Chapter 3

After school, a few weeks later, I did my homework, and it was still too early for dinner, so I decided to go for a quick jog to ease my mind. Hanabi was still at cheerleading practice, and Dad was still at work.

On my way down the stairs, I heard Masumi talking in a hushed tone on the phone, "...to the credit card, yes...mhm, thank you!"

After turning the corner, I saw her leaning against the island in the kitchen, and she glanced up to meet my gaze. To avoid a confrontation, I masked my irritation and turned to leave, but she stopped me, "Come here, Hinata."

With a defeated sigh, I turned back to face her, plastering on as honest a smile as I could manage as I waited for her to speak. She gave me an annoyed look before speaking in a matching tone, "I wanted to talk to you about the tone you pulled with me last night. You owe me an apology."

She raised her eyebrows as though waiting for me to immediately do what she asked, and when I didn't, she scoffed, "At dinner, remember? You're lucky Hiashi was there, or I would've smacked the attitude right off your smug little face."

Another sigh passed my lips, and I let my polite façade fade into an irritated one, which mirrored hers. This isn't the first time Masumi's tried to assert her dominance over me when we're alone, and it most likely won't be the last. She'd slapped me the first time when I was about nine for fighting with Hanabi. I remembered how shocked and hurt I'd felt. Sure, it affected me then, but now that I'm used to her split personalities, it rarely gets to me.

"I find it funny how you never act like this when Hanabi or Dad are home."

She rolled her eyes before stepping around the island counter to poke me in the chest, "That's because I love your Dad and Hanabi."

I stepped back instead of smacking her hand away, not eager to fight with her, "You might love Hanabi. That's still up in the air, but I'll never believe you love my Dad for anything but his money."

There it was, the familiar sting of a slap in the face. My head turned to the side as she hit me, and I quickly looked up at her with a teary-eyed glare.

She grabbed my chin and made me look directly at her, "As far as your father's aware, I'm the perfect housewife, and I'm not going to let that change. Do you understand?"

We both froze as we heard a car pull into the driveway, most likely one of Hanabi's friends dropping her off. Masumi released her hold on my face roughly, waving a hand of dismissal as she went back to browsing her phone while she prepared dinner, "Get out of here."

With an angry huff, I exited the house from the side door so Hanabi wouldn't glimpse the handprint that was most likely on my face and decided to continue with my plan to jog. The physical effort would help rid me of the angry emotions clouding my judgment before Dad gets home. The jog did its trick, and when I got home, I managed to keep my composure as I passed Masumi and Dad in the family room so I could freshen up before it was time to eat.

After washing my face, I changed into new clothes just in time to hear Hanabi yell, "Dinner!" from the hall.

It was awkward at the table for a few minutes. My only solace was when my father asked us how our days went. I could feel Masumi glance at me occasionally and chose to be the bigger person and ignore her. She would never do anything in front of these two, so I had nothing to worry about.

Near the end of the meal, Dad put his hands together and captured our attention. We all looked over. "I have some excellent news! I have formulated a man-made plant that, when processed correctly, acts as a cure for skin cancer!"

We were silent for a moment before we all rose to congratulate him. My face warmed with pride as he pulled us all in for a hug.

His eyes shone as though he was trying not to cry with happiness, "It has a ninety-one percent success rate, as of now, and the side effects are very minor." Tears rose in my eyes, and I reached to wipe at them.

After dinner, we all migrated to the family room for the weekly family time that my father enforced. Most of the time, we just sit in the same room and do things alone. This time, Hanabi and her mother were reading a fashion magazine together, I was studying for a big science test coming up, and Dad was watching the news on TV.

"Ooh, look, Mom. The news anchor's a hottie!"

I glanced up from my textbook to see Hanabi pointing at the screen before looking at it as well. A tan-skinned, blonde-haired, handsome young man spoke seamlessly with a pearly white smile as he reported on new diving gear that would let people explore parts of the oceans that we previously couldn't. Okay, he was pretty cute, I'll give her that, but he has to be even older than me, so I don't see why she'd find him attractive.

With a roll of my eyes, I looked back at my book, only for Dad to speak up, "Oh, God, don't start talking like that, Hanabi! I'm too young for you to be into boys already."

Hanabi scoffed as her mother offered him a smile, "Well, one of your daughters has to be normal, and it's not gonna be Hinata!"

