Edgy Warning 3.0: 18+ Contains mature subject matter; Language, Statutory rape, Graphic scenes, Bullying, and Self-hate.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona in any way, shape, form, or size. One can only dream…right?
A/N: Before I begin, I would like to thank Miss Hanamura, for pointing out the grammatical errors from chapter 1. I'm almost positive the rape scene from the first chapter discouraged a lot of readers, but if you would kindly, please review, favorite, follow, whatever your heart desires. And with that being said, please enjoy this segment of "The Pride Of The Town". Thank you.
The Pride Of The Town
By: Screaming With Your Mouth Shut
Chapter 2: The Amagi Dispute
It was a rather quiet night at the Inn. All the guest were all happily passed out, a sure sign. It had been a good day for the Inn, business went smoothly, everyone seemed satisfied, no one was over worked. Well, not exactly everyone...
I must keep it a secret...
The black-haired girl stood inside the stream of water. She had her hands grasped together in front of her stomach, her head was bowed, and her bangs lazily covered her face. Every now and then, a sniffle or a soft sob would escape from the young girl. She untangled her hands, and slowly brought them up to her face. They were still trembling like crazy, as she studied her hands, from the palms, all the way to her fingertips.
Disgusting.
She took one hand, and began scratching at the skin of her arm...
I must keep everything a secret...
The black-haired girl scratched at her arm a little more violently, as if she could see an invisible layer of filth. She sobbed even harder, as she scratched at her arm with more vigor then before, this time digging her nails into her skin, causing her arm to start bleeding. As if on instinct, she lifted her now injured arm into the stream of water, and watched as the blood washed itself away through her bangs.
I have to keep it all a secret, nobody must know...
She gently rocked herself back and forth, while clutching her bleeding arm tightly to her chest, as she lost to another onslaught of tears.
It never happened...
Yukiko Amagi woke up to the usual sound of her alarm clock. Shooting a hand out from under the covers, she dully met with the infernal object, silencing it with a swift slam of her fist. After taking a couple of seconds to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she propped herself up with her elbow, the sheets clinging to her petite frame rather nicely.
True be told though, she didn't even gain an ounce of sleep.
Spending a majority of the night tossing and turning, desperately trying to disregard what had happened in the bath house the night before, but no matter what she did, every time her eye lids met, she would see light flashes, of the man, the grunting, the pain, the blood, everything...
She didn't know how many times she had gotten up from the middle of the night to check the locks on both her bedroom door and window. How many times she would fumble around her nightstand for her phone, to illuminate the room around her. How she would finally feel like she would fall unconscious, only to snap out of the sleep induced daze, to find a warm puddle that slicked along her legs and pooled at the bottom of the underwear. She would frown each time a massive bloodstain would appear across the crotch of her underwear, discarding one pair, two pairs, three pairs, until she was certain there were only a few left in her drawer. Every thirty of so minutes, she would get up anyway, finding herself shoving more tissue inside of her to suppress the bleeding. She almost thought about skipping school. Almost.
Her mother probably wouldn't allow it. And it wasn't like she could tell her why anyways, neither was she good at making up stories. She had no choice but to roll with the flow, remembering her newly adopted mantra; 'I must keep everything a secret'.
Gathering some undergarments, and her previously warn school uniform, she opted to reach the shower as quietly as possible...
...only to find herself stopping in front of her door. She couldn't. She couldn't! Not with that man still walking freely. Besides, what if the rest of the residents heard them?! What if her parents heard her! She was sure she was moaning like a whore, loud enough to atleast wake up half of the neighborhood. She couldn't. She wouldn't. She would not dare, face them, anyone. No one.
I could fake feeling sick...
But as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, she look so lifeless, so distant and pale. That was how she always looked, only this time she realized it.
Okay Yukiko, you can do this...
you can do this...
you can...
...
I can't...
I can't do it!
She didn't even take the times to register the tears that had begun streaming down her face. Images of the old man creeping into her mind, one of him waiting in the shower, one of him outside her door, her closet...
