Let Us Never Say Goodbye by Ai Matsumi (little readers TXT) 📕

“Aika’s your sister?” said Usagi, jumping onto the windowsill. Ai nodded.
“So, what happened to my dad?” asked Ai cautiously, scared of what answer she might get.
“Your mom divorced him and is now engaged to some artist.” Usagi said angrily.
“Why don’t you live with your dad?” asked Ai. Usagi looked down.
“My dad killed himself.” Said Usagi tonelessly. Ai looked down.
“Sorry…” whispered Ai.
“Naw it’s okay. What about you? What’s your story?” asked Usagi, quickly changing the subject.
“Ren kept my twin and put me up for adoption. Two wonderful people named Ichirou and Mizuki adopted me when I was a baby. I lived seventeen happy years before Ren decided to start feeling guilty and pull me away from everyone I loved.” Said Ai rancorously.
“Does my real dad know I’m in Japan?”
“No. Ren is a crafty little weasel. I heard her phone call. She called your adopted parents and gave them a sob story of how she hadn’t been ready when you were born and how you were an accident and she had felt guilty all those years. When I heard her real motives away from the phone it made me sick!” Usagi said savagely.
“What do you mean her, ‘real motives’?” grilled Ai.
“I thought she told you.” Said Usagi looking bewildered.
“Told me what?” Said Ai frustrated.
“You’re engaged.”
Chapter Eight

Ai burst out of the room and thundered down the stairs. She burst into one of the rooms and saw Mieko sitting on a plush couch reading a book in Japanese. She glanced up at Ai’s loud entrance.
“What’s wrong Ai?” asked Mieko.
“Where the hell is Ren?” yelled Ai.
“Calm down! She’s in the garden with her friends.” Mieko said rolling her eyes. Ai spun around but quickly stopped.
“Where’s the garden?” asked Ai.
“Through that door.” Said Mieko absentmindedly, pointing towards a large French door covered by curtains. Ai burst through the door into the garden. There were gardenia, rose, lilac and lavender and many other plants in the garden along with cherry trees and cherry wood trees. Ai ran through the brick paths until she saw Ren. Ren was wearing a tight light yellow dress and her hair was done. She looked so much younger. There were many men and women there. There was classical music playing and the soft hum of conversation and many vases of single roses and an assortment of ribbons. Ai took a deep breath and stormed up to Ren.
“What the fucking hell is wrong with you?” screamed Ai. At once, all conversation ceased. Ren flushed bright red.
“What are you talking about darling?” she asked, a fake smile plastered on her face.
“Don’t act innocent! Usagi told me I was engaged!” yelled Ai clenching her fists on the edge of hitting Ren.
“Darling please! Can we talk about this later?” asked Ren, red slowly appearing on her cheeks.
“No! Stop calling me darling! I’ve been here for barely an hour and already you have covered things up from me! You divorced my dad, I have a sister, I’m engaged. What else are you hiding from me?” Ai cried.
“Look, can we please talk about this alone?” asked Ren looking embarrassed.
“Fine!” Ai grabbed Ren’s arm and dragged her back into the house. Mieko saw them and quickly got up, leaving the room. Usagi was leaning against the door way watching.
“Tell me Ren! Tell me what the hell is going on!” said Ai slamming her fist onto the side table.
“Look, after I divorced your father, I lost all my money. I needed money to continue living like this soooo.”
“Soooo what?” snapped Ai.
“I had you get engaged to the richest families son in Toyohashi.” She said in one single breath. Ai stared at her.
“What, the fuck?!” she screamed. Ren looked down and blushed bright red.
“Ai, please understand…” whispered Ren.
“No! I will not understand! You knew I was out there and you used me! Me! Your own daughter to get money! You kept my sister because she was better than me!” said Ai, her voice shaking the house like an earthquake. Usagi frowned at Ren.
“You’re not better than your sister! Your sister was horrible! All she wanted to do was be an artist and wouldn’t get married to the man I chose for her! So I disowned her and threw her out of the house. She was okay. She was fourteen.” Said Ren.
“Fourteen? You threw your own daughter because she didn’t want to get married at fourteen and waste her life?” yelled Ai.
“She wouldn’t listen to me! I’m not keeping a daughter who doesn’t listen to my wishes.” Said Ren as if it was fair. Ai glanced around and saw Mieko’s keys laying on the table. She stormed over and picked them up.
“Ai where are you going?” yelled Ren.
“Going to find my sister!” said Ai as she opened the front door.
“Usagi, you wanna come?” asked Ai.
“Hey Mieko, Ai and I are taking your car!” yelled Usagi running to join Ai.
“What? Neither of you are eighteen!” said Mieko running into the room.
“Mieko, I don’t think she cares…” Usagi said sarcastically. Ai ran down the stairs and unlocked Mieko’s car. She climbed in and buckled herself in and started the car. Usagi climbed in smiling widely.
“What?” barked Ai.
“Nothing! You’re just a lot cooler than I thought! You just stole a car!” exclaimed Usagi laughing.
“I’m not stealing it! I’m borrowing it. Without her permission.” Said Ai as she pulled out of the driveway. Usagi sighed and buckled herself in.
“Go the speed limit or we could get pulled over and neither of us have a license so we could get in huge trouble!” Usagi said glancing out the window.
“Do you know where my sister lives?” asked Ai, making sure to go the speed limit on the busy streets.
“Yeah. We were best friends before she left. She’s a little eccentric though.” Said Usagi chuckling. Ai smiled.
“I can’t believe I never knew I had a sister.” Sighed Ai.
“Take a left turn here.” Usagi said quickly. Ai took the turn smoothly. The neighborhood was dark and dirty with alcohol stores at every few corners.
“Here we are.” said Usagi. They had arrived at a rundown apartment building. The brick was falling apart and the stairs rotting.
“Aika lives here?” asked Ai shocked.
“Uh huh! Well, not her house. It’s her studio but she practically lives here.” Usagi said while climbing out of the car. Ai climbed out of the car and ascended into the building.
Usagi sighed and pounded on the door for the third time. Loud music was playing from inside the room. Just as Usagi was about to pound on the door again, the door opened. A teenage girl stood there smiling at them. She had bright pink hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing overalls with a tub top, the sleeves of her overalls were tied around her waist. Her hands, pants, stomach and shoes were stained with all sorts of colored paints.
“Hey Usagi!” she said happily. She hugged Usagi tightly and welcomed them in.
“So who’s this you’ve brought me Usagia? A customer?” she said jokingly, nudging Usagi with her elbow while chuckling.
“Well Aika. This is Ai.” Said Usagi hesitantly.
“Neat! What do you need Usagi?” asked Aika still smiling.
“Well, turns out you have a sister.” Usagi said slowly.
“Oh my gosh! Ren had another baby? Jesus. That poor baby.” Aika said frowning.
“No. You have a twin sister.” Said Usagi.
“What?” Usagi sighed and pointed at Ai. Aika frowned as she thought. She snapped her fingers.
“Ai’s my sister?!” she cried. Ai nodded blushing.
“Nice to meet you.” Said Ai smiling.
“Ren you fucking bitch.” Said Aika shaking her head. Usagi laughed loudly.
“C’mere sister!” said Aika smiling. Ai hugged Aika warmly. It felt so natural!
“So what do ya’ll need?” asked Aika putting her hands on her hips. Usagi stepped aside to let Ai talk.
“So I just found out that I was adopted yesterday. I flew down here today to meet my real parents. So I get here and find out Ren divorced my dad, I have a sister and I’m engaged.” Said Ai quickly.
“Aw hell no! That BITCH!” yelled Aika. She stormed over to a desk and picked up some keys.
“Aika, where are you going?” yelled Usagi.
“To go see Ren!” yelled Aika as she slammed the door.

