The alarm clock tears Nabiki out of her sleep. Reluctantly, she gets up and gets out of bed. You have to get up so early just because of school. Especially today, on her 17th birthday. Tired, she trots to her desk, packs her things in her bag and puts on her school uniform. Then she goes to the bathroom. After she finishes, she goes downstairs in the living room to have breakfast. There she is greeted by her mother Sachiko. "Happy birthday, my dear." "Thanks, Mom." Then she sits down at her favorite spot in front of the table. She pours herself coffee and lights a cigarette. "You absolutely have to smoke it. You know that I have something against it." "Leave it alone, Mom. You know that I won't stop smoking just because you say that. Where is Dad?" " He's out of the house early. He said he still had something to do. "" Oh. "At that moment Akane and Kasumi come to his room."Good morning everyone. And a happy birthday, sister." "Thanks, you two." After the three of them have had breakfast, they leave the house together to go to school. Sachiko remains sitting alone in the living room for a while. Then she walks over to the dojo with a sad face. As she enters, she sees her husband sitting against the wall in front of the small family altar with his back to the door. She walks slowly over to him and sits down next to him. "What was that supposed to mean, Soun? You could at least have congratulated her on her birthday." "What for? If she finds out everything today, that's unnecessary." want like you. "" And why are you telling her then? "" Because she has to find out the truth. We have lied to her for 17 years now. And not only to her, but also to Akane. that Nabiki will find out everything at 17. Or could you lie to her any longer?"" No. I do not think so. " "So what. And will you be there when I tell her? "" No. I don't have the strength to do that. "Without saying another word, Sachiko gets up and leaves the dojo. Soun, on the other hand, remains seated and stares sadly at the wall. When Sachiko is back in the house, she knows her bedroom upstairs. She goes to the small desk, the." stands next to the bed and takes out an envelope. Then she sits down on the bed. She stares at the envelope for a long time. Then she can no longer hold back her tears. The day she was so afraid of, has now come.

A few hours later. Nabiki is sitting in her room and doing her homework when Akane enters the room. "Nabiki, you should come down immediately. Mother would like to speak to you." "Why that?" "No idea. But she sounded very serious. Have you done something?" "Not really." When Nabiki enters the living room, sits her mother already at the table.The envelope lies in front of her. The expression on her face doesn't bode well, Nabiki knows that much. She goes to the table and takes a seat opposite her mother. "So. What do you want to discuss with me?" "What I am telling you now will be difficult for you to understand for the first time. But I ask you to listen to me until the end. So, you are not our daughter , Nabiki. "Nabiki stares at Sachiko in shock. She is so shocked that she doesn't know what to say to it. “You are the daughter of my older sister Akemi.” What! You always said you had no siblings. "" It's all a bit complicated. So please keep listening to me. My sister never got along well with our parents. And at 17 she moved away from home. I haven't heard from her for 6 years after that. We always had a good relationship. But one evening, Kasumi was just 2 years old, she suddenly stood in front of the door. With you his arm. You were just a few weeks old then.You can imagine how surprised I was. She asked me to stay with us for a while. Of course I didn't mind. But I soon realized that something was wrong with her. She was always very nervous and almost never left the house. To me it seemed like someone was following her. But whenever I asked her about it, she just said that there was nothing and that it was basically none of my business. As for your father, she never said anything about him either. Then after a few weeks, she asked me for something that shocked me deeply. She wanted me and Soun to take you in and raise you like our own daughter. Of course, I was against it at first. I shouted angrily at her if she didn't want you and that is why she came to us. For that I caught a slap in the face. I've never seen my sister so angry. She said to me that she loves you more than anything, but that there are circumstances that make it impossible for her to keep you with her.Although I wasn't enthusiastic, I finally agreed because I realized that she would not be able to change her mind. Before she left, she asked me never to tell about her before your 17th birthday. She also gave me a letter because I should give it for your birthday. I don't know what's in it, because it's only meant for you. "Sachiko slowly pushes the letter over to Nabiki. But she doesn't want to know anything about the letter." So you've lied to me all these years. Pretended to be a family that I don't belong to. " "Not all. Kasumi was too old to lie to her. But we never told Akane anything. To this day she believes that you are her biological sister. Please try to understand us. It wasn't easy for me and Soun either. "" I should understand you. How do you imagine that? You lied to me all along. And you can put this letter somewhere else. There'll only be more lies in there.Excuses from an irresponsible woman why she left her child behind. "" You mustn't talk about Akemi like that. She loved them. " "Oh yes. Then why didn't she even get in touch all these years? " "I do not know that. But I am sure there is an answer in the letter. "Angry, Nabiki leaves the room and goes upstairs to her room. She locks the door and lets herself fall on her bed. Sachiko immediately follows her." Nabiki, please open the door. " "Leave me alone. I don't want to hear any more of any of this. "But Sachiko doesn't give up. She pushes the letter under the door and then goes back downstairs. Angry, Nabiki picks up the letter and goes to the wastebasket. But just as she is about to tear the letter apart, she stops. She goes back." to the bed and sits on it, staring at the envelope for a long time, then opening it and taking out the letter.