A/N: I actually wrote this like 8-10 months and forgot to post it until now so it's clearly not in line with my current level of writing, I apologise. This could be considered a sequel to Chapter 32: Plummeting Star, or read on its own, it's up to you.

Cure Narrative 47: Shackles

Season: Hugtto Precure

Character: Homare K.

Summary: Sometimes all that an obstacle does is deter your courage.

Italics: thoughts

Bold+italics: ?

(Homare's POV)

It had been weeks after the 'incident', since I plummeted from the sky.

It felt good to walk again.

How very thrilling! After seven long weeks, I can finally move around again, finally freed from that pure white cast which was nothing but a shackle stained with black despair for me.

Oh how I had longed to be freed, now it was all in the past!

I was a star, I was meant to burn! And from now on, I will regain all the brilliance I once had.

"We'll be doing hurdling in this lesson," our PE teacher told us today.

A perfect first step after removing the cast. Hurdling requires speed, balance, flexibility and jumping ability, all of which I polished through my years of experience in figure skating.

Proudly I sprinted towards the practice hurdle, it was set pretty low today, this was gonna be easy.

"No, don't! Don't jump!"

A voice screamed in my ear.

Ridiculous. Of course I'm gonna jump.

"What are you going to do if you fall again?!"

I halted, less than a step away from the hurdle.

—!?

My legs refused to budge, as if they were nailed to the ground.

"Hey, Kagayaki-san! You okay?" One of my classmates yelled.

"Ah, sorry," I returned to the back of the class to queue up again.

I guess my legs are still getting used to it.

It was my turn again.

I sprinted.

"You don't want to get hurt again, do you?"

I stopped.

Argh! Again!

"You don't want to feel that pain, that disappointment, that despair again, do you?"

AGAIN!

"You don't have to try so hard anymore."

Again.

"Why return to the sky if you're just going to fall down again anyway?"

Aga...

No.

I can't.

I fell to my knees in front of the hurdle. Once again I took notice of how tiny of an obstacle it was.

And yet I feared conquering it.

"Kagayaki-san! What's wrong!? Is your leg still hurting!?"

"Sensei! Please come!"

"Can you stand? Come on, give me your hand."

I just sat there and clutched my head, for the voice didn't stop.

"Even if your leg is healed, you are still incapable of taking this leap!"

"Even if your shackle is removed, you are still unable to be free!"

"Even if so much time has passed, you are not going to become a star anymore!"

"You're a failure! You're a disappointment! You're worthless, unable to overcome such a tiny hurdle!"

Screw it!

I punched the ground as my tears poured out.

I thought I had been freed, only to find that I was still shackled...

...by myself.

End of Chapter 47