's something that I should be celebrating. Yet, a bitter taste lingered on my tongue.
I stepped off the porch and began walking to school. I only made it a couple of blocks before I heard someone screaming my name from behind me.
I didn't turn around. The voice continued to grow louder until it was right beside me.
"Hah Hah… God… you can't even… wait for me now?" Lily complained through hoarse gasps.
"You would've been fine anyway. So I don't get what the big deal is," I replied, keeping my gaze forward.
Lily let out an irritated "Hmph!" before leaning her head against my shoulder. I let out an exasperated sigh as I reluctantly shifted my gaze toward her. She wore a pout as she snuggled into me. I could feel her hands trembling against my sleeve—the adrenaline of the confrontation finally wearing off.
"...What are you doing?"
She snorted. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm recharging!"
"Recharging? What for?"
Lily groaned annoyedly and stomped on my foot, but I continued walking like nothing had happened. She clicked her tongue and looked away.
"For someone so smart, you can be stupid sometimes. I'm recharging for standing up against Mom, obviously! It was scary, you know! That was my first time—" Lily paused for a moment, her voice going from hyper to demanding. "So cut me some slack and just shut up and stand there."
"Whatever you say," I replied nonchalantly.
I shifted my gaze back to the street in front of me, but I kept Lily in my peripheral vision, studying her every move.
Something about Lily's clinginess felt… off. She was always clingy, but something about it felt different somehow. Granted, considering the fact that she just confronted Mom—along with the relieved smile on her face, I didn't pry. Most of all, seeing her act like this towards me… made the bitter taste in my mouth disappear.
We continued walking along the street until we arrived at an intersection. We waited for a black car to drive by before crossing. The car caught my attention, and I followed it with my gaze until it disappeared behind me.
Lily tugged on my sleeve, looking slightly concerned. "What's wrong?"
I shook my head and kept walking forward, dragging her along. "No—it's nothing. It's just… doesn't that car look familiar to you?"
She turned towards the direction the car went, but by that point, it was gone.
For a car to disappear that fast… that's gotta be one hell of a driver.