She gasped. Dropping her uniform and undergarments onto the floor with a light 'thud', she raced over to her closet door, a hand already laying apon the knob. He's in there! Run away! He's waiting for you!
She quickly let go of the door knob, backing away from her closet slowly, until she landed into the foot of her bed. The banging noise her foot made when it made contact with the frame sent her over the edge.
"W-who's there!"
Her eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to find something out of the ordinary. She was being historical, and she knew it. Could she help it? She didn't know! She was mentally screaming at herself to calm down and go get ready. C'mon Yukiko, theres nothing to fear... she told herself cautiously.
...
"L-LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed to no one in particular. Quickly bringing a hand to cover her mouth, she shuddered from under her breath, panting slightly from behind her hand.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sudden knocking had caused the poor girl to jump out of her skin, nearly wetting herself, a cruel reminder that she still needed to pee, as she starred down at her bedroom door, waiting for the inevitable for when the old man came to take her once more. She had unconsciously found herself backing away into the farthest corner of her room, whimpering like a scared puppy. How would she go about it this time? Would he be gentle, or will he hurt her even more then she already is? A million different questions were racing through the back-haired heiress's mind, as all of her doubt and fear painted itself onto the door of her bedroom.
"Yuki, Yuki-chan, are you alright? I heard a scream while I was cleaning the room down the hall. Did something happen?"
It was her mother, not noticing the absolute sheer sadness and fear in her voice, she immediately scolded herself from letting her anxieties get the better of her.
...Get it together Yukiko...
"Yukiko... could you please answer my question? Are you okay?"
No... I'm not okay...
"I-I'm fine m-mother... I just... saw a b-bug on the window..."
The black-haired heiress crossed her fingers and prayed that her mother bought the extremely lame excuse. On the other side of the door, Yukiko's mother was covering her mouth with her hand, while stifling the obscure shudder or sniffle that had threatened to escape her lips. Her other hand was absently tracing the wood grains of the door with the ends of her fingertips.
She didn't want to believe it were true, no, she refused to. That isn't my daughter... she would constantly tell herself, it had been her mantra since she had woken up this morning. After receiving multiple e-mails from family and local officials, pointing to some website that had supposedly 'provocative' images of her beloved daughter. 'But it wasn't her daughter!' she kept reminding herself. It may of looked like her but it wasn't. Deep in her heart, she knew Yukiko wasn't the type of person...
...to pose nude images of herself over the internet.
Her words continued echoing in her head, over, and over, and over again.
Leave me alone...
Leave me alone...
Leave me alone...
She had to clamp her hand tighter around her mouth, suppressing the immense wave of sadness the had crept its way up her throat. She wasn't stupid, it was the middle of April, no insects off sorts come around till at least May. But that only seemed to strengthen the claim even more.
She could shake her head as much as she wanted...
Scream out into the cool morning sky...
Pound her fists into the hard drywall for hours on end...
And some how convince herself that this was all her fault...
...but it would never change the fact that deep down, she knew those pictures of were her precious daughter.
Yukiko was finally nearing the entrance of Yasogami High with great difficulty. The pain that existed in between her thighs had deemed it very uncomfortable, and had resorted to "penguin walking" for most of the trip. After an extremely concerning, and almost scary encounter with her mother, who was sprawled out over the hallway floor near her bedroom, crying her eyes out, begging to and whispering something about it "not being true." She honestly didn't know what to think, a part of her wanted to stay and comfort her mother, while another part of her told her to run away. So she did just that.
She knew it was wrong for her to just abandon her at a time of need, and a part of herwanted to feel bad for. But how could she. That stupid bitch wasn't there when she needed it. She wasn't there to help her, while some old man violently fucked her brains out. Why in the world would she help her?! The though had eventually dawned onto her. She was never there for her. Never!
Grimly walking passed the front gates, she kept her head bowed, protecting her from any eye contact or confrontation that might possibly come her way. But it didn't protect her from the whispers from various students that circulated around her.
