Chapter 2

The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury. - Marcus Aurelius, Mediations

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“…and then, May was telling Michael about the time when someone spread the rumour about the fourth level girls’ toilet being haunted.” Miki Ishigawa, Yuri’s best friend, was telling her as the two girls walked home together after school.

            Miki Ishigawa had been Yuri’s best friend ever since she was little, as her father had been the classmate of Yuri’s mother when they were both in high school. By some sheer coincidence, the two ended up meeting again in Singapore.

            Miki and Yuri often played together when they were little, as both their parents often made play dates for their children. As Miki’s two older brothers were so much older than Yuri, she found a kindred spirit in Miki.

            Miki’s father was a designer for a Japanese company in Singapore until he had died of a heart attack three years ago, leaving behind Miki and her two brothers, as Miki’s mother had died in childbirth.

            Fortunately for Miki though, her eldest brother was already legally an adult in the eyes of Singapore law then, and was given custody of Miki and his younger brother who were then aged six and fifteen respectively.

            Miki’s eldest brother, Michiru Ishigawa is kind of stiff, righteous and no-nonsense type, and even though he is a nice enough person, Yuri didn’t talk to him much. As he is a CID police officer, Yuri didn’t really see him much lately whenever she went over to Miki’s house which is a relief in itself.

            Between Miki’s two brothers, Yuri preferred the second brother – Michio Ishigawa. He is cheerful and always making jokes, though Miki’s two brothers don’t seem to get along, as they were always arguing. Miki had mentioned to Yuri once that Michio is a little of the ‘bad boy’ type, always mixing about with the ‘underground’ type of company which naturally rubs her eldest brother up the wrong way.

            “Uh huh…” Yuri muttered absent-mindedly, only half-listening to what her best friend was saying, as her mind was preoccupied with whatever she’d overheard her mother and uncle talking about the previous night. And also partly because she didn’t have enough sleep the night before.

            “Hey!” Miki’s annoyed voice caused Yuri to turn towards Miki. “Are you even listening to me?”

            Yuri smiled and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “Sorry Miki,” she said apologetically. “What were you saying again?”

            Miki frowned before she studied her best friend. “Is there something wrong, Yuri?” she asked with concern. “You’re not yourself today. Mrs Eng was pretty annoyed as well, as she had to call your name three times in English class today for you to answer the questions written on the whiteboard before you even heard her!”

            Yuri pondered for a moment, and wondered if she should tell Miki what she had heard the previous night, especially seeing as how the two girls always shared everything, and they didn’t keep any secrets from each other.

            Yuri then changed her mind as she eyed Miki’s concerned expression.

            For one thing, like Yuri herself, Miki had been taught Japanese customs and manners from a very young age, and knew that she would condone eavesdropping. And for another thing, Yuri couldn’t help feeling that maybe it would be better if she kept whatever she had heard last night to herself.

            “Nothing,” muttered Yuri, shutting her eyes before opening them again. “Nothing’s the matter.”

            Miki eyed Yuri doubtfully. “If you say so…” she muttered.

            The two girls parted ways when they came to a group of HDB flats before Miki headed home, whilst Yuri went to hers. The two girls lived relatively close to each other, and on nights when Yuri’s mother had to work late, Yuri always went over to Miki’s house, so that there is at least one person that Hitomi trusted enough to keep an eye on Yuri.

            As Yuri entered the lift of the HDB block that she lived in, and waited for the lift to take her to the tenth level, she sighed, clasping one hand to her forehead in mild irritation.

            There is no point in agitating herself further, and worrying both her friends and family just because of a conversation that she’d heard between her mother and uncle the previous night! Furthermore, Yuri’s pretty sure that whatever troubles there are could be easily sorted out by her uncle and mother.

            That’s right.Adults are so powerful. They can easily put everything right.

            Ding!

            Yuri blinked as the lift gave a light ‘ding’, indicating that it had reached her destination. She stepped out of the lift, walking the usual path back to her flat, reaching into her pocket for her house keys, before she inserted one key out of the several keys on her key-ring into the lock of her front gate. Then suddenly Yuri blinked slightly in confusion.

            “Eh? The gate’s not locked?” Yuri muttered, pulling her key out of the lock of the metallic silver gate, looking down at the doorsteps of her house, only to realise that her mother’s working shoes were stacked neatly on the top step, along with two extra pairs of shoes which weren’t familiar to her.

            Frowning, Yuri could distinctly hear light arguing voices coming from inside her house, and recognised one of the voices as her mother’s, and wondered what would bring her mother so early back from work. Yuri was usually left alone at home, doing her homework or watching a little television until her mother got home, which was usually around six in the evening, unless she had to work late.

            Yuri furrowed her brow slightly before pushing her front door opened which wasn’t locked as well, and nearly immediately, the silence that had surrounded her ever since parting ways with Miki was immediately destroyed.

