[PIC OF RYUNOSHIN ABOVE]

I was on my way to Haru's. 2 hours to go before it gets dark, i better hurry. I soon arrived at his shop. It wasn't as congested as it was before; most people were going home.

"Haru? You there?"

Haru: "May! You came!" he hugged me as a normal greet.

"Obviously!"

?: "Haru! Where should i put these?"

"!"

Haru: "Oh you just-"

"SHE'S SO CUTE! Who's she?!"

Haru: "Oh hahaha! This is Sae! She's my little sister!"

"Hi Sae!" i crouched down and beamed at her.

Sae: "..er-h-hi..." she hid behind Haru.

Haru: "She's shy."

"I like your flowers." I said pointing at her hair.

Sae: "Really?"

"Yeah! How did you do it?"

Sae: "Mum did it." She smiled.

"Really?! I'm so jealous!"

Sae: *Giggles*

Haru: "You're really good with kids."

"I know."

Sae: "Do you want to see my hair band? That's got flowers too!"

"Of course!"

She held my finger and dragged me into the shop.

[1 HOUR LATER]

Sae: "And this one goes here!"

"Oh i see!"

Haru: *Sigh* "May, you've been playing with Sae for ages. You're gonna spoil her!"

"Nonsense!"

Haru: "And it's going to get dark soon."

"Oh...i think i should go then." I haven't visited Ryu yet.

Haru: "Ok..."

"What's wrong?"

Haru: "It's just that...i haven't seen you for 10 years...i just wanted to spend time with you." He blushed.

"Oh, why didn't you say so?! I'll hang out with you before i go."

Haru: "Thanks! I'm just going to put this away-i'll be back!"

"Okay!"

Sae: *Sniff*

"Sae! What's wrong?!"

Sae: "You're going?"

"I'll come tomorrow!"

Sae: "Promise?"

"I promise!"

Sae: "Hehe! Ok then!"

Haru: "A little help here!" he said as he tried stopping a vase from falling.

"Coming!"

I pushed up the vase back up on the shelf. Haru's hand accidentally touched mine. I thought nothing of it; he's like my brother.

But apparently it bothered Haru.

Haru: "Oh-um s-sorry!" he blushed furiously.

"It's ok."

?: "Ew your hair looks so slimy!"

Sae: "N-no it doesn't!"

?: "Yeah it does!"

Sae: *Sob*

"Hold up-"

Haru: "Oh that's Ryu's little brother. Ryunoshin."

"What's he doing?!"

Ryunoshin: "Your pigtails are dumb too!" he said as he yanked her pigtails.

That's taking it too far.

"HEY!"

Ryunoshin: "!"

"What are you doing?!" i shouted at him.

Ryunoshin: "Ermm..."

"How would you like it if i pulled your disgusting mop that's your excuse of hair?"

Ryunoshin: "!" he looked like he was going to cry.

Haru: "May, that's a little harsh."

"So?" i snapped.

Ryunoshin: "RYUUUU!"

Within 5 seconds Ryuzo came running to him.

Ryu: "What's wrong?"

Ryunoshin: "She's bullying me!" he pointed at me.

"WHAT?! YOU LITTLE WORTHLESS STUPID WASTE-OF-SPACE-"

Ryunoshin: "See?!"

"He was bullying her, and pulled her hair too! You think you're so TOUGH-"

Ryu: "You shouldn't do that Ryunoshin."

"Wait...that's it?"

Haru: "May sometimes boys be mean to girls if they like them."

"What kind of logic is that?!"

Haru: "Remember Ichy?"

"Yeah?"

Haru: "He's mean to you because he likes you."

"...is that the best story you can come up with to make me feel better?"

Sae: "He likes me?!"

Ryunoshin: "?!"

"See? Now you've given her false hope! And Ryu, where's your dad?"

Ryu: "In the grocery shop..."

"Ok then." I marched over to his shop to find no one there. "There's no one here!"

Ryu: "He must be on his break. And leave it, Sae needs to toughen up."

~[FLASHBACK]~

Boy: "You're so ugly! Why were you even born?"

*Sniff* "Daddy!"

Dad: "Hm? What's wrong?"

The boy had run off to his dad too.

"He's bullying me." I pointed at him.

Dad: "Ok i'll talk to his dad."

"..."

Dad: "Excuse me. Your son had been picking on my daughter."

His dad: "Hm? But he told me that he called her ugly. Is that all you said?"

Boy: *Nodded*

Dad: "Is that all he said?"

"Yeah..."

Dad: "I'm sorry, i thought that it was something more."

"?!"

His dad: "It's ok, these things happen. You usually come here?"

Dad: "Yeah, every Saturday."

They soon started chatting and the boy smirked at me.

"But daddy...it's not the first time-"

Dad: "I'm talking Claire, you need to toughen up."

That really hurt me. I know it's not much but i was only a kid. And that boy always picked on me and encouraged other to do the same to me.

After that, i slowly stopped speaking to dad.

*Me and my dad are mere strangers now. Who live in the same house.

~[END OF FLASHBACK]~

"NO, you need to teach him some respect!"

Ryu: "He's just a kid-"

"SO IS SAE!"

Ryu: "!"

Haru ran towards us.

Haru: "May, i think you've gotten too close to Sae...haha..."

"This isn't about Sae anymore. If your brat of a brother picks on her, he picks on other people too." My anger kept growing.

Haru: "You don't know that for sure-"

"Stay out of this Haru." I stopped him. "It may be just a little thing to you, but you've never gotten picked on. Sometimes things like these affect a child's mentality as well!" At this point i was really frustrated.

More flashbacks repeated in my head. Since i moved away from Japan i got bullied a lot in primary. *When i got to secondary, the situations were still stuck in my brain. They still are. No matter how much i try to move on, i just can't. I feel like i'm abnormal or if i've got a disorder because of this. I know this isn't normal. I'm scared if these things will still be stuck in my brain when i'm in college or university.

Haru: "May..."

"What?"

Haru: "...I'll explain to him."

"When did you suddenly-"I raised my hand to my cheek as i felt something hot. I soon realised they were tears.

"!" My make-up isn't waterproof!

I punched Ryuzo and muttered "Prick." before i ran.