"Hey, isn't that the girl who's pictures got all over the internet?"
"Oh-ho-ho man, have you seen her tits? They're everything you would imagine!"
"Damn shes such a whore, I didn't know it was that easy to get with her."
W-what...
Her pace quickened significantly as she felt the eyes of several students fall onto her moving form. Where they talking about her? She begged that they weren't talking about her.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the school slut, Yukiko Amagi. I guess that famed "Amagi Challenge", really wasn't much of a challenge after all wasn't it? You little skank!"
She felt herself being shoved into a set of shoe lockers, the forcing making her head jolt sideways, slamming into the steel head first, while her book beg exploded into a frenzy of textbooks, and note paper, which had scattered itself all over the ground. She didn't know what was going on! The hit to the head had managed to obscure her vision, while the voice sounded a little familiar. But without a body, she wouldn't be able to match the voice with who she believed it was. Instead, she resorted to panicking.
Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.
"So, how are you feeling today, Slut-chan?"
Opening her eyes had been a very strenuous task, but it didn't go without rewards. Ai Ebihara, and her little clique of friends. All of them surrounding the black haired girls fallen figure, each wearing an expression of both hatred and disgust.
Why... how could they-
"Hey! Leave the poor girl alone! All of you, get to class, shoo!"
This voice was also familiar, but sounded much older and more mature. Her eyes were met with the annoyed expression that had crossed Ai and her friends features.
"Don't even think for a second your getting out of this, Slut-chan."
Giving Yukiko once last hate induced glare, they turned their heels, and walked off down the hallway. Yukiko didn't move from her position. She didn't notice the female teacher, that was crouching down, and speaking to her, as if everything was alright. She didn't wipe the tears that had caressed her cheeks. She didn't even register the sensation of a cold hand gripping to her weak shoulder.
W-wait... how... why...
Feeling herself being pushed up by several teachers, the little barrier she had create on her way to school had burst. Pushing and shoving the concerned hands and faces away, she ran. She didn't know where she was going, or why she was even running. But she ran. Ignoring the intense building pain that seeped from her sacred region, she pushed herself into the nearest girls restroom, and immediately located a stall. Finding that the entire restroom was vacant, she locked herself into the farther stall, sat on the toilet, huddled her knees to her chest, and cried all of her misfortune and suffering, not bothering to notice the warning bell, signalling that class was beginning shortly.
Mean while in class 2-2, sat one tomboyish young female with short chestnut hair, clad in a short black skirt, and a green sweater. She angrily starred off into the blank sheet of paper that lied on her desk. Her fist clenching, and unclenching, tightening her hold on her pencil, feeling it crack slightly under the pressure.
I can't believe it...
Her leg was swaying up and down, causing her heel to make a rapid tapping noise on the tiled floor.
My best friend... someone I trusted more then anybody...
Her hold increased around the pencil, crushing it under the strength of her fingers.
...That bitch!
Snap!
Gazing down at the pieces of the broken pencil, she couldn't help but imagine that it was a certain black-haired girls neck. Thousands of emotions were currently swirling around her, most notably; betrayal, anger, and disappointment.
She had always been jealous of her friend. She had it all, looks, beauty that could extend for miles on end. Popularity, despite the fact that she was quite anti-social, that didn't stop it from having nearly every boy lust after her. Future, she had her entire life planned out before her. In only a matter of years, she will be taking over the staple of Inaba, The Amagi Inn. She had it all, and it pissed her off to no end.
And now, she had just learned that her so-called friend, was apparently taking advantage of her looks, and using it to sleep with random boys. Seriously, apparently all they had to do was just ask. And here she was, believing that the whole front she usual put up towards boys who wanted to go on dates, was one of ignorance and shyness. It infuriated the girl known as Chie Satanoka, the quote un-quote best friend of Yukiko Amagi.
