Judgment

Sae sat the bento on Goro’s desk and smiled at him. Good morning, Akechi-kun; sorry I’m late. She had managed to oversleep that morning or once. Then again, she supposed that’s what she got for staying up late to watch that movie with Makoto and the thought only made her smile warm further. Her smile vanished, though, when he didn’t respond. He tended to be a creature of habit, so she’d learned to expect even a small nod out of him. She’d gotten to know him decently well over the past several months, so it was strange for him to not acknowledge her. He was extremely absorbed in his work as always, but moreso than normal. What was going on? She moved her hands a bit closer to him, though not so close to startle or make him feel threatened. Akechi-kun? She finally saw his eyes turn toward him. He kept his face down, though, but she just gave him a soft smile. Good morning. She was thankful she’d picked up JSL for the rare witness that couldn’t speak since it helped put him more at ease. He hesitated for a long moment before he reluctantly turned to face her to respond. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw the makeup. Good morning, Nijima-san. His hands shook and his movements were so small she could barely understand him. What had happened? Who had done this to him? He lived on his own, so who…? How…? She held her hand out to him and he nodded. As usual, he closed his eyes and leaned into the affectionate gesture. She’d seen plenty of people starved for physical affection, but this reached new heights. Even something as simple as a pat on the head seemed to mean the world to him. She went over to her purse and retrieved her make up case, pulling her chair along with her. If you’d like a few pointers on how to blend more naturally, I can help you. Plus, the colors don’t match your complexion very well. Akechi gave a small nod and Sae set to work, her touch just firm enough so that she could work. His eyes were owlishly wide, but he trusted her enough by this point to know she wouldn’t hurt him. To help take his mind off it, she started explaining how to properly apply makeup and make it blend. It took every bit of self-control to remain calm when she removed it and saw the extent of the bruising. Whoever had done this had done it intentionally and maliciously. A nasty black ring covered his eye, the imprint of a hand on his cheek down to the fingertips that trailed all the way down to his chin… Anger welled inside her but she remained calm and warm with him. Yelling would only make things worse for the poor boy which was the last thing he needed. But just who could hurt such a sweet child? She just…didn’t understand. “All done.” She took out her compact and he looked at his reflection, a bit awestruck, and she couldn’t help but smile a little at the childlike expression on his face. Even if it was awful why he had that look, seeing him genuinely happy always warmed her heart a little. “If you’d like, I could take you shopping after we get done today.” She had a feeling there wasn’t much she could do about his situation but she’d help where she could. Akechi gave a small nod and he closed the compact, handing it back to her. The childlike smile changed to a small, grateful one. She held her hand out again and he nodded, his expression growing somewhat content as she patted his head. She might not be able to do much about his situation, but she could at least make his life a little easier and brighter where she could.