"Akari…I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me…"

Akari felt her best friend's arms around her waist as she sat outside the Blacksmith's. She brushed her fingers over the bruise on her cheek. She didn't even care that the heavy downpour was soaking through her clothes and making her shiver. She was too stunned to feel. She couldn't even cry.

"Akari, what happened? Please tell me," Kathy insisted, encouraging her friend with a comforting rub on the back.

Akari peered at Kathy through sullen hazelnut brown eyes. There was no way she could tell her. She loved Owen. He was her best friend. It would only crush her.

"I-it's okay," She managed to stutter. "It was just a misunderstanding. I'm fine."

Kathy's green eyes filled with tears. Akari never expected her to start crying. She was always so upbeat and sunny. The last time Akari had seen Kathy cry was when she was thrown off of a horse and had to spend two weeks in the clinic while her injuries healed. Even then, she would still smile. Not this time. And Akari was relieved she was crying; she didn't think she could handle a pep talk. Kathy grabbed her hand and led her to shelter underneath the Garmon mine's entrance. The two stood there in silence, watching the rain spray from the sky and listening to the water dripping from deep inside the cave.

"He was drinking again, wasn't he?" The blonde whispered.

"Hey, babe!" Owen bellowed from across the mine district. He waved with one gloved hand and clutched in the other was a tall whiskey bottle that sloshed brown liquid on the ground as he ran towards her. Akari winced, knowing that he was probably drunk again. It was getting rare to spend time with him sober. She used to argue with him about his drinking habits and even threatened to break up with him once or twice on occasion. But he knew just the right words to say to mold her like putty. And every time she would forgive him. Akari flashed him a weak smile, which he returned with a goofy, lopsided one.

"Hey, beautiful," he hissed with a faint smell of the earth laced with heavy whiskey on his breath. His face was puffy and red; his rough yet up-kept appearance looked more sluggish than usual. Owen slung a robust arm around her waist and kissed her ear.

"Hi," she squeaked, shifting uncomfortably under the close position they were in. She scanned the area for any of the villagers who could help her out if things got ugly. But the villagers were safely tucked inside their respective shops, warm and sheltered from the rain.

"Let's get out of here. Uncle Ramsey and Chloe are out…" he hinted.

Akari wiggled herself out of his grasp and took a few steps back. Owen was a scary drunk. He was friendly and outgoing, usually, but in his current state of mind he was frighteningly sensual and aggressive. She never knew if she would stumble upon his warm smile or his cold and lustful dark eyes. "Owen, you don't know what you're saying right now…"

"Yeah, I do! Now come on!" He yanked her by the arm and began to drag her into the Blacksmith's.

"Stop, Owen!" She cried. She leaned backwards and attempted to remove his fingers one by one from her forearm. He released her. She lost her footing and landed butt first into a puddle of mud.

"What's your problem, Akari?" He yelled.

She shot up and slapped the mud from her clothes and skin. "You're the one with the problem!" She retorted. She glared at him; her anger was filled up to the brim. "I can't live like this anymore! I—"

SMACK!

Akari toppled to the ground. For a long time she just sat there. It was like her mind was trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally, she lifted her eyes to look at him. His shoulders were heaving up and down, and his palm was still outstretched and trembling. Akari wanted him to pick her up and hug her and apologize over and over again until she was convinced that he'd never hurt her again. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked away.

"Akari?"

Her mind was forced to the present at the sound of Kathy's voice. She felt the onset of tears threatening to break loose, but she blinked them back, refusing to look pathetic in front of her friend. Too late, she thought bitterly. Akari reflected back to the question Kathy had asked her and, swallowing the lump in her throat, whispered her answer, "Yes…"

The waitress promptly stood to her feet. "…I'm going to kill him."

"Kathy , don't!" I pleaded. "Just forget about it, okay?"

Kathy grabbed her wrist. She led her out of the mine and guided her to a cracked mirror outside the cluster of shops in the district. Akari shifted her eyes as soon as Kathy planted her in front of it. "Look at your face."

"Kathy…"

"No, look at it!" She persisted. "Look at it and tell me if I'm going to forget about it."

She closed her eyes before focusing in front of her. A red bruise tarnished her clear complexion. Her left cheek seemed to swell compared to her right and even the raindrops falling on it made it sting and burn. It was like she hadn't felt the intensity of his hit until then. Akari felt exhaustion hit her like freight train, and she just wanted to climb into bed and go to sleep. She hoped she'd never wake up.

"Kathy, I want to go home," she said.

"Let me walk you," Kathy demanded.

"No…no, I just want to be alone."

And with that, she dragged her feet down the long road to her house. Soaked, cold and alone...