_Chapter 56~ Scars_

            Returning to that building was difficult. The atmosphere around the premises was dense and thick, and although I had entered through the same doors I had for years now, the sensation was somewhat suffocating.

             Regardless, on Monday morning, I sauntered in through the doors with Ryu posted by my side. Still, the masses of students merging past me only invoked unwanted emotions through me. Could I trust them? Would it be fine if I associated myself with them? Countless notions overwhelmed me and none of them were capable of making me feel any better.

            Once we arrived at our classroom and sat down, I didn't say anything. Even as Miki, Chiharu, Saika and Erika approached me with friendly greetings I could only half-heartedly returned a smile. Their concern as a result was hard to swallow but I didn't know how else to suddenly gain and return a means of vigour I honestly didn't possess.

The lessons taught by Mr. Matsuda were blotted out from my memory as well. Granted, due to Ryu's concerned gaze glued to me majority of the time I ended up waking up from my impending thoughts to look at him and we ended up just staring and smiling at each other all morning long.

When the bell for lunch rang, Ryu and I headed for the school courtyard before Erika and the rest could dare pressure me for answers but halfway through I'd told him I forgotten my chopsticks and to go ahead without me.

I felt bad for lying, considering how reluctant he seemed to let me go by myself, but I knew I had to somehow see the two of them, no matter how much I couldn't bear to. They had to be present today. And if they were, I had to get a means of closure about this all.

As swift as a fox, I maneuvered through the hallways, keeping my eyes peeled for any signs of their faces. I visited their classroom and peered inside but was met with disappointment to find they weren't there. One of the girls who I remembered helped me with my outfit for the Sleeping Beauty play I'd participated in approached me and asked if I were looking for Daichi. Before I could tell her otherwise, she informed me that she'd seen him heading towards the Student Council room with stacks of papers.

Albeit the suggestive comments that came afterwards about our relationship that wrenched my heart, I only could bow my head and thank her before I came to terms with the fact that my feet were bustling towards the very room. The Student Council room? Didn't that mean he was going to see Miyabi?

I recalled Ryu and Aki's objection the day before about confronting them and was momentarily dispirited. I planted my weight from foot to foot in antsy, biting my lip. No matter how much I tried to wrap my head around it, I couldn't. Just the other day we were close! We were laughing about trivial things like smiles, arguing and having fun... And just randomly out of the blue... I had to be told they were bad news? Daichi couldn't be serious about what he told me—not that quirky, cheerful dork of a person. And the idle, nonchalant Miyabi couldn't be this whole antagonistic, delinquent leader either.

Regardless of what the facts Aki found pointed to, there was the chance this was all a misunderstanding. And right now, I wanted to believe it was.

Nodding at the resolution I'd reached, I took a quick second to inhale and exhale heavy breaths. Once I was calm enough, I moved my feet forward towards the office. It took no time at all for me to reach the bleak and empty corridor and as soon as I got there I was hit with sudden hesitance. I pushed past that and rose my jittery arms to knock on the door.

Before I could connect my fist, I'd heard loud hisses and painful whimpers. Sheer shock held me in place. My palms felt sweaty as the muffled sounds continued to ring in my ears. Who was...?

"Why did you act without my freakin' permission?"

My heart sunk in my chest, eyes as wide as could be. Mainly because I'd recognized that voice in a heartbeat. One gruel, agonizing heartbeat.

Miyabi.

I slid open the door as fast as I could, ignoring the raucous slam that resounded as a result. My gaze darted to the scene splayed out before me and almost all hope I'd mustered melted away at once.

Miyabi was gripping Daichi by the collar. Both of their eyes had turned towards me right after the door had slammed, and I automatically spotted a fresh red and discoloured patch of skin on Daichi's cheek, indicating he'd been punched.

Only recalling everything that had taken place on the weekend made my knees weak. It felt like I was drawing an empty breath; my heart was hammering similar to a relentless drill in my chest.

Miyabi's surprise soon slipped from his features, replacing itself with his trademark lopsided smile and pep despite his widened eyes. "Oh, Sheep! Wow, what a nice surprise! I haven't see you in so long!"

           He sounded like himself. The person before me looked like him. He even called me by that infuriating nickname.

           But I didn't know this person before me right now. And maybe... I never did.

          Miyabi's eyes flickered back to Daichi once he learned I was still too frozen in place. He liberated Daichi from his hold on his dress shirt, and Daichi went tumbling to the ground, clearly wincing as he did.

           I'd subconsciously taken a step forward. "Daichi—"

           "Ah-ah," Miyabi's sigh halted me in place again. "Do you see what you did by opening your stupid mouth, Daichi? You've gotten this dear, dear friend of ours to become so wary of us."

