A/N: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul! Sui Ishida owns it along with FUNimation and Viz Media! The only thing I own is my OCs in this story! So, sit back and enjoy the dangerous journey of how Haruhi Narukami protects her little brother from harm and staying hidden from the CCG.
Life was hard.
In fact, this 17 year old teen's life was even harder for her.
Falling raindrops were silently dropping down from the sky and onto her black umbrella, as Haruhi Narukami was heading home from Kiyomi High School after having a long day.
Walking on the sidewalk, Haruhi heard her teal blue flip phone chiming as she'd received a text message. She pulled it out of her black backpack, before seeing a new message from her father, Mamoru Narukami.
From: Daddy
Subject: Home Late… Again
'Sorry, pumpkin, looks like I have to be working late again. I really don't want you to cook, even in your condition. But you have to again, make sure you help your brother with his schoolwork and listen to Michiko. Love you.'
'Really? You haven't been home in a long time, Dad.' Haruhi thought to herself, before she put away her phone.
Heading towards a nearby convenience store, Haruhi walked inside before lowering her umbrella and pulled out a surgical mask to cover up her mouth and nose.
Walking through the aisles, Haruhi slowly looking around to see that there were a few people in her along with the owner.
"Look, Mommy… oww, Mommy!" A small little girl which reminded her of her little brother... and she accidentally dropped a jar of marmalade on the floor.
Suddenly, Haruhi's blue eyes widen as she can smell the scent of blood hitting the air, knowing that the girl cut herself with the glass. Her right eye began to ache as it turns into her red and black ghoul eye, showing the red veins around the corner of her eye while licking her lips. Haruhi's eyes were closed as she inhaled the scent deeply as the little girl's blood smelled so good, like freshly cooked hamburger meat that every human with real taste buds seemed to crave at a restaurant or even a home cooked meal.
"So… good…" Haruhi whispered while looking up at the ceiling lights of the convenience store, before shaking her head to make her hunger feeling go away after the little girl was patch up.
'Oh thank you…' Haruhi thought to herself, after she watched the mother and child walked out of the store, making her regain focus again.
Haruhi placed a few jars of instant coffee before getting a few ingredients to make tonight's dinner which happens to be Omurice on every Wednesday night. Grabbing a bottle of soy sauce, ketchup, pepper and a carton of eggs, Haruhi can already feel her stomach churning as she placed all of the items into the basket, before taking it to the front of the shop.
The cashier was studying Haruhi as she was looking away from the basket, before violet eyes caught his stare.
"What?" Haruhi questioned, before looking at him.
"You always wear that mask, everytime I see you. Are you ill, young lady?" The cashier questioned, while scanning the items.
"Yeah, but I don't want to get anyone sick. It's some strange flu that's like happening at school." Haruhi explained, before pulling out her black cat wallet and paying the total.
She knew that she wasn't ill. She didn't want life to be harder on her while living in the 17th ward.
When she returned home, Haruhi saw her 6 year old brother, Sora sitting down with his back against the door to the apartment while playing his blue handheld game to keep him occupied.
Haruhi remembered that her brother was supposed to be pick up by his birth mother, Michiko but somehow he managed to have a ride home after when his mother had forgotten about him.
"Sora?" Haruhi called out gently, after removing her mask and placing it underneath her chin.
Sora looked up at his sister, after pausing his game. His blizzard blue colored eyes were staring up at Haruhi's blue ones, as she already knew what happened earlier without even asking about it. Haruhi stare back at the door of the apartment, while she pulled out the key, and use it to open the door, as Sora started to explain.
"Mom said she was coming to get me. But she lied again." Sora explained, after closing the door behind them and he and Haruhi taken off their shoes.
"I see. I'm getting tired of our mother lying to us." Haruhi responded, before she went into the kitchen and placed the groceries on the counter.
"Haru-chan?" Sora called out, as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, before placing his backpack and handheld game on it.
"Yeah?" Haruhi responded, before looking back her brother.
"Why doesn't Mommy care about us? I know Daddy cares about us, but I want him back home like he was before." Sora questioned.
"Listen…" Haruhi responded, before getting on her knees as Sora stared back at his sister's blue eyes. "Daddy works hard to make sure we have a better life here. Even though he works to fight against ghouls, I promise you that we will see him again if we stay up long enough to see him come home." She explained, as she had her hand on Sora's cheek.
"We done that twice. But we always fallen asleep." Sora reminded his eldest sister, before feeling her hand touching his dark red hair.
"I know, but this is a promise. And Daddy and I don't break them." Haruhi responded, before hearing a small mew as they noticed their orange tabby kitten, Marmalade purring around the 17 year old's leg.
"Marmalade!" Sora exclaimed in happiness, before the orange tabby kitten jump onto the table until Haruhi's blue eyes widen in shock. "What's that in your mouth, kitty cat?" He questioned, before Haruhi gently taken the kitten off the table and held her in her arms.
"Uh, Sora, do you have homework to do?" Haruhi questioned, while holding onto Marmalade.
"Yes… Yes, I do, Haru-chan. Can you help me?" Sora questioned, before Haruhi nodded and walked into the hallway as she'd makes sure that her brother was still at the table, instead of following his sister.
