17. Amaya

Waking up in my father's family house after what was supposed to be a presentation dinner but turned into an engagement dinner was not how I would have ever wanted to spend a Saturday morning. It took me a while to fall asleep, perhaps too long, due to all the information bombarding my brain, but I became aware that nothing I did would change the course of my life; I had nothing left to do but cry.

I needed to vent, but it wasn't the best moment, let alone the best place.

My sisters made it clear to me when I arrived at the family breakfast, a breakfast where Hiro was the only one who smiled at me and gestured for me to sit beside him, while my father had not yet returned from whatever he was doing.

"Crying causes dark circles, wrinkles your face, and weakens the nervous system, making you look like a child," mentioned my exuberant sister Ima. "But I suppose your education isn't based on the kind of strength required... What a shame."

Then all three of them laughed with amusement,