tw: parental death + workplace neglect (not blurred out)
[name_f]Ayame[/name_f] Routon-Iida (24) is Sakura’s older sister and the eldest of the sibset, who’s easily identifiable on account of her double barrel surname, unlike the others. Unsurprisingly, Ayame’s surname comes from her late father, who passed away when she was only a month old after developing a sudden, aggressive form of skin cancer that turned out to stem from unsafe materials being used in his workplace - an incident that caused a huge scandal and led to his employers going bankrupt after surviving employees and the relatives of deceased one’s banded together to take them to court. This is what inspired [name_f]Ayame[/name_f] to pursue a career in law herself, specifically workplace advocacy and the rights of employees to safe environments; having now gained her degree and being accepted into her first apprentice role at a respected firm.
She’s just moved into her own place, after saving up from her job at an organic deli - which she was sad to quit upon being offered her placement - and lives with three friends, one of whom still works at the shop and keeps her update on the gossip regarding other employees and customers. Their small house is only a 25 minute walk away from where her parents’ home is and she goes to visit at least once a week, often bringing some homemade bread - as one of her good friends’ got her a machine for [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] thanks to how notably picky she is when it comes to loaves she buys, a source of several in-jokes she’s fine with.
In particular, [name_f]Ayame[/name_f] has a close relationship with her 16 year old sister as she admittedly was a little envious when [name_f]Sakura[/name_f] was born - albeit not to the same extent as she was 5, whereas her sister was 8; and she also was uncertain about gaining a stepdad, after having almost 4 years of it just being her and her mom. Her reaction was more drawing into herself at first and giving him the silent treatment instead of fighting, however as Ayame’s grown older, her stepfather has become her dad in every emotional sense, and they’re incredibly close even now. He’s never tried to replace or make her forget her biological dad though, and she sees her paternal family frequently as they live in the same state, often spending part of her holiday with her cousins, aunts and uncle, with the two families having get-together’s when it works for everyone.