Revelations

Nozomi guided Mika into her floral room, taking in the scent of the many plants that rested beside her bed. There were Polaroid pictures of other girls her age, each one of them containing a smiling Hidaka Nozomi. The shelves of her desk were lined with miscellaneous shoujo manga befitting a typical teenage girl's interests. Mika stopped in the doorway, hesitant to enter such a pretty space.

"What's the matter, Mika-chan? Are you worried about getting my stuff dirty?"
Nozomi gently took Mika's hand, doing her best to assure her that everything was alright.

"Y-yeah. I don't want to smell up your room, Nozomi-chan. I'm a filthy orphan, after all."
Mika turned her head to the side, hiding her blushing cheeks from her new friend.

"Who cares if you're filthy? If it bothers you so much, why don't I show you to the bathroom? I have some delicious lavender scented shampoo that I think you'll enjoy, Mika-chan."
Nozomi was surprisingly easygoing. Her words didn't harm Mika like others had, and she seemed rather accepting of her situation. Mika followed Nozomi to the bath, noticing the inviting aura as opposed to the one she used at the Bara-gumi headquarters.
"I'll lay out some cute clothes, Mika-chan. We're about the same size, so I think they'll be comfy on you."

Nozomi exited the room, leaving Mika all alone in the quiet bathroom. She turned the water faucet and removed her suit, watching as she shed her final connection to Charlotte's group. It was a freeing feeling. Mika stepped into the tub, letting the scorching hot water seep into her skin after a long day. The room filled with a thick steam, and the scent of lavender flooded her nostrils with its calming aroma. Nozomi knocked on the door.
"Mika-chan? Can I come in?"

Mika shouted back from the tub.
"Sure."

Nozomi entered the bathroom, immediately bursting into a high pitched squeal of laughter.
"Mika-chan, it's so steamy I can't see a thing. You know, you can adjust the temperature knobs, right? How are you even enduring such a hot bath?"

Mika's cheeks flushed with a crimson red blush. She hadn't known about such things.
"I'm not used to bathing. Don't laugh at me!"
She stood from the tub, watching as Nozomi drained the boiling water and added a much cooler batch.

"Sorry, Mika-chan. But that was funny. I'm not trying to make fun of you, okay?"
Nozomi caught glimpse of Mika's body, her eyes quickly trailing over the various scars around her torso. She let out a small squeak and turned her head.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to stare."

Mika tilted her head in confusion, unsure as to why Nozomi was feeling so uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"It's fine. We're both girls, right? I heard it's normal for girls to bathe together."

Nozomi shook her head, returning her gaze to Mika's eyes.
"That's not what I meant. I was just... curious about your scars."

Mika gently traced the scar over her shoulder, her other hand caressing the one by her navel.
"They're from all sorts of different places. I've been stabbed, beaten, and raped more times than I can count. Oh, but it's okay, Nozomi-chan! I'm doing much better now."
Mika waved her hands in front of her, trying to dismiss the fact that she had been assaulted, both physically and mentally, as nothing more than a normal everyday occurrence.

Nozomi's eyes widened in horror. She could feel her hands beginning to tremble at Mika's revelations.
"R-raped? Stabbed?! Mika-chan, just who are you, really?!"

Mika let out a bitter laugh, clutching her elbow close to her naked body.
"Just a loser dog. A homeless orphan."

Nozomi instinctively threw her arms around Mika's shoulders, hugging the injured girl with brute force. Mika could feel Nozomi's tears against her chest, accompanied by soft sniffles. Mika was unsure what to do, so she just stood there and accepted the hug with a soft smile.
"Nozomi-chan? What's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong! You had no right to be assaulted like that, Mika-chan! Curse those filthy animals who hurt you!"
Nozomi stomped her foot, wiping the tears spilling down her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"It's okay. I don't mind. I mean, I'm alive, aren't I?"
Mika pulled away from the hug, stepping back into the warm bathwater.

"You don't mind?! Mika-chan, listen to yourself! You were raped and stabbed! How can you be okay with this?!"
Nozomi gripped the edge of the tub, glaring into Mika's eyes. Mika appeared completely calm and collected as her new friend scolded her.

"It's just what happens when you're a homeless teenage girl. Sometimes, Sato-san would sing me to sleep after a beatdown."
Mika gazed up at the ceiling, recalling the times Sato Ichiro comforted her after a painful encounter.

"Mika-chan... that isn't normal. Teenage girls should be going to the mall with friends; eating crepes and gossiping about boy bands."
Nozomi lay across the bathroom floor, letting her arm dangle around Mika's body. She soothingly stroked her chest scars, wanting to provide as much comfort as possible to her new friend.

"I've never had a crepe, before. What's a boy band, Nozomi-chan?"
Mika tilted her head over her shoulder, showing genuine curiosity at Nozomi's interests.

"A boy band is, like, a group of totally hot boys who sing and dance. They're pretty popular in Korea, but Japan has a decent number of cute ones."
Nozomi pulled out her smartphone, showing Mika images of her favorite male singers. Mika grimaced upon seeing such handsome, put together boys.

"Hot? They look like a bunch of softies. The only man I find hot is Oguri Shun."
Mika turned her head in response, finding Nozomi's obsession with fragile, cute boys trivial.

Nozomi let out a small giggle, shifting closer to Mika from outside the tub.
"Oguri Shun is definitely a hottie. You have good taste, Mika-chan. But, how did you find out about him? I thought you were homeless."

Mika tapped her fingers together below the water's surface, a faint blush on her pale cheeks.
"Well, I used to read a lot of discarded magazines. I learned to read through people's trash. I saw Oguri Shun on a movie magazine once and... um."

Nozomi covered her ears, whining loudly.
"Stop! I don't wanna hear what happened next! Though, I can't say I blame you, Mika-chan. You're a growing girl."

Mika had a perplexed stare, wondering why Nozomi insisted on not hearing the rest of the story.
"I was just going to say, I practiced kissing him through the paper..."

"What? Oh... I see. Sorry, Mika-chan, I thought you were going to say something else. That's surprisingly innocent of you."
Nozomi faced away, not wanting to reveal a similar instance she shared regarding a popular Korean idol.

Mika rose from the bath, patting herself dry with the soft towel that Nozomi had provided. She slipped into a pair of loose, cotton shorts and a purple, shoulderless top. She tied her hair in a messy ponytail and clasped her hands behind her back.
"I'm ready to start working, Nozomi-chan."

"Nope. No work for you, today. You can go rest in my bedroom. I'll tell Papa that you're all set to start tomorrow while I'm at school."
Nozomi dashed downstairs, prancing like a child in a candy store. Mika found herself in Nozomi's colorful room, admiring the various plants near her window. She could feel her eyelids starting to droop. She curled up on the soft carpeted floor below, chewing her thumbnail in a fetal position. Shortly after, Nozomi returned to her room to share some good news with Mika.

"Mika-chan! Papa said you can-"
She stopped mid sentence, watching as Mika's small body rose and fell with each gentle breath. Nozomi gently laid a warm blanket over her, leaving a glass of water by her head and a small note that read
"Use my bed next time, dummy
-Nozomi-chan."