            “—none of your business anyway!” Hitomi was saying heatedly and angrily to a woman who was dressed in designer outfits, and with an expression on her face that seems as if there is a nasty smell beneath her nose.

            “Just get out of my house! You’re not welcome—” Hitomi paused in mid-sentence as Yuri walked into her house after removing her shoes. Hitomi blinked in slight confusion.

           

            “Yuri?”

“Kaa-san[1]?” Yuri blinked, before she frowned as she noticed for the first time that there was a girl who seemed a few years older than her, standing beside her, and who looked a lot like the woman that her mother was yelling at.

            Yuri recognised the girl as she goes to her school as well, and she was bullied by her on numerous occasions. Yuri scowled inwardly as she recognised the mother and daughter pair; the mother was the one who was always making life difficult for her mother, and always insulting her whenever they had the misfortune to meet her on the streets.

            Hitomi had told Yuri who the two were when she was old enough to understand.

            Apparently, the woman was her father’s ‘first girlfriend’ of sorts before he had met Yuri’s mother in the Tokyo University of Japan. And the woman – Alice is her name, had left Yuri’s father when she was pregnant with their child.

            The woman and her child called Jessica was part of the reason why Yuri’s parents had ended up in divorce, as Alice wanted Yuri’s father to return to her, believing quite firmly that Yuri’s mother was the reason why Ryuou Kitagawa – Yuri’s father, had refused to return to her side.

            “Yuri?” Hitomi muttered.

            “Why are you back so early today?” asked Yuri with a frown. “Don’t you have work?”

            “Well, something cropped up,” said Hitomi, casting a wearied look at Alice and her daughter.

            A nasty smile which seemed to be a half-sneer half-smile appeared on Alice’s face as she looked at Yuri, and the Japanese girl was strongly reminded of a snake which had just seen its prey and was about to eat it.

            “So this is your daughter, Hitomi?” said Alice with a slight sneer, eyeing Yuri up and down. “She’s grown up. She’s bound to be quite a beauty once she grows up.”

            “Thank you for your compliments,” said Hitomi warily yet sarcastically, a warning tone in her voice as she stepped closer to Yuri. “And I am thankful to say that she’d inherited everything from me, and nothing from her heartless father!”

            Alice’s smile disappeared, and a scowl appeared on her face for a fraction of a second before she suppressed her annoyance, smiling at Yuri in what she thought was a reassuring smile. Maybe it would have passed over quite well if she didn’t look like a snake who is about to pounce on its prey.

            “So you’re his child,” said Alice with a slight sneer tugging at the edges of her lips as she looked at Yuri who stared defiantly back at Alice. She was not about to cower behind her mother like she’d done something wrong in her own house!

            “As expected of his child of true Japanese heritage.”

            Yuri blinked owlishly. Now what did she mean by that?

            “Leave my house!” said Hitomi harshly, and Yuri stared at her mother in surprise. Never before had she heard her mother’s voice like this before.

            “You’re not welcome here!”

            “Don’t be in such a hurry to chase us out,” said Alice softly before reaching into her handbag and pulling out a single white chrysanthemum flower. Hitomi’s eyes widened slightly at this, and Yuri knew enough of flower arrangements and flower language to know that white chrysanthemums are usually flower offerings made to the dead.

            “You’re indeed growing into a beauty just like your mother.”

            Alice reached out with a thin hand decorated with rings and bracelets, the white chrysanthemum flower in her hand, towards Yuri. Hitomi slapped Alice’s hand away immediately, and the flower fell to the ground, before pulling Yuri away from Alice and pushing Yuri behind herself.

            “Don’t touch her!” Hitomi hissed protectively.

Alice said nothing but smiled a thin smile, and Yuri looked up at her mother with concern as Hitomi’s face paled, and she gripped so tightly onto Yuri’s hand that she nearly cut off her blood circulation.

“Kaa-san?” Yuri muttered.

Hitomi eyed Alice warily before releasing hold of Yuri’s hand, not taking her eyes off Alice as she addressed Yuri in Japanese. “Yuri, go to your room now. Don’t come out until I tell you to.”

Something in Hitomi’s voice made Yuri obey her without question, and she walked quickly to her room, but not quickly enough as she heard Alice’s next words. And it was the tone in those words, as well as the way that that woman phrased it which sent chills up Yuri’s spine.

“Fine with me…” Alice said softly. “After all, I have lots more flowers at my boutique. I shall gladly send you more—”

“We don’t need them!” Hitomi said heatedly.

“—and you’re probably going to need it soon enough.” Alice continued, acting as if Hitomi hadn’t interrupted her. “Though I doubt that I’ll be able to hear your comments on my flower arrangement skills which is a pity.” She smirked. “After all…you won’t be living long enough to see them…”

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[1] Kaa-san: It is a form of addressing one’s mother in Japanese families