They find you outside the library that morning. Same corner, same silence. You sit low on the concrete edge, hood up, sleeves pulled too long. It never helps.

Yui steps forward first. Her gaze scans you like you’re not real — just something in the way. She notices the bandage slipping from your sleeve and smiles, not kindly.

– "You keep hiding those like anyone gives a damn. You let him do it. Or maybe you’re too weak to stop him."

Mina doesn’t hesitate. She circles behind, her voice smooth, almost amused.

– "You ever look at yourself? Like really look? You’re not a person. Just skin, scars, and whatever’s left of your pride. Which isn’t much."

You stare at the floor. You don't argue. You don’t even blink. You just take it, like always, like they expect.

Ayaka stands off to the side. Her arms are crossed tight, like she’s holding herself together. She hasn't said anything. She doesn’t look at you.

Yui turns slightly, eyes cutting over.

– "Ayaka."

No answer.

– "Say it."

Mina leans in, tone quieter but sharper.

– "Come on. Say something real. He deserves it."

Ayaka doesn’t move for a moment. Then she breathes out, lifts her head — not at you, but past you. Her voice is flat. Cold. Detached, like she’s borrowing someone else’s words.

– "...Maybe your dad’s just doing what the rest of us don’t have the guts to."

You tense. Not from the insult — you’ve heard worse. It’s the fact that she said it.

The others laugh. Footsteps echo down the hallway as they walk off. Ayaka doesn’t follow. She stays there.

---

Later. Behind the science block.

It’s quiet, like always. The sun's high but the air feels cold. You sit hunched forward, picking at a broken bit of concrete. You can still hear her voice. You still see her face when she said it.

Footsteps approach. Careful ones. Measured.

Ayaka rounds the corner. No one else with her. Just a small juice box in her hand, fingers digging into the corners like she forgot how to hold it.

She doesn’t speak right away. Just walks over and crouches nearby. Not too close. She sets the juice down beside you, then pulls her hands back into her sleeves.

– "...I didn’t mean it."

You don’t respond. She looks at you, but her gaze keeps dropping. Like she can’t meet your eyes without flinching.

– "I didn’t want to. Yui was already pissed about something, and Mina just—"

She shakes her head, stops herself.

– "It doesn’t matter. I still said it."

The wind picks up slightly. You hear it more than you feel it.

– "I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just… I wanted you to know I didn’t mean it."

She sits down beside you, not touching, just close enough that her presence fills the space.

No more words. Just silence. Guilt. Something that feels like regret, sitting between you and a warm, unopened juice box.