Twelve Months of Kristal: 50 Loving States Maine

When I’m finished, I let out a huge breath I didn’t know I was holding. There it’s done. I did it. Maybe now Norio can shed some light on who Jae-Hyun is to him and his brother. Solving that mystery might make this excruciating situation worth it. I hope.

But Norio just squints at the drawing, his expression confused and wary.

In the background, I hear Tasha whisper to Lilli, “It looks like we’ve got another Marian on our hands.”

“Do not worry about this drawing,” Hayato says to his brother in Japanese. “It is a quirk of hers. Something I have learned to tolerate.”

“This is the woman you asked to return to Japan with you?” his brother asks with a frown. “The one Lilli says you have been looking at with such affection in your eyes?”

Hayato shifts, so obviously embarrassed. Nevertheless, he insists, “She is harmless. Please do not judge her by this moment.”

I don’t want to be judged by this moment either, but now seems like the time to tell them… “I understand Japanese, and every other human language too. If you want to judge me, that’s okay. I’m used to people doing that when they get to know the real me.”

I glance at Lilli and Tasha, and they both look away with guilty expressions.

That perfect day I had with Hayato’s family… it’s in ruins now. All I want to do is slink away and forget I ever spent a whole 24 hours in the real world trying and inevitably failing to be normal.

But this is about Jae-Hyun; I tolerate how they’re all looking at me now. For Jae-Hyun, I don’t give up. “Can you just think about it? I drew the exact same picture for both of you, so he must be important. Maybe a family member? Or friend you both had?”

“No, I’m quite sure I’ve never seen this person before,” Norio answers, his tone apologetic.

But behind him, Hayato lets out a visible sigh of relief.

I frown. Why is Hayato acting so relieved? Does he know who this is?

My blood ices over, all the previous guilt falling away as a new realization dawns. Has he known who the person in the sketch was all this time and just refused to tell me?

I open my mouth to ask him exactly that. But then, Norio speaks again.

“The eyes…” Hayato’s brother says, his voice soft and quiet. “He looks nothing like him. But the eyes… they remind me of the caretaker from our factory estate.”

Hayato’s jaw tightens again, just like it did on the roof when I told him no. And my heart once again squeezes tight and painful in my chest just like it did on the roof. But this time, not with guilt. With suspicion.

“You mean the caretaker who turned out to be your biological father?” I ask.

I’m talking to Norio but looking at Hayato.

“Yes, that same caretaker.” Norio shifts uncomfortably. Obviously, his complicated family history isn’t a subject he’s used to talking about with strange women he just met. “But that man is dead. Hayato and I watched our father execute him with our own eyes. So this cannot be him.”

I blink at Norio, then turned my gaze back to Hayato. He is looking away, refusing to meet my questioning gaze.

But he doesn’t have to look at me to answer my next question.

“What aren’t you telling us?” I demand. “Whatever it is, it’s time to tell us the truth. Right now.”

Oh, snap!

What the heck is going on???

What isn’t Hayato telling Kristal and his brother?

Find out in the next episodes of

TWELVE MONTHS OF KRISTAL!

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH

Episode 9

38

For What It’s Worth

KRISTAL

The ninth day of Christmas.

I awake with a start to the sound of someone knocking on the door and “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield playing on a clock radio I didn’t set.

I’m in a bed, large but cold. And unlike the last few mornings I’ve woken up, there’s no sign of Hayato. My first thought is, Where is he?

My second thought makes me wish I hadn’t had the first one. I’m immediately swamped by a terrible, sinking feeling as memories from the day before hit me.

“Please, Hayato. You’ve got to be brave,” I begged him. “Like back at the in Maine. Tell us who the man in this drawing is. Please.”

His face had softened. And I took his hands in mine, believing I had finally convinced him to tell me — to tell all of us what he’d been keeping a secret.

I was so sure of our connection, I decided to forgive him for everything right then and there. After all, who was I to judge? I’d grown up in Santa’s workshop, surrounded by supportive and loving elves like myself. But Hayato had been left to deal with his power all alone. And living in the human world with supernatural powers couldn’t have been easy. Could I blame him for not wanting to share his true nature? Hayato hadn’t had anyone he could trust. Not until me.