The Past

Saran gets up and goes into her bathroom and showers. Saran walks out of her room in new clothes and goes to her brother Katsu's room and opens the door. Katsu lays in bed watching TV. "Hey. Snow day right? You wanna watch something with me?" Katsu asks.

"Maybe later in the day. I gotta shop for groceries so after that maybe." Saran replies. "Now?" Katsu ponders. "Nah. I'll get them later. Right now, I kinda wanna just relax." Saran declares. She walks out of her brother's room and goes downstairs to sit on her couch. She looks outside of her window. "It's snowing kinda heavy out there. Honestly... Has it already been a year since then?" Saran thinks.

As snow fills the scene, Saran reminisces on the past. "When I was 4 and Katsu was 2, Our lives were amazing. We laughed and played together. And had a loving mother and father. But..."

Younger Saran looks into a kitchen. "Everything changed suddenly when I turned 6. My mother and father fought a lot more. She'd yell at him for slaking on bills and coming home late. He'd yell at her for criticizing him. And all the time the fighting would end with one thing."

A loud slap is heard and Saran's mother stands quietly. Younger Saran starts to cry softly so she isn't heard. "Everything reached its boiling point after a few months of this back and forth. On that day my father came back from work drunker than he normally ever was. My mom went to confront him at the front door and the fighting got louder and louder until..."

"You fucking bitch! You always criticize me and what I do! Do you know how much I do for you and these kids!?" Saran's father shouts. He walks to the kitchen angrily and Saran's mother follows him."You aren't ever here! You're a bad father for the kids! You don't do ANYTHING!" Saran's mother responds. "I don't do anything? I don't do ANYTHING?!" He shouts.

Saran's father, in an act of rage, picks up a knife and Saran immediately runs out to stand in front of her mother. "Dad! Please stop! You're gonna hurt mom!" Saran shouts. Saran's mother turns her around. "Go get your brother. We're gonna leave dad for a little okay?" She proclaims.

Upon hearing this Saran's father's eyes light up and he lifts the knife to stab her mother. Saran instinctively protects her mother, being cut deeply in the back. Saran's mother gets up and punches her father in the face and knocks him unconscious.

Younger Saran's hearing slowly fades. "Saran! Saran please! Wake up!" Her mother exclaims. The pleads go on until it's completely silent. Saran wakes up in the hospital and as she opens her eyes, her mother gives a massive hug while crying. "Saran... I'm so glad." Her mother says.

A little after, a doctor enters the room. "You'll be okay for now. But I'm sorry to have to tell you this. The knife cut you deeper than originally expected so you'll have a pretty big scar. Good news, your spine is fine and you're very lucky you can walk." He explains. "That's good but what about my father? Is he... around?" Saran ponders.

"I've been briefed on the situation. He was imprisoned for domestic abuse and child abuse, along with various other charges. That's all I know." He replies. Saran stares at her hospital bed. "Oh." She says.

Saran's mother hugs her again.

"It'll be alright. I promise."

Jumping ahead to a further future, Saran sits outside, eating. A group of boys walk up to Saran. "Hey! I heard what happened to you and your dad! Must be pretty bad to have an ugly scar AND an ugly face!" The boy at the front says.

The group of boys starts laughing. Saran stands up. "Don't you talk about my life like you know anything idiot!" Saran shouts. "Gross green hair AND you're a hot head? We should call you the Green Beast! You act pretty beast like for one!" He replies.

The boys start to laugh harder and Saran punches the main boy. He stumbles back and falls over. Saran starts to repeatedly punch the boy in his face. "It's the green beast! She's gonna get us!" The other boys yell as they run away. Saran continues punching the boy. "Don't ever make fun of my life or family again you got it!?" Saran yells.

She gets off of him and he quickly stands up while crying. "You'll never make friends! You'll be alone as long as you live!" He exclaims. The boy runs off leaving saran all alone. Saran starts to tear up.

"This was really only the beginning. This happened a long time ago. I was hated and outcasted by everyone. That is, until a few years later." Saran proclaims. She sits and eats in class during a break. People around her whisper and talk openly. "I'm used to this. I'm used to it. Just... let it happen." Saran thinks.

The door to the class slides open and Seiji pokes his head into the classroom. He scans the room and walks straight towards Saran. "Hey there! Wanna have lunch with me and my friend?" Seiji asks. Everyone turns to Seiji with a shocked expression on their faces.

"What? Don't you know about my little reputation? How they call me the "Green Beast?" or something." Saran questions. "Green Beast? Never heard of ya. Don't really care either." Seiji replies.

"Then why are you..?" Saran ponders. "Because you looked lonely. So come on! Do you wanna come with?" Seiji says. Saran looks at Seiji, puzzled. "Yeah sure. Why not?" She responds. "That day, I ate Bento with Seiji and Haruto on the roof. They've been by my side ever since." Saran narrates.

Saran's mind returns to the present.

"Oh... Have I been talking to myself this whole time..? Ah well, guess I needed to go back to my roots." Saran thinks. She notices tears falling from her eyes and wipes them. She looks at the clock. "Oh, time really goes by fast. I guess I'd better go get stuff." Saran decides.

She puts on a big winter jacket and opens the front door. "Hey, Katsu! I'm going now! I'll be back soon!" Saran yells. "Sure! Be safe!" Katsu shouts back.

Saran leaves, closing the door behind her.

Chapter 11 - The End