The Dream Shifter

Chapter 57

Meanwhile, during the fight, Yuki and Seiji had with the assassin, across town Yumi and Yori were having lunch together in an unused classroom in the club and activities wing of the school. Yumi had spent the previous lunch with her friends but made a promise to Yori that she would meet with him today. She was still uncertain what it was that he wanted from her.

"Brother…what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Yori sat in the opposite of her at one of the smaller desks with his lunch laid out next to her food with a very similar array of food. It was clear that they were both made together. He took a small bite from his food before he looked up her at to speak.

"I want you to stop spending time with Yuki Hayashi, sister."

"What?!"

Yumi dropped her food on the table pausing at the moment confused and puzzled by her brother's words.

'How does he know about Yuki? I've never told anyone…'

She placed her hands on the table setting down what was in her hands and folding her hands into her skirt becoming nervous. A little trail of sweat was forming along her neck from the stare of Yori.

"Why, Yori?"

Yori, who had been eating naturally, looked back at his sister returning the serious gaze that he had been holding the entire time.

"I've known that you've been seen in the company of Yuki and his friends several times."

"But…Yori, he's a classmate."

"During class, it can't be helped, but I don't want you spending time with them anymore."

"But why?"

She had not known how much Yori knew about her school life. The fact that he knew meant that he was following her or keeping track of her made her a little more uneasy than she already was before. She knew her brother was concerned about her well-being and cared for her a lot of the time, but this was unusual.

Her brother came to pause once more in his lunch, which was now half-eaten unlike Yumi's.

"I've heard about Hayashi's past at his last school. He's dangerous and I don't want him to drag you into what he happens to be mixed up in."

Yumi did not know much about Yuki apart from the name of the last school that he attended. Most of the time, Yuki did not speak anything about his past but was generally happy, cheerful and upbeat in class if not a little strange at times. For Yumi, the way that he acted never really bothered her. She thought that his attitude was warm and inviting apart from many of the other students that seemed to be a little more distant.

"I haven't heard about anything like that. Yuki's not like that, brother."

"I don't trust him, Yumi. I don't know much about him, but he has a violent history of fighting and bullying."

Yumi's eyes grew wide when she heard this about Yuki. This was nothing like what she saw from him during class. She knew some of his friends could be aggressive, but she had never seen Yuki fighting.

"I've never seen him fighting."

"I'm your brother and I care about what happens to you. But I won't force you. I wanted you to know my feelings and be aware of him. Please think about what I've said though."

Yori finished his lunch and seeing that Yumi was still unable to eat her own lunch needing time alone to think left the room.

Yumi stared down at the table for several minutes unable to think or move. It was not even a matter that she learned something that could be frightening about Yuki that paralyzed her so much. The issue troubling her mind was that it was her brother that came to her.

'What do I do? I can't go against my brother, but Yuki…' She did not know if she could just stop, the feeling…her feeling…(it's all quite embarrassing for her).

The rest of the lunch went by slower than a snail trying to reach the other of a window for Yumi. Her food was nearly forgotten by her as she was lost in thought. When she realized that she had not touched any of her food she panicked and hurried through it not feeling so good afterward. The stress and uncertainty combined with eating too fast made for a poor combo inside Yumi requiring her to go to the nurse's office for a part of the day.

'What am I going to do? I can't remain here all day…'

She hung the sheets of the bed that she was resting in over most of her face. Every time she thought about her brother it only made her stomach feel even more ill and when she thought about Yuki she felt warm, which certainly was not helping matters.

'Yuki…Yori…I don't know what I should do…'

She remained in the nurse's office for most of the rest of the day until her worry managed to subside enough for her to leave. The remaining part of the day was made a little easier on her since she did not see Yuki, but him not being present left her a little concerned for him. When school came to an end she walked home with her friends. Due to her being so quiet, they talked between each other not noticing the turmoil that was boiling around her.

Yumi's house was first on their stop and so she departed company with them in a vacant bow before making her way to the front door. She fished around her pack for her keys to the door becoming increasingly more absentminded by the minute. Once the keys had been found she opened the door and took off her shoes.

"I'm home!" she announced knowing already that she was in the house alone.

Yori would not be back for some time due to the student council and her mother worked most of the day to support them as a single mother. Having an empty house made things a little easier for her with the problems that she was dealing with today.

She walked into her room closing the door behind her and collapsed on her bed burying her head in her pillow leaving her pack on the floor. Yumi's bedroom was bright and cheerful with a few assortments of stuffed animals lying about from when she was younger. There was a desk on the opposite side of her room layered with papers and books from studies.

A few posters lined the walls adding variety and color to the plain walls. At her bedside on a table with the alarm clock and lamp was a picture of her brother as well as her mother and father, but slipped into the corner of the picture frame was a small snapshot of Yuki with his head turned looking away from the camera.

"What am I supposed to do? Someone…"

The evening gave way to night and Yumi recovered enough to have a meal with her brother. They had become accustomed to making their meals and usually shared the duties.

At first, their cooking efforts were poor, but they were given the chance and sometimes forced to get better if they wanted to have a decent meal. It was not their fault that their mother worked multiple jobs just to cover the cost of living for them. So they helped where they could.

Since Yumi was in no mood to cook it fell to Yori to do so that night. The mood was filled with tension even though Yori was acting like there was nothing wrong between them. Yumi was not certain to even call what was happening a fight since Yori had dropped the matter after he said his bit.

However, for Yumi, it felt like there were miles between them as she had to be cautious of any words or actions she made. She did not want to do anything to upset him. Most of the time, he was the only one that she had near her when she was not at school. She did not know what she would do if she was left to feel alone with her brother.

The uneasy meal eventually came to an end for Yumi and she left for her room again unable to deal with the pressure that she was feeling from the room. She fell back on her bed having a difficult time doing anything even sleeping.

All her mind could do twisted and turn through mazes and spirals that seemed endless and linking back on each other leaving her only further confused. Her thoughts repeated through cycles with none answered or barely responded. Somehow through it all, she passed out still in her school uniform.

As Yori was passing through the hall he noticed Yumi's door cracked open with her light still on in the late hour of the night. Their mother had returned home recently and he had finished with helping her. He peeked into the room to see if she was studying only to find her lying on her bed asleep.

Yori quietly walked into her room feeling sad for the troubles that were weighing her body. He could not get her out of her clothes, but he should at least cover her up. Yori turned down her covers and carefully put her under them pulling them up to her shoulders.

Yumi turned suddenly on her bed facing Yori while he was bent down.

"…Brother…" she said softly while shifting in her sleep.

He turned out her light and walked out of her room looking back.

'I didn't want to place such stress on you but know that I do care. I hope you feel better tomorrow.'