Mori Estate is the biggest land property in the town of Hanabi. Although it's the biggest, ironically, 3 people only own it.
July 6, 20XX
All the staff from the estate gather wearing black attire, all of them wearing sad expressions and even crying. But there is one kid who can't feel anything, even if he wants to. Staff are slowly looking at the kid because their young master is wearing black funeral attire with a cute bear-head costume, concealing his face.
"Young Master!" a kid in maid attire named Katie calls him. "Please remove the bear-head costume if you want to go visit your parents' grave!" Katie pleads.
Although the young master wants to do it. He can't help but be insecure about what people may think if he doesn't cry; he doesn't like it when people always judge him as a cold psychopathic kid.
The main butler, Sebastian, taps Katie's shoulder and smiles sadly. "Let the young master wear it, Katie. Perhaps the young master doesn't want us to see him crying."
"But... What do you mean by that?" Katie asks, glancing to her young master standing in front of his parents' grave.
"Well, we have different ways of coping and grieving..."
"Young Master has no one by his side now; the best way we can do it is to make him feel he is not alone and we are here for Young Master." Sebastian nods to Katie, signaling her to go after him.
As the people start to leave, Katie walks towards her young master.
"Young master..." She looks at him with sadness in her eyes, thinking that he might be crying inside the bear mask.
Katie, being a good maid for him and a friend, takes out her little plushie bear and gives it to him. "Here..."
"What's that for?" he asks.
"I don't have parents like the young master, so I don't know how badly it hurts."
"But hugging Mr. Bear when I feel sad makes it a little better!" She smiles. "You might think you are alone, but everyone here cares for you, Young Master!
"Even you?" he asks, taking the bear plushie.
"Mhm! I care for young master!" Katie smiles brightly. With that smile, the young master starts to feel some warmth and butterflies in his stomach and understand Katie's emotion is contagious. He feels a little happy even though he knows he is kind of empty. He starts craving to feel emotions.
"I like your smile," he said, out of the blue. Katie was taken aback and felt a little more embarrassed.
"Will you teach me how to smile brightly like you do?"
Katie giggles and nods. "Of course—"
AFTER 3 YEARS
Young Master, 13 years old.
Katie is is 12 years old.
Katie is sitting on the ground, so shocked she can't even move. All she has is the horrified expression on her face.
London Bridge is falling down. 🎶
Young Master started singing and stabbed the white rat's neck using a box cutter.
Falling down, falling down 🎶
While he sings, he also moves the box cutter in a slicing motion to cut the neck of the rat. Him and Katie hear the wail of it while oozing some saliva.
London Bridge is falling down. 🎶
Blood splatter on his study table. Meanwhile, Katie was forced to look at how he murdered her pet.
My fair lady 🎶
He quickly finished cutting the neck and stopped singing.
Katie starts crying and shaking.
Young Master looked back at Katie. "Look, Katie! I ended his suffering... Now, let me see that bright smile again!" He dropped his box cutter to his study table and went to her, wiping her tears.
"Where is it? Why can't I see that bright smile anymore?"
"Why do you never smile like that to me anymore after that rat became your pet?" He looked at her crying face; he suddenly felt a sharp sting from his chest. It was so painful he felt like crying. Turns out he realized it was Katie's crying face doing.
"Why...?"
"Why are you crying?" he asks, clutching his chest.
Katie collected her strength to answer, "It was your gift for me, young master; that's why it hurts seeing you killing it."
"But that white rat got infected with rabies!"
"It could harm you—!" he got cut off by Katie.
"But you don't need to kill him like that!" Katie's expression becomes hurt and angry, making him feel more pain from his chest.
"It has to be killed!"
"Theres must be another way!" she argues. "You don't kill animals just like that!"
"I killed it because you lied to me, Katie!"
Katie stops, confused by what he is saying right now. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"You said you will be by my side..."
"I am!" she replies.
"No, you're not; you're always with that pet of yours."
He sits on his toes facing her, touching her strands of hair on her cheeks. "Katie, you draw emotion out of me..." He smiles and wraps his hands around Katie's neck. "That's why you are special to me" He was about to grip his hand, but he stopped suddenly.
"Young...Master..." Katie said, crying and trying to pry open his hands. Again, through Katie's state, he felt pain as if piercing through his chest.
FAST FORWARD TO 8 YEARS.
Young master 21 years old
4th year college
The young master is holding a small wooden keychain; it was knotted to his phone case. The bear wood has a name carved at the back. It's "Katie."
"Young master, the car is ready," the main butler Sebastian said. His hair is now all white and old now.
The young master puts his phone in his pocket and takes his plain black school bag and slings it to his right shoulder. Stepping inside the back seat.
Sebastian bows. "Have fun on your first day as a 4th-year college student!" he cheerfully smiles.