"I'd like to personally welcome you back, and if there is anything at all we can do to help you get back into the groove of things, please don't hesitate to let us know. All of your instructors have been informed of your situation and I even ordered a mandatory workshop for all the staff and administration on counseling and trauma." The school assistant principal smiles kindly at Yuzu who seems very closed off and nervous.
The administration decided that it'd be better if Yuzu met with the female assistant principal, rather than the awkward, slightly out of touch, male principal- who would usually handle things of this magnitude.
"How are you feeling this morning?" The assistant principal leans forward slightly.
"I- I guess I'm alright." Yuzu's voice is just above a whisper.
"That's a start." The assistant smiles. "If at any time during the day you don't feel well, just excuse yourself. We've sat all your instructors down and they have no problem with it." She says gently. "We're here to help, Yuzu."
"Do they all know…" Yuzu doesn't know how to form the question. "What happened to me?" That I was raped by a monster living inside my best friend? That my coverup ending up exposing all of this in the first place? That i'm still crumbling to pieces but have to act like I'm not?
"No details about what happened have been shared. It's strictly need to know and that is at your discretion alone. They were just informed that a traumatic incident occurred and that you should be given privacy and patience in your first few weeks back from recovering."
"Thank you." Yuzu nods. This news is actually a lot better than what she was expecting. It sounds like the really are trying. Yuzu is impressed but also incredibly grateful. Having even more people find out about all of this would be the most embarrassing thing ever. She would just feel more ashamed about what happened.
The first morning bell rings.
"Let's get you to class." The assistant principal stands and straightens out her jacket.
Yuzu slowly stands and zips up her sweater.
"It was good of your friend to keep you caught up with the homework and lessons." The assistant principal attempts to make small talk as they walk to the classroom.
"Yeah." Yuzu wishes they could just walk in silence so she can mentally prepare herself. "Now i'm not too far behind."
"Yes, I know catching up can be a struggle-"
"But Yuya made sure I got through it." She feels like she may sound rude, but Yuzu really needs a moment of quiet.
The assistant principal catches on, much to Yuzu's relief. The rest of the walk is spent in silence.
"Like I said before, if there's anything you need just let any of your instructors know. Good luck, and welcome back!" The assistant principal smiles kindly at Yuzu once they reach the classroom.
"Thanks for all your help." Yuzu attempts to smile before basically running into the classroom.
"Welcome back, Yuzu." Her instructor smiles warmly at her.
"Good to be back, sensei." She bows slightly. Yuzu walks to her normal seat and is not surprised to hear her classmates whispering among themselves. She's assuming the students don't know much, but they probably have enough information to formulate their own ideas. Being gone for a month means their stories are probably even more wild than the actual truth. Her talks with Yoko have prepared her for this. They don't matter. They're not important. So what they say means nothing. They'll stop once they realize it has no effect on her.
When she finally takes her seat she notices Yuya isn't in his regular spot next to her. Late as usual, she rolls her eyes. Just as she completes her internal chuckle Yuya comes stumbling through the door.
"Good of you to join us, Yuya." The instructor doesn't even look away from the board. Yuya just smiles sheepishly and proceeds to take his seat. His face lights up when he notices Yuzu waving at him.
She feels a warm comfort settle deep within her when he smiles at her. He'll be what gets her through today- she imagines. She hopes.
"Now that Sakaki has graced us with his presence, let's begin, shall we?" The instructor runs through today's agenda and starts the lesson.
Lunch time. She feels tired, but alright so far. Yuya has been a great help. He's answered all of her school questions and has asked how she's doing throughout the day. She feels so much better with him by her side.
"Hey, come on I wanna show you something." Yuya holds his hand out for Yuzu to take. "Me and Gongenzaka found this cool new spot on campus where we can eat and hang out." Yuya feels Yuzu squeeze his hand slightly and although she tags along, she wears a nervous expression. Yuya slows the pace slightly.
"Everything okay?" He asks as he leads her past the tables outside the cafeteria.
"Mmhm." She nods.
"This spot we found is a little quieter. I think some time away from the noise might help a bit." Yuya suggests. He hasn't failed to notice all the trash fellow schoolmates have been talking about his friend.
Again, Yuzu just nods.
