She stared at me for a long, silent minute. The rain hammered the awning above her. Finally, she spoke, her voice a dry rasp. “Why?”
Aoi didn’t go back. She was placed in a foster home, but a special provision was made. Because she was almost seventeen, because she was stable, and because I was willing to be a supervised guardian, she could stay with me. Life -Life With A Runaway Girl- -RJ01148030-
She snatched the book back, her cheeks flushing. But a tiny crack appeared in her armor. Weeks bled into a month. The rules remained unspoken. She never left the apartment. I bought groceries for two: plain rice, miso, vegetables she would actually eat. I learned she hated loud noises, the smell of cigarette smoke, and being approached from behind. She stared at me for a long, silent minute
That was the night she told me her name. Just “Aoi.” Nothing more. And that was enough. Two months in, I came home to find the front door unlocked. My heart seized. I rushed inside. “Why