          Miyabi's smile, though so jovial moments earlier, had clear traces of malice upturning the corners of his lips. His head tilted back the slightest as if to prove his superiority, hands tucked away into his pockets.

           He simpered. "The damn bitch was right about to fall into our trap, too."

           My eyebrows ascended further up my face. My knees reduced to the sensation of noodles; it was practically impossible for me find the strength to turn tail and run out of the room. Even my mind had gone utterly blank besides the warning signals going off left and right.

           This wasn't... "Y-y-you're...."

           "What's wrong, Sheep?" Miyabi went on, blanking his features as he watched me grapple for words. "Are you that incapable of speech? That vehicle I let you get hit by messed you up pretty bad, huh?" He chuckled at that. "Sadly the impact couldn't kill you. I was so disappointed, you know! I mean, if only you at least did me and the rest of the world a favour and became paralyzed we wouldn't have had any issue."

         Daichi picked himself off the ground, a hand to his cheek as he teetered and fumbled over his feet to stand back up. Miyabi who caught that, smirked and kicked him right back down again. Daichi clenched his teeth as he collapsed back onto his elbows, withering in regret.

           "And yet you just had to dawdle right back into this school like a dumb, innocent bitch—believing that friendship really is rainbows and unicorns nowadays," he went on, dragging his feet towards me. "I shouldn't be saying that, though. Ryu got some relief from that though, didn't he? Relief that he didn't have to screw up somebody else's life."

            Run—get out of there. My mind was blaring it, but I simply couldn't. My breaths came out shallow as Miyabi came to a stop right in front of me, his typically sweet eyes overfilled with nothing but ominous animosity.

             "Well," he continued regardless, his voice still withholding a sarcastic edge, "although my original plan didn't work it still did bring you two closer didn't it? A couple, huh? That's easier to manipulate than close friends, I agree. Hurts a lot more, too, doesn't it?"

            My limbs began to tremble involuntarily. Miyabi's proximity only spurned for more fear to spike through my body. His haughty smirk and words had caused me to subconsciously aim a glare at him, but he only grew elated at the gesture.

             "Aww, you're so scared," Miyabi drawled, his hand reaching out to touch my cheek. "I remember when everyone around me stared at me with cold eyes like that—like I wasn't human. They'd shake as they begged for me to not hurt them, too. Maybe if you beg, too, Sheep—"

             I didn't know how I did it, but my hand had instinctively moved to smack Miyabi's away. His eyelids rose a fraction as he stared at the back of his hand with indifference. My heartbeat was still high in my ears but as a result to my action, I no longer was trapped within my bubble of fear.

             "Wh-what's going on?" I ended up shouting, my gaze darting from an unfocused Miyabi to Daichi who still was on the ground, avoiding my gaze. "If this is because you two are mad at me—"

             "Is that why you came to see us?" Miyabi asked, void of any emotion. "Because you thought you'd prove Daichi's words wrong? Isn't it obvious that it isn't? I bet Ryu already took you to see my brother's hospital room anyway."

              My bottom lip quivered. "But... but just a couple weeks ago... we were—"

              "Reina, you're an idiot." My voice was lodged in my throat. Daichi finally got up from the ground, picking up and slipping on his glasses as he did. He faced me and almost immediately I spotted more vivid scars, bruises, cuts and bandages scattered all over his arms and exposed skin. They seemed fresh, too. He probably had them when he'd confronted me the other day but because it was too dark I couldn't see them. "We weren't 'friends' since the beginning," he went on. "Miyabi and I were apart of the same gang in middle school. We lied to you about everything we might've told you; the sole and only reason we approached and stuck with you so long was to get to Satoru. Whatever you're trying to hold onto now is gone."

           It was information I'd already heard, but it still succeeded in prickling me like needles.

"Exactly, exactly," Miyabi said, grinning as he spun towards him, swinging a forceful arm around Daichi's neck as if to choke him. "The guy deserves this."

"But this isn't..." I spoke again. "Iwasaki didn't mean to—"

"Would 'didn't mean to' wake up my brother and save him from being paralyzed?" Miyabi cut me off, gaining a terse edge. "Then why shouldn't I ruin his life too?"

I balled my fists, unable to muster a response. I picked up my gaze, praying desperately that I was just seeing things—that this was all fake. Though, as soon as I looked at them, I immediately knew I wasn't mistaken. They truly were....