"Hey." They slow to a stop, just far enough out of anyone's hearing range. "If anything was wrong, you'd tell me, right?" He speaks softly, and isn't offended when she won't make eye contact.
Yuzu takes a deep breath. She trusts him. She needs him. He's made this day so much easier.
"I- I would." Yuzu finally answers. "I'm… I'm just tired."
"All this stuff people are saying, is it bothering you at all?"
"Not really, I guess. I figured people would have their own theories as to why I've been gone." Yuzu shrugs. "I don't care… I have enough to worry about. I think as long as you're here and," she touches her new pendant. "I remember to smile, I'll be alright."
Yuya just smiles and continues walking again, their hands still joined. "I think you'll like this." He picks up the pace.
They arrive at a field near the south end of the school, a little ways from the outdoor cafeteria seating. Gongenzaka is sitting on a picnic blanket practically in the center of the large field, away from all the trees on the edge which could provide shade.
"Good to see you again, Yuzu. Pray you're doing well." Gongenzaka has always been formal. Yuzu stopped questioning it a long time ago.
"Hey! It's been a while." She hugs the beefy teenager. "This is a nice little setup you boys have here." Yuzu sits down on the blanket.
"Well, I was thinking since the cold bothers you and it was a warm and sunny day that we'd take advantage and come out here for a little bit." Yuya explains as he sits next to her.
"Here, close your eyes and lean back a little." He instructs. Yuzu slowly obliges. She feels it. The warmth of the sun hitting her face and neck. It feels amazing.
Yuzu leans back further and unzips her sweater slightly to feel more of the natural heat.
"This is great, Yuya." She says quietly. "It's just what I needed. Thank you." She opens her eyes just long enough to see him smile lovingly at her. She closes them again when the blush hits her cheeks.
"Hey, Yuzu?" Yuya asks her after a few more minutes of her basking in the sun.
"Hmmm?"
"Where's your lunch?"
"What?"
"Your lunch. I just noticed, you didn't bring anything."
Yuzu hesitates before answering. "Oh, Um… Well it looks like I left it in my locker with my backpack." She shrugs to make the lie seem more natural. "But that's alright, I'm not really hungry." Yuzu told her father she had packed her own lunch, when in truth she brought nothing at all. She didn't imagine she'd make it this far in the day. And even if she did, Yuzu didn't think she'd have room for anything but butterflies.
"Are you sure? My mom must be able to predict the future because she packed all this extra stuff and left this note saying…" He holds up a piece of paper. "Make sure she eats, I'll know if she doesn't."
"Oh…"
"Here, she made a lot for you to choose from." Yuya hands her his lunchbox. He should have known his mother packed extra when she sent him off with this walking fridge of a lunchbox. Since he was running a little later than usual, he didn't really have time to question it.
"You know she'll probably kill me if she finds out you didn't eat." He reminds Yuzu. "At least try something."
Yuzu heaves a deep sigh. "Alright."
"If you like, Yuzu, I'll split something with you." Gongenzaka suggests. He used to do this when Yuya wouldn't eat. It worked very well, and Yoko still thanks Gongenzaka to this day for his help.
"Actually, yeah I would like that, thanks." Yuzu smiles. "And don't worry, Yuya, I'll let auntie know that you didn't let me starve."
"Much appreciated." Yuya nods.
"Thanks so much for this, guys. I was pretty low by the time we hit lunch and this really cheered me up." Yuzu thanks her friends as they walk back towards the school.
"When one of us is hurt, we all hurt. When one needs friends, we're all here." Gongenzaka announces.
"Exactly." Yuya agrees. "We're here for you no matter what."
"You guys are the best." Yuzu smiles at her two awesome friends and takes their hands as they continue walking. This is the best she's felt in such a long time. For the first time in so long, she feels warmth not just around her but inside herself as well. Warmth that can only be felt when she's with these two special people.
"How was the whore, guys?"
The warmth disappears.
A random boy- an older student by the looks of it- who Yuzu doesn't recognize is standing near the cafeteria entrance with a group of people who she can assume are his friends.
She just tries to keep walking.
"Come on, Hiragi. During school? Weren't you afraid of getting caught doing something so nasty?" The boy chides. His friends all snicker as though no one can tell they're laughing.