It disgusted her. She knew she wouldn't be able to look her in the eye the same way anymore. The person she had spent countless times laughing and idly talking with, the one she would have numerous sleep overs with. It was all just a lie. Their entire friendship, everything they have done together, all lies.
Chie began gritting her teeth, squeezing the broken pieces of lead and wood in her hands, and even despite all of the pent of frustration and anger that she harbored towards the black-haired heiress, she couldn't help but give off a little girlish giggle, muttering words that she had never once believed she would ever say.
I hate you, Yukiko Amagi.
First period had come to an end, and Yukiko was still locked up inside the bathroom stall. She had since stopped crying a while ago, but her fears and anxieties had stopped her from even stepping out of the washroom. She wondered what everyone was doing, is Chie had noticed that she wasn't in class. Her thoughts instantly drifted back to this morning, all the students whispering and starring at her as walked by, Ai and her friends attacking her out of no where. Could it possibly be?
The entire situation was both frustrating and nerve-wracking. She can't even go three seconds without freaking out. Every time someone had entered the restroom, she was tense up, having to bite down on her hand to stop her from squeaking. She had found that any sudden sound or movement made her jump, and then she would begin shuddering like crazy. Like, she would spend countless time going through breathing exercises to calm herself, while her hands chattered against her lap.
Maybe I should...
She had no idea what had happened to her book beg and all of her belongings. She remembered that the beg had flew from out of her hand, but nothing after that. She reckoned that it was still in the hallway, or one of the teachers gathered it up, less assured that any more students go to it first.
Bringing a shaky hand up to the door, she slowly began unlocking it, careful not to make any noise, save for anyone who was in the washroom. After checking the premise, relieved that the bathroom was empty. She walked over to the sink, turned on the taps, and went for splashing cold water over her face, but her reflection in the mirror had caught her attention. For most of her life, she had never been very comfortable with her reflection, but now, when she starred into the her own eyes, her own face, her own body...
Disgusting...
Just the very sight of her reflection made her want to vomit.
I'm so gross...
Cupping her hands under the tap, she let the cool water pool itself, before splashing it over her face, sending a shiver to run coarse through her body.
No wonder I was raped...
Yukiko shivered. She had never felt more dirty... She felt as if there was an invisible layer of filth that covered her skin. So she answered by vigorously splashing more water over her face.
It wouldn't have made a difference, I would still be dirty...
She had finally halted throwing cold water over her face, noticing that most of it had instead ended up over her sweater, soaking it from the neck down. It only added to the ridiculousness of how she looked.
I fucking hate myself so much.
Yu Narukami had always had a knack for reading people, like an open book. He could tell by a single glance when someone was feeling sad, depressed, you name it. He had always thought of it as a sort of "sixth sense", and had prided himself with it since he was a child.
Right now, he was using his so-called "sixth sense", keeping his eyes locked at a certain black-haired girl that sat in front of him. This morning had indeed been strange. What with having to deal with a furious Chie, and an worryingly excited Yosuke and all. Now there was an apparent rumor of supposed nude photos of Yasogami's own Yukiko Amagi circulating all over the net, said issue being the cause of both Chie's and Yosuke's behavior.
Now said person, who had all but waddled into the classroom late into the second period. She was avoiding the eye sight of everyone, stuttering a half-assed excuse for her absents, and quickly went off to her seat. Off in the corner of his eye, he notice Chie shooting an nasty glare towards the direction of her best friend, while Yosuke was practically hounding off of his seat, eyes peeled on the approaching girl. It only added to the growing concern that pitted deep within Yu's heart.
There wasn't a doubt in Yu's mind that she was miserable. She didn't even try to hide it. And he was sure Chie, her "best friend" wasn't going to help the situation either. So he made a mental note to stop by and see how she is doing after classes end.
Being someone who's an expert at fixing people's problems, he just prayed that he could reach out to her, before it was too late...
