--- KUBATO ---
Gustav barked with laughter at the small café table, then happily continued enjoying his ice cream.
"That's really funny, Kubato," he laughed.
Kubato beamed with joy. He always laughed at her jokes. Smiling, she kept eating the ice cream her grandpa had bought her.
"And you know what?" she continued excitedly. "Then he jumped really high, hit his head on the ceiling, and got a huge bump!"
Once again, her grandfather burst into laughter, letting it all out.
"Kubato! Hahaha! Your dreams are phenomenal!"
"Totally!" she agreed in her high-pitched voice.
A dream.
She slowly licked her ice cream again.
Everything felt so vivid, so real, so warm.
Kubato didn't believe those happy days would ever end.
It was just a dream.
"But Kubato," her grandpa said gently, full of love. His eyes shimmered beautifully as she looked into them.
"You have to stay in reality."
Reality…
Kubato's breath caught—
—and she woke up.
Confused, she looked around. Everything was different. The walls, the room. No toys. No colorful wallpaper. Everything was white, plain, empty.
Where am I…?
Then she realized—
It… it wasn't a dream.
Grandpa… Grandpa is really—
Tears welled up again. She pulled the warm blanket closer and noticed she was wearing a new nightgown—far too big for her.
And Mom… she…!
Suddenly she began to sob again.
"Grandpa!" she cried into the empty room.
"Grandpa! Where are you?! Please! Come back, Grandpa!"
I want to go to Grandpa!
Kubato buried her face in the pillow. The pain inside her stabbed at her heart, her chest burned, tears poured endlessly as her voice rose in broken cries.
The door suddenly opened.
A woman she didn't know stepped inside.
Kubato flinched in fear.
No one was supposed to find her.
No one was supposed to see her.
"Kubato," the woman said softly, her voice warm and full of concern.
"You're safe. Don't cry. Your papa saved you."
She approached the bed.
Kubato didn't know how to react.
Everything was new. A new place. New people. New rules. And before that—
—it had been pure horror.
Papa…? Where is Papa?
Her control shattered again.
"Where is Papa?" she cried, burying her face into the pillow once more.
The beautiful woman sat down beside her and gently stroked her back.
"It's okay, little one," she whispered.
"I'm his wife. You're safe here. It's over now."
Really…?
Where is Grandpa…?
I want Grandpa…
Kubato tried to hold herself together. With tear-filled eyes, she finally looked up at the woman—her father's wife.
But the pain pushed fresh tears to the surface.
She suddenly threw herself into the woman's arms and cried without restraint.
"Shhh," the woman soothed her, holding her close and stroking her back.
"Let it all out. I'm here. I won't hurt you. Shhh…"
Kubato clung to her clothes, sobbing uncontrollably.
Finally—someone was there.
Someone who accepted her pain.
Someone who didn't judge her.
Grandpa…
The door opened once more.