Chapter Nine

Ai and Usagi parked the car in the driveway and ran up to the house. They could see Aika standing on the front porch pounding on the great oak door. They ran up the stairs but Ai stepped aside and let Usagi go ahead of her.
“OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR REN!” yelled Aika pounding on the door.
“Aika stop!” cried Usagi. Ai smiled. Usagi was more responsible then Ai had thought.
“I have a key.” Usagi said smiling. There went that thought…Usagi unlocked the door and let everyone in. Aika stepped inside and looked around.
“Hasn’t changed a bit since I left.” Said Aika bitterly. Ren walked out of the kitchen and put her hands on her hips. She looked frazzled and angry as she stared at the trio.
“Usagi, Ai! What the hell is going on here?” she asked angrily. Usagi stepped aside. Aika walked up to Ren and stared at her, eyes blazing. She was a good two inches taller than Ren.
“Ai, who’s your friend?” she asked, her voice quivering for a few seconds before she made it hard as steel.
“Mom, this is my sister Aika. You know her.” Said Ai.
“Aika.” Said Ren clicking her tongue.
“Ren.” Said Aika, her voice colder than ice.
“Well you sure are a mess. I wouldn’t have expected you to get anywhere in your life without me.” Said Ren haughtily.
“Really?” asked Aika enraged. Usagi had disappeared as soon as we had gotten inside but now she returned with two bowls of popcorn. She stood beside Ai and leaned against the wall.
“I made you a bowl.” She whispered.
“No