Why am I so disgusting? Why am I so useless? I'm such a horrible human being. No one can ever love me anymore. Everyone hates me. Everyone should hate me. I'm nothing. I deserved to get raped. I've lost it all. Chie probably hates me now. I deserve to be hated. I deserve to be hurt. Chie should hurt me. Everyone should hurt me. I liked being hurt. I enjoyed it when Ai and her friends struck me down. I hated that they slammed me into the locker. I loved it. I hated it. I loved how I hated it. Someone should please put my out of my misery.
I should be hurt.
Please someone hurt me more then I already am...
Please...
Yukiko Amagi starred blankly at the single sheet of paper before her. Her hand mindlessly tracing out shapes and patterns, that in turn from words and sentences. Though, while her hands were shaking like crazy, she still managed to produce the letters in an orderly fashion. Every once in a while, the red inked pen would slip out of the girls grasp, causing it to smudge the page a little.
It's beautiful...
To a degree of sanctification, Yukiko held out the sheet full of hurtful words out in front of her, gently folding it in half, before placing it into the side pocket of her recently retrieved book bag. She didn't know why she wrote what she wrote, she just felt it was necessary to torment herself more. If everyone else was going to bully her for something that was completely out of her control, then why couldn't she?
The bell sounded, notifying the end of classes. Yukiko slowly rose from her chair, and began timidly packing her stuff back into her bag. While placing the last of her text books into the bag, she felt a presence approaching her from behind. She hesitantly stopped what she was doing, and braced herself for what she knew was about to happened.
"...you..."
Not bothering to turn to face the source of the voice, Yukiko closed her eyes, removing her hand from her book bag, and rang it with her other hand just over her lap.
"I trusted you, I respected you, I-"
Smack!
The overwhelming emotions coming from the offending girl had suddenly surfaced, as her hand met the back of the black-haired girls head.
Before Yukiko even had enough time to stabilize herself, she was met head first into the side of the desk, before falling limply off of the desk and onto the cold, hard floor.
The entire scene had caused the heads of the entire class to look over towards the confrontation between the two.
"I- I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, YOU W-WHORE!" Chie screamed, tears coursing down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands, and fled the scene, leaving a broken, miserable girl lying on the floor, burying her facing into her knees, and letting all her emotions flow.
While everyone was too stunned to even process what had just gone down, Yu, being the first to snap out of his daze, met with the sobbing girl, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder, using it to roll her over slightly she he could face her.
"Amagi-san... I'm sorry..."
Yu didn't know what he was apologizing for, but somehow, he just felt like it was necessary. He couldn't have imagined how her day had been, and he wasn't the one to swoop to the entire populations level. He felt that in this fiery storm, she at least deserved some comfort.
Black met grey, and with a shaking head, Yukiko let out another wave of tears.
"N-no... I-I deserve it... I deserve it all."
"No, I don't think you do..."
Yu-kun... why...
"W-Why are you c-comforting me? Shouldn't you h-hate me too?"
Yu was slightly taken back by her question. So many things were wrong with what she just said, but he wasn't one for judging people. Shaking his head, he used the leverage on her shoulder to sort of nudge her body upwards a bit, placing her into a slouched sitting position. His hand never leaving its spot on her shoulder.
"I don't know what is going on, but I'm not one to judge somebody by something that has happened to them."
Now it was Yukiko's turn to be taken back. Maybe, just maybe, there was light at the end of this seemingly infinite dark tunnel. It felt sort of good. For the first time since last night, Yukiko let out a small smile.
Yu-kun... thank you... you have no idea how much that means to me...
A/N: So yeah, every character (maybe besides Yu) are out of character, I know. But whatever, Yukiko's fucked, how far is this going to escalate? I dunno, find out next chapter.
Next chapter will be a Yu x Yukiko chapter, so if you're a fan of the pairing, and like the sort of angsty self-loathing atmosphere around Yukiko, then you may enjoy this extremely vulnerable Yukiko in chapter 3. Lets just cross your fingers that Yu is a gentleman, and doesn't take advantage of the situation.
Any comments, questions, or concerns, please feel free to message me.