Connie watched as Asha's hand caressed her head, frozen in a state of shock.
'Did Asha touch me on her own initiative...?'
That was more surprising than a magical lion suddenly appearing and eating her entire candy stash.
Connie hadn't been observing Asha for just a day or two. She had a clear idea of what the girl liked and disliked.
The only person she had ever touched voluntarily was their mother. And even that only happened when she wanted something or when no one else was around.
For Asha, touch was something to be handled with caution.
At first, Connie had been impressed when she took the initiative to sleep beside her and thought maybe she wanted to grow closer.
But the months of observation, paired with her naturally rational mind, pulled her out of that hopeful illusion.
Connie wasn't stupid. She knew people didn't change overnight.
Asha wasn't the kind of girl who would approach someone without a specific reason.
The decision to sleep together was likely caused by a nightmare. But the deeper reason might have been that her mother had become an inaccessible figure to her.
Why would someone hug a cheap pillow on the floor, wearing thin clothes on a cold night, instead of using warm blankets in a proper bed? Probably because they had no other choice.
Compared to her mother, Connie didn't believe she held much value in her eyes.
But she didn't see that as a bad thing. She had realized Asha wasn't avoiding her personally. She treated everyone the same and was even colder with her dad.
She wouldn't even glance at people on the street when her mom took her for walks. And that happened even when she could feel eyes on her.
Everything she did had a purpose. A reason. Even their initial interaction had seemed suspicious. With her personality, Asha wouldn't just approach a stranger and ask to be friends.
So now, what was the reason? She didn't need to comfort her.
For the first time, Connie couldn't think of any justification for the gesture other than genuine kindness. And that was what embarrassed her.
Even when receiving the girl's smile, she constantly questioned her intentions. She had thought she was finally beginning to understand her adoptive sister, thanks to all her notes. But the moment she felt certain, she was surprised again.
She couldn't grasp her true nature.
Anyone looking at her would think that she was a child with little emotion or preference. But if you lived with her, you'd know that wasn't true.
When something caught her interest, her eyes lit up with a green spark of excitement. When she was stressed, her hands would fidget restlessly. She could sit through the strangest cartoons without blinking, unless someone stopped her.
She was the perfect example of someone rich in emotion, hidden behind a cold expression. She was childish, curious, and often reckless. A child who seemed pure, but also someone you'd worry about leaving alone for too long.
Sometimes, she seemed even younger than her age.
But sometimes, like now, as her hands gently stroked her hair and her face held a calm smile, she looked more mature than anyone else.
Almost like an adult in the body of a child.
Because of this contradictory behavior, Connie felt as if all the pieces of the puzzle she had put together so far no longer fit in the right places.
But as she felt the warmth from her small gesture, she couldn't deny that she was a little moved.
Connie had been an only child her entire life, the only one left to fend for herself. She had never wanted a younger sister, fearing that her already limited time with her parents would be even shorter with another child to care for.
If it had been anyone else who touched her this way, Connie wouldn't have accepted it. Only her parents had ever been allowed to approach her with that level of intimacy.
But now Asha was her family, and one more person had been added to the small circle she could let in. At first, that title felt unpleasant, but now, strangely, it was comforting.
If there was one thing she was unhappy about, it was how their roles seemed reversed. Seeing Asha, who usually acted spoiled in front of her mother to get more TV time, suddenly behaving so maturely, tugged at her heartstrings in an unexpected way.
Connie held Asha's hand and looked directly at her. Empty, unfocused eyes stared back at her, as if the earlier excitement had only been a figment of her imagination. These were the same intimidating eyes she'd seen the day they first met.
But now, they didn't feel as intimidating as before.
"Thank you for worrying about me," she said, her face slightly flushed.
[…]
An awkward silence followed her words. Maybe it was expected, none of them were the kind of children who could talk for a long time.
Connie's eyes wandered, trying to find a topic to break the silence.
But perhaps because of the emotional shock, nothing appropriate came to mind.
'What should I talk about? Maybe Super Drill, she really likes it, doesn't she? But that doesn't seem to fit the mood… Maybe I should make a joke to lighten the mood, but I'm not good with jokes either… I don't know, what... What should I do?'
