A/N: I know this is a short chapter, I'll be updating very soon!
xXxXOuTcAsTXxXx: I am very sorry to hear that, it must be painful for you to have to go through this. But I know people who had been in Institutions before and have come out much stronger.
FFReader17: thank you!
Abendkater: I'm also sorry to hear that, I do hope that you get through it. Thank you for your review
….
"Okay guys, it's time for school session," Miss Aya blissfully said. The girls got out of their seat and formed a line, Mio did the same. They walked to another hallway and reached another room and on the front it said 'school' on it. Mio anxiously bit her fingertips. She thought she had escaped the pressure of school by now. Once they entered, Mio looked for her seat and sat down between Azusa and Ritsu.
"Look, Mio, just take your time with this assignment, no pressure. Okay? Even if you don't finish, that's okay. This is just so you don't get left behind in school when you go back," Miss Aya comfortingly talked to Mio.
"Ah, okay," but Mio wasn't convinced; she could feel her heart beating faster already.
"If you have any questions, or if you can't do it, just let me know. And I'll have you do something much easier, okay?"
"Okay," Mio answered. Mio looked at the assignment she had: history.
Okay. I can't handle this. Breathe. Just breathe.
"The hell with this!" Azusa scowled.
"Azusa, is there a problem?" Miss Aya asked; her voice turned strict.
"Yea, there's a problem. I don't want to do this anymore. Why is there school in such a place like this!" Azusa yelled.
"If you don't want to do it anymore, you can take a break, and I can assign you another assignment," Miss Aya calmly said. "Haven't I explained that before?"
"Yeah, but there's no point at all, this isn't going to make me any better!" Azusa screamed, almost tearing up. "School's not the answer."
Mio started breathing heavily, affected by what Azusa said.
"Look, you're disturbing the other kids, why don't you take a time-out?"
Azusa got up her seat and walked away, leaving the classroom.
"I can't," Mio started saying. "I can't do this."
"Is there something wrong?" Miss Aya's voice turned soft.
"It's just…I can't," Mio couldn't get it out; she started tearing up and eventually started crying.
"Oh, honey," Miss Aya said. "Here, maybe you're not ready for 'school' just yet; do you need to talk to someone?"
"No," Mio sniffed.
"Here, I'll get someone," Miss Aya hurriedly called one of the therapists of the Institution. "Yes, she's not feeling so well. Yes, please."
"I'm fine, I'm just like this all the time," Mio tried to explain, still crying her eyes out. Mugi couldn't help but feel bad for Mio, she wished she could do something for her. As for Yui, she was focused on writing the word 'Watching' on a lined paper repeatedly. Ritsu had a lot of schoolwork on her desk, all unfinished. She was trying to do them all at the same time.
"Mio?" Mr. Sayan looked around the room.
"Here he is, go with him, he'll help you," Miss Aya smiled at her.
"I'm sorry," Mio whispered.
"Aw, don't be," Miss Aya said.
Mio went with Mr. Sayan to another room as Miss Aya advised Ritsu to focus on just one assignment but Ritsu just stuck her tongue at her.
"Tell me what happened."
"I just…." Mio trailed off. "I just can't handle schoolwork."
"Is the pressure too much for you?"
Mio nodded.
"Where is this pressure coming from? Is it from your parents?"
"No, not really, it's more from me."
"Why put pressure on yourself?" Mr. Sayan asked Mio.
"I want me to be proud of myself. I want to be good at something," Mio truthfully answered.
"Listen, Mio, the only reason people want themselves to be proud of them is because they lack self-esteem. Did you know that? Well, now we have to work on your self-confidence. What is it that you like about yourself?"
"I don't know."
"Come on, there must be something."
"Well, I don't want to sound conceited."
"Telling what you like about yourself and boasting about it are two different things, you know."
"I like my voice…when I sing," Mio blushed.
"There you go!"
Mr. Sayan sighed. "Depression isn't easy. And a lot of people don't believe in depression existing. And I'm here to tell you that I do believe. And I'm here to tell you that this isn't going to be easy. And it's going to take time. But you are going to get through this. You can handle this. Do you understand?
For some reason, Mio nodded and somewhat believed him. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. No one had ever told her before that she can handle this. All her life she's been telling herself that she can't handle it, now comes a person that tells her she can and maybe soon, she can believe it.