I glared at my younger sister, "I am normal. You don't have to be boy-crazy to be normal."

Hanabi gestured widely at me, "See what I mean?!"

Over the next few days, whenever possible, I talked with my father about his cure. He's my role model; I've always been interested in his work. The drug was already being manufactured and would be ready for public release in a few weeks.

There are two products that Dr. Hyuga has helped develop: a pill to cure those already affected by skin cancer and a cream that almost one hundred percent prevents cancerous cells from forming in the first place. The look on his face when he talks about his work makes me want to do everything I can to make him proud. I want to make my father look at me like that.

Three weeks later, as I'd been informed it would, the cure hit the streets. Beauty and health brands were signing deals with Father's team almost immediately to add the preventative formula to their products. It didn't take long for our family to start seeing substantial financial gain from the sales, and soon, he and Masumi decided we would build a new house and relocate there. Of course, we'll stay at our current home until the new one is finished.

Another few weeks later, there was a knock at the door on a Saturday morning when all of us were at home. Hanabi and I were studying at the dining table while Dad read the newspaper and Masumi did a yoga training video in the family room.

Hiashi looked up from his paper briefly, coffee cup in his free hand, "Hinata, could you get that?"

I nodded silently, putting down my pencil and flitting over to open the front door. My face warmed at the unfamiliar face waiting for me there.

"Hello," I awkwardly offered a greeting.

A man that looked to be in his mid to late thirties stood very tall with pale skin and wild black hair that ran down to the middle of his back. He was dressed in a very nice business suit and offered me a charming smile when I struggled to form any other words, "Hello. You must be one of Hiashi's daughters. Is your Father home?"

I heard the man in question call from the nearby dining table, "Who is it, Sweetie?" I struggled to find words, as the handsome stranger had a very intimidating aura.

Finally, Dad came to my rescue, and his eyes widened in surprise when they lay on our guest. He accepted the man's familiar hug and motioned for him to come in, "Madara, my old friend! What brings you here? How long has it been now…? Fifteen years, give or take?"

Hanabi shot me a confused look as she waltzed up to stand beside me so she could greet this man, apparently named Madara, and I shrugged at her in response.

Masumi popped out of nowhere and politely took the new addition's coat, "I'm sorry for the mess. I wasn't aware we were to have company."

She may have her faults, but that woman was unparalleled when it came to playing the role of housewife.

The man smiled charmingly and introduced himself, "My name is Madara Uchiha, and I went to college with Hiashi. I just moved back to town and wanted to see how my old friend was doing!"

Our family's head motioned for him to sit at the dining table with us once introductions were out of the way. Masumi quickly prepared him a cup of coffee and motioned covertly for Hanabi and me to get our studying materials out of the way. Not wanting to cause any sort of ruckus, we both silently did so, listening as the two men caught up.

"So, what brings you back to town?"

"Oh, were you not told? I suppose with all the recent news I've heard, you've been too busy to hear any workplace gossip. I'm going to be teaching Xenology at the college! I start next semester."

I pretended to play on my phone as I eavesdropped. Xenology? Isn't that the study of aliens or something? I didn't even know the school offered classes like that.

"Really, now? How interesting! I heard rumors last year that they were planning on broadening the scale of classes, but I didn't know it'd be so soon. Congrats!"

Madara grinned over his coffee mug, offering Hanabi and me a wink when he noticed us staring before replying, "Oh, come on. It's you who I should be congratulating! You've created a cure for cancer, for God's sake!"

Hiashi offered a humble response, "Not all cancer, just skin cancer, but I don't plan on stopping there!"

The Uchiha man's eyebrows rose in surprise, "You don't say?"

Their conversation continued, but I eventually zoned out before quietly excusing myself, so I could return to my room upstairs.

Later on, once night had fallen, I climbed out my window and sat on the roof with headphones blasting music in my ears as I thought about how things were already starting to change because of Dad's breakthrough. There was the money, of course, but people at school started treating me differently. I'm so used to blending into the background and focusing on my studies, but students I've never even spoken to have approached me wanting to be friends.

I frowned as I looked up at the pale moon. I don't need people like that in my life. I don't need friends at all, honestly. After I graduate, go to college, and start my adult life, none of those people will even remember me. With a sigh, I curled my legs against my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I only have six months left of high school, and then I can move out and go to college. That's it, only six months until I'm free.

Or so I thought.