"Is that my food, kitty cat? You know that you're not supposed to be playing with it." Haruhi gently scolded the cat, before Marmalade open her mouth and let a plastic wrapped index finger fallen into Haruhi's palm. "I can't let you play with it, If Sora or the ugly stepmother finds it, I'm in deep trouble." She explained quietly, before hearing cat food falling into a metal bowl from the kitchen as Marmalade's eyes widen and ran off to eat her dinner.
'They must never know. I want to keep you safe no matter what, sweetheart.' Her father's words replayed in her mind, before heading towards her bedroom.
The sound of heavy raindrops pitter pattering against the window of the apartment was heard along with the Tv playing anime shows to keep Sora distracted after finishing his homework.
Haruhi walked out of her bedroom, dressed in a white button up shirt, red and black plaid skirt and long black knee socks as she was into something more comfortable than her school clothes.
Walking back into the living room, Haruhi noticed that Sora was eating strawberry pocky sticks before dinner, but she decided to let it slide for once.
Haruhi walked back into the kitchen as she started making dinner for Sora and Michiko. She began to felt squamish as she started preparing dinner while cooking the beef after dicing the peppers, onions, carrots.
'The vegetables looks like bits of Sora's barf from last month's flu. The rice looks like and even smells like bits of paper and glue sticking together… I don't even see why humans eat this.' Haruhi thought, before laying her head down against the counter along with her forearms, hoping that the smell can go away.
The front door to the apartment door and open and slam shut, as Haruhi can recognize the smell of alcohol filling the air and into the nostrils of her nose. Her blizzard blue colored eyes widened as she started coughing at first, before covering her mouth while heading towards the sink, throwing up as it made her sick to her stomach.
"Hey, Mom." Sora greeted as he walked towards his mother to give her a hug… but Michiko pushed her 6 year old son out of her way and sat down on the couch.
"What is this shit you are watching? It… it better not be… nude girls in a porno." Michiko slurred, as Sora looked back at his drunk mother.
Her short red hair was disheveled and there was a glassy eye look in her chocolate brown colored eyes while she held a bottle of red wine in one hand, before Haruhi walked in covering her nose and mouth with the same surgical mask from before.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you always coming home drunk?" Haruhi questioned, before Michiko looked back at her 17 year old stepdaughter.
"Hm… It's nice to see you home… What were you doing wearing that? Impressing older men so you can suck them off for a few yen?" Michiko questioned as she laughed at her own joke, while looking at Haruhi's comfortable clothes.
"Language, Michiko!" Haruhi retorted, covering Sora's ears.
"So what? That little brat… He doesn't care… His eyes are on those games that he always play… with my money." Michiko responded, before gulping down a few mouthfuls of her wine bottle as she stood up. "Honey… Sweetheart… Your sexy Michiko is home… and I brought the stuff!" She called out while holding up the half empty wine bottle as Haruhi held Sora behind her back.
"Daddy's not home." Sora answered quietly.
"What?! The old man is not home? Again?!" Michiko questioned once more as she became angry.
"He said he'll be home later on." Haruhi explained.
"You know… that is a fucking lie right there, Haru… You want to know what he does for a living? He only comes home… when he wants to see me… Not to see you or the mistake." Michiko explained, before taking another swing of wine into her mouth.
"That's not true. Daddy cares about us too!" Sora responded, while gripping onto Haruhi's white shirt.
"Oh it's true…. It's damn true, son. What's for dinner?" Michiko questioned, before she laid back down on the couch and places the wine bottle on the coffee table.
"It's not done yet." Haruhi answered, as she felt Sora's small hands gripping onto her hands from behind, indicating that he was scared.
'I know Sora… He'll be back fo us. Not her.' Haruhi thought to herself, while looking down at her brother's worried face.
"Well, get back in that kitchen now… Don't make me upset, Little Miss Mistake…. No wonder your real mother doesn't wants you anymore." Michiko responded, before closing her brown eyes.
"Haru-chan, what is she talking about?" Sora questioned, until his blizzard blue colored eyes widened in shock as she noticed his 17 year old sister's eyes were filled with tears.
"Nothing… Go stay in your room, until dinner's ready." Haruhi responded after wiping her tears away with her arm sleeve.
Sora nodded before he walked off, after taking his blue colored handheld game with him.
Haruhi heard Michiko snoring quietly before walking towards her, looking down at her sleeping form. Her anger was slowly resurfacing as she grabbed a large pillow from one side of the couch, before gripping it tightly in her hands.
All she wanted to do was to end Michiko's life for making her life a living hell and not acting like a real mother to her or even to her own son, Sora.
But she couldn't do it…
Her violet colored eyes looked back at the hallway, leading towards the bedrooms and she heard Sora's voice saying "Darn it! I almost caught you!".
"Quiet your damn mouth, brat!" Michiko mumbled in her sleep, as Haruhi looked back down at her.
That's what lead Haruhi to stopping and letting her feelings getting out of the way… Not while Sora was in the other room with the door to his bedroom semi-open.
"Damn it, Haru." She retorted to herself quietly, dropping the pillow aside.
'Michiko...Why… Why did you have to go there? I never knew anything about my birth mother, not even from my Daddy. Someday… you will make me snap and you'll see me as the bad guy in this house. Not you!' Haruhi thought, before heading back into the kitchen to continue on their dinner, which made her feel weak to cook.