Chapter Text
She slammed her door out of anger and frustration followed by a shout downstairs from her father. She frowned upon looking at the blank canvas between her bed and desk. Her art homework was to paint about family. Her brows furrowed as tears pricked her eyes, she was jealous of her classmates who were able to discuss what they were going to paint as soon as the homework got announced.
“This is stupid,” Ena mumbled as she grabs her chair and slides it next to the canvas. She stares, and the canvas stares back. After zoning out and trying to think of what to sketch for about half an hour, she grumbles out a curse, sliding to the desk and opening a drawer filled with art supplies. After roughly rummaging through the drawer she freezes.
Looking at an old picture in her drawer, Ena cries. She cries for her mother, who she barely sees anymore. She cries for her father, who was once just as loving as any other parent. She cries for herself, for losing that little girl who loved anyone and anything. But most of all, she cried for Akito.
Akito, the boy who used to love going out as much as she did. Oh, Akito... the boy who used to be so happy just to see her during and after school. The little boy who used to be the brother she held close to her heart.
She cries and cries till her eyes are red and the skin around them burns pink from all the rubbing that tried to stop tears from falling. She cries, wondering where did it all go. Where did that family who was once so close go? Where did those children who were so close go? Where did those parents who barely fought day and night go? Where did it go wrong? Why did it go wrong?
After a while, Ena takes the picture with one hand and looks back at the canvas then back at the picture. It was a picture of all 4 Shinonomes huddled together in a festival with fireworks painting the sky behind them.
Ena wore a big grin while holding a candy apple the size of her face. Next to her was Akito, wearing that red shirt he loved so much. He smiles as one hand was holding onto her arm, and the other waved at the camera. Behind them were their parents, Mr. Shinonome was behind Ena one hand on her shoulder and the other on her mother’s. Mrs. Shinonome was behind Akito, one hand resting on his head as the other was holding a firecracker, away from the happy family to avoid burns.
She tied up her hair and pinned her bangs to the side while turning the chair back to the canvas.
She sketched a live festival with a cart full of candy apples, hairpins, and other cute stuff but it rarely has anyone’s attention drawn to it as a big painted banner was overshadowing said cart that more people were drawn to. On the ground, there was a firecracker slowly dying out. In the background, there was a float with performers dancing on it but it was slowly moving away from the event and doing its own thing.
“Ena, breakfast is ready!” She flinched at the sudden call for breakfast. Breakfast? Wasn’t it just 10 pm? Unlocking her phone she realized she spent all night up painting as it was already 8 am. Sighing, she ignored the messages asking to go in call from Niigo and opened the camera app on her phone and got a good look at herself after 10 hours.
Her ponytail became loose, her bangs were starting to fall on her face, her cheeks and apron has splotches of paint on them, and her eye bags were darker. She huffed leaning back on her chair and closing her eyes as her head falls on the cabinets next to her.