Connie felt a massive headache coming on from being forced to act socially. But as if to rescue her from herself, her father said the magic words, words that felt like water in the desert.
"We've arrived, Connie. Do you want to help me with the wheelchair in the trunk?" said her dad, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
She didn't know if it had been intentional; maybe the world had finally tilted in her favor. But whether it was fate or coincidence, Connie grabbed that escape like her life depended on it.
"Y-Yes, I can do it!"
Connie quickly opened the car door and grabbed the keys from her dad to unlock the trunk, her anxiety plain for anyone to see.
And of course, her sudden reaction hadn't gone unnoticed by Doug either, whose eyes discreetly shifted to the quiet girl in the backseat, clutching an old notebook in both hands, dressed simply, staring at her socially awkward sister.
Asha's eyes no longer avoided Connie as before. Now, they looked directly at her, as if someone new had entered her small world.
A slight smile formed on his face before he opened the car door.
For some reason, Doug felt like today might be one of the best days he'd had in a long time.
*
Connie looked at the wheelchair she had pulled out of the trunk and sighed.
"If I had just practiced a little more in front of the mirror..."
Connie was also unsatisfied with her social skills; she usually could have normal conversations with anyone. She was reserved but not necessarily shy. For example, she could talk normally with her parents and teachers.
The problem was that she had no friends her age. She found it more comfortable talking to another adult than with a child like her.
She clenched her fists and closed her eyes in shame, feeling her heart pound with embarrassment. If only she could go back a few seconds and fix everything.
Well, she wasn't confident she could handle Asha's affectionate gesture even if she did. But she preferred to think that would be the case.
"What are you mumbling there alone?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind her. It was her dad with a big smile, as if he knew everything.
Connie's face was a little hot with the thought of the words she had just murmured, and she quickly recomposed herself.
"It was nothing, Dad. I took out the wheelchair. Here are the keys." She handed them to him as if it were natural, though a small trace of red still lingered on her cheeks.
"Oh, keys. Thank you."
Doug didn't say anything more, but an annoying smile remained on his face, recognizing that Connie was clearly changing the topic.
"So, I'll bring the wheelchair. I'll need your help to lift your sister," he said as he dragged it away, not even giving Connie time to compose her feelings.
"Wait, Dad—!"
"What are you doing there, Connie? We're waiting for you." He gave her a mischievous smile, making her grip her fists tightly and give him a piercing look.
Doug just looked away as if he hadn't noticed anything, leaving her no choice but to approach Asha again.
When she got close to the door, Asha was sitting composed with her seatbelt on.
"I'll take off your seatbelt for you."
At her words, Asha nodded silently in approval.
Connie regulated her breathing, trying to keep herself steady before approaching the girl as if to hug her.
A familiar scent of soap lingered on Asha's body, and her eyes stared into the void ahead, calm and still.
The two seemed complete opposites at that moment. Looking at her so composed, somehow soothed Connie, easing her nerves.
She had made things even weirder earlier, but Asha accepted it without saying anything. Connie knew she didn't care about such worries. In a sense, her mindset was truly stoic, maybe she should learn a little from her.
After unfastening the seatbelt, Asha was ready to be picked up, but because of their positioning, Connie found it a little difficult.
"Can you extend your arms a little?" she asked, shyly.
As she said it, Asha extended her arms toward her, as if prepared for a hug, it was a sight destructive enough to shatter anyone's composure.
Her eyes seemed unfocused and unaware of anything around her, like a baby bird waiting for its mother's embrace.
Connie froze for a moment at the devastating sight, but with superhuman willpower, she endured it.
The girl's arms wrapped around her neck as Connie lifted her, as if seeking a comfortable position.
She wasn't very heavy, making it possible for even a child like Connie, who only played tennis, to lift her.
Their bodies were completely enveloped in an embrace, leaving Connie standing motionless in the middle of nowhere.
Strands of black hair fell into her field of vision, and soft arms clung gently to her neck.
For some reason, she didn't want to move.
'So this is what it feels like to hug Asha with her approval. Mom could feel this every day, as if it were nothing...'
She felt a little resentful about that, but she still enjoyed the hug.
"Connie?"
But the moment didn't last long; she wasn't alone, after all.
