[color=#ffbae8]"Home, huh...?"[/color] Rui repeated after him. She really didn't want to go back. It was funny; moments ago she was ready to walk through the door that was only a few houses removed from them. Now that she'd ran into her brother, though, Rui just wanted to run away again. She wanted to keep talking to him here outside, keep being free from her burdens. She knew it couldn't be that way. [color=#ffbae8]"I guess we should. It's getting a bit late,"[/color] she agreed with Sora, turning around. [color=#ffbae8]"Mom's probably going to be mad that I got back late, so... just let me go in first, okay?"[/color]

The two walked the rest of the street down to their own home, but Rui insisted on being through the door first. [color=#ffbae8]"We're back,"[/color] she shouted through the door, took off her shoes in a hurry and made absolutely sure she was in the house quicker than Sora was. As to be expected, their mother was quick to intercept Rui in the middle of the hallway. She didn't immediately spare a glance in Sora's direction.

"Where have you been?" she asked, "Why didn't you respond to my texts?" she demanded answers, "Your father and I were worried about you." she chastised. All of her attention, all of the questions, they went straight to Rui.

[color=#ffbae8]"I'm sorry, mom..."[/color] Rui initially apologised, but managed to weave in something else: [color=#ffbae8]"Actually, it was Sora that picked me up to come home. He said I should still study, so..."[/color]

Their mother narrowed her eyes at Rui. She glanced over in her son's direction, then back at Rui. "Next time, you should come straight home. And besides..." her mother continued to lecture. Rui grit her teeth.

[color=#ffbae8]"...shouldn't you thank Sora, mom? Without him, I..."[/color]
"He's not important! You should just focus on your studies and..."

...Rui really did hate it here. She endured her mother's lectures, stood there patiently and took the verbal bashing, even long after Sora had left. No matter what she tried, she couldn't get her parents to acknowledge their own son at all. She hated them. She [i]really[/i] hated them. Rui couldn't do a thing about it. She endured and endured until she was finally released from the iron grip of her mother's tongue.

"Dinner will be ready soon, so go get changed."
[color=#ffbae8]"...Yes, mom."[/color]

Rui slumped back to her room, defeated. She closed her door behind her, took a seat on her bed and pulled out Lumia's card. The girl was still sleeping peacefully.

[color=#ffbae8]"You... you'll make my wish come through, right?"[/color] Rui muttered. She began to sniffle, [color=#ffbae8]"I-It'll def-finitely [i]*hic*[/i] come true, right...?"[/color] and sob. Rui clutched Lumia's card to her chest, let herself fall onto her side and cried. [color=#ffbae8]"What... what can I even do?"[/color]