(Worth noting: this chapter is a magical trip back in time! Where Harumi still had baby-soft skin, didn't need glasses to watch the 8 PM news… but that's the only difference, everything else is the same.)
The problem started at 3:12 PM.
When Harumi discovered it.
The tooth.
Loose.
She pressed it with her tongue.
Wiggled it.
Felt it move.
Froze.
Blinked.
Wiggled it again.
It moved.
The whole house heard the scream.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!"
Footsteps running across the tatami.
THAP THAP THAP THAP.
Harumi appeared in the living room:
Hair a mess.
Bare feet.
Eyes wide.
Hand over her mouth.
"MY TOOTH IS DYING!!!"
Her mother dropped the pot.
"What?!"
"IT'S LOOSE!! IT'S GOING TO FALL OUT!! I DON'T WANT IT TO FALL OUT!!"
She started jumping in place.
"IT'S SAYING GOODBYE TO ME!!! I CAN FEEL IT!!!"
Her mother tried to stay calm.
"Sweetie, it's normal. It's a baby tooth."
"IT'S NOT NORMAL! IT'S MINE! IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MINE!!"
She ran back and forth.
The tatami suffering.
"LET ME SEE," said her mother.
"NO!"
"Let me just take a look."
"YOU'RE GOING TO PULL IT OUT!"
"I'm not."
"YOU HAVE THE FACE OF SOMEONE WHO PULLS THINGS OUT!"
Her mother sighed.
"Harumi…"
"I'M KEEPING THIS TOOTH FOREVER!"
"You're not."
"YES I AM!"
She put both hands over her mouth.
Maximum protection.
Her father appeared. Better known as the hero without a cape.
"What's going on?"
"MY TOOTH IS DYING!!"
"…ah."
He crouched down in front of her.
"Relax, sweetheart. This happens to everyone."
"NOT TO ME!!"
"Can I see?"
"NO!"
"I promise I won't pull it."
She hesitated.
Looked at her mother.
Looked at her father.
Looked at the ceiling.
Slowly…
Opened her mouth.
Her father looked.
"Hmm…"
"DON'T DO THE 'HMMM'!! THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SAY RIGHT BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING!!"
"Relax…"
He put his hand in.
Held the little tooth.
"Dad…"
"…"
"Dad…"
"…"
"DAD—"
PLOC.
Silence.
The tooth in his hand.
Harumi blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Processing.
Ran her tongue over it: HOLE.
Tasted blood.
Looked at her father.
Looked at the tooth.
Looked at her mother.
Took a deep breath.
"…"
"…"
"I'VE BEEN BETRAYED IN THIS HOUSE!!!!!!!!"
Instant crying.
"YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T PULL IT OUT!!!"
"I said it wouldn't hurt."
"THAT'S WORSE!!!"
She ran off.
THAP THAP THAP THAP.
Five minutes later:
Harumi came back.
With a little backpack, stuffing random things inside.
"I'm leaving."
Her mother blinked.
"You're going… where?"
"FAR AWAY."
"How far?"
"I DON'T KNOW. FAR."
She turned, serious.
"Izumi!"
Her little sister was on the floor watching TV.
"Hm?"
"We're leaving."
"…why?"
"Because I can't go alone."
"Go alone, then."
"I CAN'T!"
"Why not?"
"BECAUSE I'M A KID!"
Izumi thought about it.
"Then don't go."
"I HAVE TO GO! I'VE BEEN BETRAYED!"
Izumi started reasoning it out:
"Where are we gonna live?"
"…somewhere."
"Who's gonna cook?"
"…we'll learn."
"Do you have a job?"
"…no."
"Neither do I."
"…"
"How are we gonna buy food?"
"…"
"How are we gonna pay for a house?"
"…"
Harumi started to waver.
"…details."
Izumi crossed her arms.
"I'm not going."
Harumi's eyes went wide.
"YOU DON'T LOVE ME?!"
"I do. But I like food."
Izumi started crying.
"You can't go alone!"
Now there were two of them crying.
Their mother stepped in between them.
"NOBODY IS LEAVING."
Harumi, mouth still a little bloody, indignant:
"YES I AM! YOU GUYS PULLED OUT MY TOOTH WITHOUT WARNING ME!!"
"Sweetie…"
"I COULD DIE!!"
"You can't."
"I CAN TASTE THE BLOOD!! THAT'S HOW IT STARTS!!"
Her father held back a laugh behind them.
Her mother, completely out of energy.
Izumi hugging Harumi's leg.
"Don't go…"
Harumi sobbed.
Thought about it.
Looking at the little tooth in her father's hand.
Tiny.
White.
…
"…is the Tooth Fairy coming?"
Her mother sighed with relief.
"She is."
"…does she pay well?"
"Sometimes."
Harumi wiped her nose.
"…then I'll stay."
Turned to her father, dramatic:
"But I'll never forget this betrayal."
He nodded, serious.
"Fair enough."
That night:
Harumi went to sleep.
Tooth under her pillow, backpack still packed beside the bed.
Just in case.
Because trust,
according to her,
was something
very hard to rebuild.