Connie squeezed Asha's back a little more firmly, making sure she was comfortable in her arms before walking toward the wheelchair.
It was a bit regrettable, but she felt they had grown a little closer today, so perhaps another opportunity would come in the future.
With these strange thoughts, she placed Asha in the wheelchair.
Once they were ready, Doug took them to the library. It was still very early, and there were few people on the street; some walked quietly, while others exercised farther away.
But one thing was common among all the people they passed: every single one glanced at Asha at least once.
Connie looked at her discreetly to see if she was uncomfortable, but Asha showed no reaction. She was so relaxed that she was calmly sketching lions in her notebook.
Seeing this familiar subject reminded Connie of a magical lion from the past, something she had, quite absurdly, forgotten until now.
It seemed ridiculous to forget such an unusual experience, but living beside Asha had taught her that there were things far more unpredictable and interesting than magical creatures.
"She draws really well," said Doug, his slightly impressed expression trembling oddly as he looked at the familiar lion who had been causing trouble at his job, now so accurately portrayed.
More than his strange expression, Connie caught on to the praise in his voice.
"I know, right?" she said, lifting her head proudly.
The drawings didn't belong to her, but she enjoyed looking at them every day. Hearing someone praise them so sincerely moved her; she had long since become a fan herself.
"That's nothing compared to what Asha draws every day. A curious thing is that no line is wasted. Look, for example, at the mouth of this lion. Even though Asha hasn't finished it, the orifices are already outlined, and here you can see the connection lines for the final art. Even the anatomy is perfect, just by looking at it, you can see a fierce lion capable of beheading someone with its teeth. And amazingly, she can convey her intent with just a few succinct poses..."
No one had asked her, but Connie began spilling everything she knew about lions, kindly explaining to her dad just how brilliant Asha was at adapting them onto paper.
She didn't notice how Doug's face grew paler with every mention of the lion's destructive anatomy, or how he was unconsciously trying not to look directly at the drawing.
"That's truly impressive, Connie... You know a lot about lions, don't you?"
"More impressive than that is Asha herself, who can replicate them so accurately. If I hadn't studied enough, I'd have missed so many details in her art. Take the mane, for example, based on the color and the way she shaded it, this lion probably just hunted. You can spot remnants of small animals, and you can even guess its age just by looking at the mane."
Connie's eyes lit up as she completely lost herself in her explanation, adjusting her glasses as she reached a solid conclusion from the small evidence in the girl's casual sketch.
Doug swallowed hard, his thoughts drifting somewhere far from the paper in front of him.
The truth was, his work had been disrupted by this very same lion, which had taken to appearing among children. When the Aquatic Park discovered its presence and that it had become their "main attraction", the facility was immediately closed for "maintenance."
So far, no incidents had occurred, but that didn't mean they never would.
Doug studied the drawing, eerily similar to the real animal, before asking a question that had been troubling him for days.
"Hey, Connie, this 'lion'... could you tell if it would be hostile to humans?"
Connie frowned at the strange question.
"That's a really weird thing to ask..."
"I'm genuinely curious about this lion she drew. If it really existed, would it be hostile to humans?"
His serious tone made Connie uneasy. She scratched her cheek shyly at her father's odd curiosity but answered honestly.
"Well... of course it's dangerous," she said, as if it were obvious. "A lion is still a wild animal and a natural predator."
"Even if it had been living among children for days without harming anyone...?"
"Pft... What kind of question is that, Dad?" Connie laughed, amused by his seriousness over something so simple.
"Of course it's dangerous. The lion was probably just full and avoiding wasting energy. It's only a matter of time before its attention turns to the humans around it."
"I-Is that so?"
"Lions are wild animals, Dad. What kind of question is that?" she said casually, only making his troubled expression deepen.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the string of questions didn't last long.
They had finally reached the library.
It was time to choose some good books.
Doug secretly decided it wouldn't hurt to learn a little more about lions.
*
Author's note
I know many people have different tastes when it comes to story pacing, but I'm loving writing this. Forgive me, fast readers, but my heart yearns for slice-of-life. I'm writing this every morning without fail, trying to stay positive. I want you to feel that way too as you read it. I wish you a wonderful day ❤️
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