16 Yu Yan's Painful Friendship

"Yu Yan! Yu Yan! are you there..!? Wake up!" A chimey voice giggled as you blinked your eyes several times, blinded by the bright sun's rays that seemed to never vanish. You looked at the girl that called out your name and smiled blissfully, "Sayo-San...What makes you wake up so early in the morning?"

"What are you talking about silly? It's already mid afternoon! Did you forget about the promise you made Nainai?" She pouted, you couldn't help but think her pouting was cute. Like a small bunny who seemed to jump from place to place, it even seemed like she didn't have parents.

"Nainai!"

"Ah my sweet girl! How are you Sayo-San?" She looked at my sister so tenderly and affectionately, almost as if the love she had for her was neverending. "Look Nainai! Xiao Yan is here! She's been waiting for you so patiently!" Sayo exclaimed happily, Nainai looked at sayo some more and then turned to me with cold, empty eyes. It makes my heart ache...

"Ah, I didn't realize you were there Yu Yan, What brings you here?" She asked with a fake concerning voice, you felt pained by her lack of concern as you had given her all your love and attention but brushed it off closing off those feelings of pain and loved her blindly.

"I...I wanted to greet Nainai, you seemed to be sick for the past week and-"

"It's alright, I don't need your forced concerns, Off you go now," She chased me out, Sayo would try her best to convince her to let me stay but she said I was just an illegitimate child that wouldn't even inherit a single piece of grass.

She thinks she's powerful enough to take control over my sweet Sayo! Huh! I won't let her get away with this! Nainai cursed as she held her granddaughter by the hand. Little did she know that in the end she would be the one to end up mourning her death and give her medicine to keep her alive.

It was a bright day with bees buzzing around happily eating their daily meal and the white puffy clouds smiling down at the ground. The wind blew steadily almost like a summer breeze even though it was autumn, a brunette sat on the grass looking from afar the mountains and prairies she could see form above the cliff.

It's so beautiful here...I want to show Sayo-San this view! You giggled as you skipped all the way to Nainai's room, You had heard shouts and screams coming from the door. You barged in breathing heavily and found a horrific scene. You started shaking from the fear as you had shorter breaths and grew dizzy, but before you lost consciousness of what was going on you opened your mouth, "S...Sayo-San! Who did this?! Where's the assassin! I'll find and k-ki-kill them immediately!" You said reassuring her.

She just smirked as you watched your grandmother reach her hand out to you, Xiao Yan...My dear child, I've come to regret my decisions now. Guilt surged through the dying woman's heart and mind, it weighed down on her as she gritted her teeth, I feel I've wronged you for too long...I hope that you live a happy life. It was wrong of me to treat you so coldly. My last wish is that you...

"...Can lead a happy life and meet someone who will love you eternally..." Nainai mumbled her last words as her hand dropped on the ground. It felt as if the whole world had crashed down and went extinct, Your heart was burdened and in pain as you heard your grandmother's last wish towards you.

"Kekekeke!~" Sayo cackled as she slipped out a dagger and pointed it at you, you took small steps stumbling over your feet and dropped on your knees when you saw your grandmother's body lying there unmoving. You, still in disbelief held her palm and placed it on your cold and pale cheek, shaking uncontrollably like a mother who'd just lost her daughter.

Nainai...Wake up! She can't be dead! Right? Yes! yes! I just have to get some medicine and healers! yes! Healers they'll be able to fix this and then..! You couldn't help but sob loudly as Sayo approached you silently, taking advantage of your loss and breakdown. You put down her hand already assuming it was your sister.

"Sa...yo...san..." You murmured, "what is it that you want? Do you want to be the head? the patriarch? take it! just please get medicine for Nainai! She still has some pulse fortunately and..!" You said clumsily, but you were cut off by her words of contempt and hatred.

"Hah...you always think that everything can be solved like this, don't you? I'm not interested in becoming head, but that grandma! AGH! she was getting annoying always trying to pamper me and dress me up like a doll! Ha!" She scratched her head as you looked around for a weapon, Ah! A dove! You stumbled upon the dove that was caged up and released it.

"AGH! What are you doing?! Ha! You think you'll be able to escape from this! stupid b*tch!" Sayo waved the dove away as it kept getting in her face, I have to get out of here and-!

"Oh? Where are you going?" Sayo cackled, "I got rid of nainai, now it's your turn,"

"Why?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you doing this?!"

"Well, I hate you. You're such an annoying existence, always being praised by the elders, even nainai couldn't help but compliment you sometimes. You always made me seem like the idiot. You deserve this. You should just die, you would be doing the world a favor," She cackled hysterically, it saddened you more by the second.

"Sayo-San...please don't say that! You know I care about you and you're smart and intelligent, you're so pretty and-"

"Hah...You really are stupid, aren't you?"

"?"

"I don't want your fame or brain, What I want is for you to die and disappear, You're so stupid thinking that you could convince me. What do you think you are, A Hero? Don't be stupid. You're nothing but sh*t in the way," She dashed towards you and attacked skillfully, almost as if she'd been waiting for this very moment. there was a bit of lament and sorrow inside you. You couldn't think straight until you heard nainai's voice in your head again,

"...Can lead a happy life and meet someone who will love you eternally..."

You bit your lip and the first thing that came to mind was to escape. I need to get away! I can't stay here any longer! Nainai, I'm sorry you had to die such a gruesome and painful death. You thought in grimace, it was such a fleeting comment in the moment, but to you, her words meant that you could live peacefully now.

I'd always wanted to hear her say that to me, and now...I don't have to worry about something like that. You smiled as you slammed the door open, "Catch her! She took Nainai's life! Don't let her escape!" Sayo shouted in panic, crocodile tears streamed down her delicate rosy pink cheeks.

I have to survive! Suicide will be my last option if I'm cornered! If I look for those of the Sookyung clan then they'll be able to help but with the exception that I'll be patriarch. but sayo could've already bribed them. then I have no choice but to only rely on myself! I dashed and pushed myself from tree to tree as I reached the chained islands, where it was forbidden to enter. This was my only way out!

"Catch Her!" There was a violent and anxious voice shouting from afar, "Ugh! You useless dogs! Is it so hard to fetch just one girl?!"

So this was Sayo-San's true nature...I must've been a fool to have believed all her words...

"Xiao Yan~ You're my one and only friend!"

Yes...I must've been a fool blinded by love. You thought as the new 7 year-old you smiled in her sleep, tears like pearls streaming down your pale cheeks.