"They... They didn't mean anything to you?" I spoke, tears stinging the corners of my eyes. "That time we went out for ice cream, when we worked together selling those cupcakes, when you put on that weird bodyguard show around Ms. Osaka, the play, all of our conversations...th-they didn't..." Daichi didn't make any means of movement—refusal—to the words leaving my mouth, only shattering me more inside. "B-but I... y-you're my best friend, Daichi! How do you expect me to see you as my enemy?"

Though he didn't react to the beginning, Daichi's head jerked towards me at my last two statements. A flash of astonishment crossed his features, opposite to the dejection that had masked over mine. Miyabi had erupted into a fit of laughter but the both of us paid him no mind.

"Daichi," I whimpered again.

"Just get out of here, Reina," he spat.

"Aww, why say that, Daichi?" Miyabi cooed after him with a grin, his hysteria settling down. "Reina came strolling right into our den, and Satoru isn't nearby. It's the perfect opportunity to get some revenge don't you think—"

"Don't even dare," Daichi snapped, glowering as he extended out his hand to stop him. "We promised."

Miyabi easily grabbed his wrist, twisting it and allowing a yelp of pain to erupt from him. "We also promised that you wouldn't get involved with my affairs and yet you took those weaklings and exposed the truth to them on Saturday. I think that's greedy of you to think that you can get everything you seem to want."

Daichi's complexion was beginning to lose colour as Miyabi continued to mercilessly twist his arm in a way that wasn't supposed to bend. Daichi hissed in pain and finally broke free of his hold, gripping his forearm, clenching his teeth to withhold a grunt. Miyabi only laughed that hysteric laugh of his as he grinned from ear to ear.

"It makes me wonder if you're truly on my side or not," Miyabi drawled.

"Haven't I been since middle school?" snapped Daichi, scowling at him.

Miyabi's smug smile proved his amusement. "I still need to be reassured you're not taking their side. So why don't we figure this out? I happen to have the perfect way."

Miyabi ambled over to the mini fridge they had towards the back of the room and rummaged through it before chirping in eureka when he found what he was looking for. He retreated away with a content smile as he held up two bottles of milk. Daichi uneasily stared at him as he returned to his position in front of him, extending it out for him to take.

"It'll be like the old days," Miyabi said, beckoning for him to grab it. "We'll make a toast to our 'partnership.' The only way I can trust you is if you show me something like this."

"Daichi, no! You're lactose intolerant!" I interjected, my jaw plummeted. "You can't—"

"Stay out of this, bitch."

Miyabi's brief consideration of me sent shivers down my spine at once. Again, Miyabi gestured for Daichi to take it.

"You're drinking this milk, Daichi," he finalized, tilting his head to the side in an unsparing manner, cold smirk poking at his cheeks. "Right now."

Despite the blatant oppression and Daichi's reluctance, he remained firm as he held out his hurt arm and accepted it from him. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't muster my voice. I could only watch in horror as Miyabi and Daichi popped open the lids and connected their drinks.

As soon as they clunked together and Miyabi brought his to his lips, he paused, waiting for a shaky Daichi to do the same. With Miyabi's eyes narrowing into slits, Daichi was instilled with a new spark of terror as he swallowed back all the things holding him back and chugged down the milk.

Not even halfway through did Daichi get overwhelmed with the amount of milk did he ended up choking. Coughing hysterically, he fell to the ground, crawling towards the trash bin nearby and automatically throwing up into it, ridding his insides of the contents he couldn't properly digest.

I could no longer feel my heart beating as Miyabi's chortles filled the room. Gripping onto his sides, he doubled over in laughter. "Oh my gosh!" he sniggered. "You actually drank it like always! This is so funny! Don't you ever get disgusted considering this happens every single time?"

Weighed down by my immense turmoil, Miyabi's laughs shifted into high cackles in my ears. My vision began to spin, my hands which I'd unknowingly clenched was sending jolts of pain from my palms through the rest of my body.

"Yikes," he went on as Daichi hunched over the bin, gasping heavily. "You're cleaning the mess up, Daichi. And while you do that, I'll just quickly deal with Reina—"

But I was already out the door, jostling through the throngs of baffled students in my way and out of the door to the school courtyard where Ryu was waiting for me.

"Reina!" he cried, rising up from the bench. "Where were you? You took—"

I head-butted him into a hug. Ryu teetered in shock but he caught his balance, eyes wide as I compressed him as tight as I could. Unappealing sobs ripped through me before I could stop myself and regardless of the apprehensive inquiries about what had happened, I was too busy choking back my tears but to no avail. I wasn't able to respond.

I hadn't wanted to bawl out in public, catching concerned glances and worry Ryu like I did but I was stampeded with so many emotions at once it was a reaction that was beyond my control.

Broken, tattered, hollow....

I felt utterly sick.