"Keep your mouth shut." Yuya glares at the boy. "You don't know what you're talking about." He starts to guide Yuzu away, toward the front of the school.
"I bet you didn't even take turns. I bet you both did her at once, Cuz she likes it rough."
"That's enough!" Gongenzaka yells and approaches the boy with unknown intentions.
"You will say no more to slander Yuzu." He orders. "Or you'll have me to deal with." His voice lowers as he towers over the boy. He rejoins Yuya and Yuzu and they start to walk away again.
"So Yuya did you take her from behind this time?" The boy can't seem to help himself as he makes these hideous remarks. He really thinks this is funny. The idiot must not have realized Yuzu was raped. There's no other reason he could be so cruel. That is… Unless he finds rape a funny topic.
The question makes Yuzu stop in her tracks. She turns around and finally faces this boy.
"You better back off before I make you back off." Yuya threatens and even starts toward the older boy. His eyes dark with anger. Yuzu won't let Yuya sully his hands. He's too good a person to get mixed up in this. But Yuzu is not. She grabs Yuya's arm and pulls him back. She holds onto him with trembling hands. Her eyes never leave the older boy.
The student and his friends don't fail to notice how the color has drained completely from Yuzu's face. They can see the pain in her expression.
"Yuzu?" She can't hear Yuya or Gongenzaka as they try to grab her attention so they can leave. She continues to stare at the boy making the comments until he is clearly uncomfortable- and then she continues to stare.
No one expects for her to take off running in his direction, Yuya least of all. No one is prepared when Yuzu tackles the boy to the ground and tries with all her might to kill him. She claws at his eyes. She punches anything she can touch or see. She tries her best to choke the life out of him.
Yuzu continues to beat up the completely shocked boy until he gets over the shock and gains some momentum. The two roll over and now Yuzu is on her back. She still tries her best to hurt him. The boy punches Yuzu in the eye in an effort to stop or at least somewhat slow her. Yuzu hardly reacts. She forces them to roll over once again so she can attempt to strangle him.
Gongenzaka finally manages to pull her off and the recently arrived security guards pull the boy away.
"I'll kill him! I'll kill him!" Yuzu shouts. She's never been this angry. Never in her short life. Yuzu normally doesn't have a very long fuse to begin with, but something like this wouldn't have fazed her. She wouldn't have been furious enough to try and kill someone.
The boy is taken away by school security, battered and bloody.
"Crazy whore!" He shouts.
Yuzu tries once again to lunge for him but is stopped when Gongenzaka grabs her arms. The boy shrieks and runs inside the school.
"Coward!" Yuzu yells at him. "Coward!" Her voice is shrill and louder than she's ever heard herself.
"Yuzu, enough!" Gongenzaka yells. "Let's go." He leads her away. She turns back toward the cafeteria but is gently pushed forward. "It's over."
Yuya is still speechless. Of all things that could have been said to her, he didn't think a stupid question like that would have set Yuzu off. It was a foul and ignorant question, yes. But he had just called Yuzu a whore. If anything, why didn't that make her more upset? When she pulled Yuya back, he thought it was so they could all just walk away together and avoid a fight. Yet… She's the one who went off. He was ready to fight this battle for her. But Yuya can't remember a time when Yuzu has let him do that.
He's still just… so confused. Confused and surprised. She's been so quiet and withdrawn. Yuya didn't think he'd watch her try to kill someone on her first day back.
"Tell the principal I went home." Yuzu mumbles.
"Yuzu hold-"
"Just tell him I left! I'm going home!" She cuts Yuya off and storms away. "Don't follow me." She says without turning back.
She starts running after she is off school property. She runs and runs and when she's tired she keeps running. She runs past you-show, past yuya's house, past her own- Yuzu runs until she is out of street to run on.
She falls to her knees and digs her fingers into the sand.
It's when she's at the beach that Yuzu allows herself to cry. She allows herself to panic. She allows the sorrow and the pain in her heart to take over. She can feel the tears leaking from her slowly swelling eye. It still doesn't hurt.
What just happened?
Why did he say that?
You know he's ignorant.
You know he couldn't have been serious.
No one knows.
Yuya still doesn't know.
No one can ever know.
Why did he say that?
Yuzu curls up on her side and hugs her knees to her chest.
Why did he say that?