Hon's frown eased slowly, the anger draining from his face the way a water is being drained— not disappearing, just going somewhere lower, somewhere he was keeping it away from me specifically.
He looked at me for a second, then let the uncle drop and walked over, and when he crouched down in front of me I could still see the edges of it in his jaw, the way he was holding his hands steady on purpose… well, I understand him since I'm not dumb…
"Shiori," he said. "Do you know them?"
"Yes."
"Yeah?"
"Yes." I looked at the floor. "They're the mean uncles. When I still lived with Mom and Dad they used to come and take half our rations every week. That's why I always get scolded. Because there wasn't enough after." I pressed my lips together. "I just thought... if I gave it quietly it would be okay."
Hon stood up.
