"I'm the one who made them bully you!"

What?

"Don't tell me you're really that stupid. Listen to me. It was me. I did everything you… Haha, I'm calm. I'm calm. I'm calm." She closed her eyes completely as she continued talking.

"You… You're crazy." I couldn't help but say. It felt surreal, cliché even.

"You, hehe~, you're saying that NOW? AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, THIS IS IT? I SWEAR I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU IF YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" She yelled out at me, but I didn't take it in. 

Everything. 

It all just made more sense now. 

Why everyone suddenly hated me. 

But how? How did she do it?

How?

"How?" My voice leaked out of my mouth. 

"How? What are you talking about? How am I wrong? Is that what you're trying to say? IS THAT IT?" 

"NO! I mean, how did you- How… How did you… Why do they all…" I choked on my words. 

"You… You still have the audacity to think about other people, when I'm right in front of you?"

I shook my head, "That's not-"

"No no, because you care so much I'll tell you.” She said while giving me a disgusting smile. 

“It's simple if you think about it, you know? Maybe if you weren't so stupid this wouldn't have happened. Well, I guess everyone has their little weaknesses, right? I just used them. That's all it is, ehehehe~" She said while giggling to herself. 

She was making fun of me. 

I felt genuine anger for the first time in years. All that bullshit I kept up with. It all just started breaking apart.

My whole body was on fire, anger in my gut causing my stomach to feel like it was twisting from the inside. A hot prickling sensation all over my body. 

My fingers curled inwards to form a fist, clenching tightly as my nails dug into my skin.

My fingers were unable to stay still as I kept them clenched. Twirling around my first like worms.

I wanted to punch her. For the first time in my life, I wanted to beat the shit out of somebody.

To grab that face with that little smirk and stomp on it. 

I wanted to hurt her. Hurt her so bad she couldn't talk like that to me.

But…

I didn't. 

I wouldn't. 

I can't. 

I still want her with me. It felt as if she was the last one with me. 

She lied to me. She did. But…

But…

I don't know. 

I still wanted to be with her. I want her to be with me. 

My mouth opened to speak, but I couldn't. Something just felt… Off. A sinking feeling of something that wasn't there weighed my insides down. Something felt amiss, out of place, forgotten.

I looked back at her as she stared at me, both of us dead silent, she was observing me.  

The memories I've made with her, it all just came back to me. 

I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I don't know what I want. 

I looked down to see school supplies and books scattered around us. It reminded me of something.

I swear I could hear her feet lightly tap the floor as Aki slowly walked towards me. 

It reminded me of someone. 

Tears welled up in my eyes, but no tears fell.

I could feel my muscles twitching as she came closer, I couldn't stay still. 

I was shaking. 

Aki gently sat down on top of my legs, but I couldn't focus on her. 

I remembered. 

Memories I forgot I had. 

Aki used the scissors blade to lift my chin, forcing me to look at her. The cold, metallic feeling felt dirty but I didn't struggle. I didn't care, I think?

I couldn't focus. My skin felt dirty and oily, and my jaw felt sore.  

"Fumiko…" I blurted out loud, barely audible to even myself. I wasn't looking, I couldn't see, I was just thinking. 

I don't know why I didn't realize it before. 

I liked her. 

The times we had at the library, her brunette hair, the conversations we had. When I didn't have any complicated thoughts in my head.

When I was, happy?

…

!

It hurts…

Snapping back to reality, I was met with Aki's empty eyes. Her pupils shook as we looked at each other. 

Her teeth grit against each other as she spoke. "Even after everything, you still think of another girl. No matter what I do, it's not good enough. You're just like my dad, no wonder my mom left, right? Because men just never know what's enough for them. They can't appreciate what they already have." She said with a static tone. 

I couldn't move. 

'It hurts.'

'It hurts a lot.'

Please…

My arms barely moved on top of hers, gripping her hands, but every push just made it worse. The scissors. She stabbed me in the stomach. 

"No. No. It's okay. You just need to learn. Right. Learn… Learn. You just need to learn." She said as if she was looking somewhere else, her eyes on me but looking straight through me. 

She took the scissor out of my stomach, causing another wave of pain. I tried to scream but only a wheeze came out as she banged my head against the wall, her hand covering my mouth and clenching tight. 

"I'll just mark you as mine. That way you, and everyone else knows who you belong to. I'll carve it into your flesh so everybody knows. Right? I'll carve it so you know. So you understand." She said as she looked at me, as if asking for validation, or confirmation?

I desperately shook my head left and right, trying to tell her no as my body squirmed. 

Blood leaked out of my stomach, staining both of us and our clothes. She smiled at me before stabbing me in the arm, her eyes still and unwavering as she stared at me. 

I could taste her hand in my mouth as I screamed, barely being able to breathe through my nose I started to feel light headed. 

My vision was getting darker as she pulled the knife out. 

I couldn't feel it anymore. There wasn't any pain. I couldn't move. 

Am I going to die?

"Your reactions are always fun. Hehe~ Sorry! Just bear with me darling, it'll be over before you know it. Haah~ I just need to get that whore out of your head, okay? I'll fix you. Here, eat this." She said as she shoved something into my mouth, making me swallow. 

She lifted my shirt up with her hand, bringing the bloody scissors right next to my face, smearing my cheek with blood.

She laid me onto the ground, finally letting me breathe. I took deep breaths as my vision flickered with every breath. 

Ding!

The doorbell rang. 

"Tch. Oh, don't worry darling. I'll finish this first♡" 

She started carving into my skin with the scissors on my chest. 

I felt everything.

Ding!

My skin felt as if it was burning as she cut me, the wound on my arm and stomach seething. 

I couldn't take it. I wanted out. 

Ding! Ding!

She pressed her hand against my stomach as she lifted herself to the side. 

For the first time in my life, I screamed. 

Loud.

And I passed out.

•~~~•

<Zea Toriyaki's POV>

I sighed as I walked over to that girl's house, Aki, I think her name was?

Sigh 

Another sigh escaped from me as I thought about my little brother. 

I was worried about him, but didn't know what to do. He always looks so sad now, but I feel like I'm just going to make it worse if I talk to him. 

Oh well, he'll be fine. It's just one of those phases everyone goes through. 

The last time I tried talking to him, I think it just made him hate me. He doesn't even want to talk to me anymore, or, I don't know. 

He doesn't like talking to me…

"Nn, I can't deal with this right now." 

I shook my head while rubbing my eyes. My head felt fuzzy these days, so many things were happening at once. 

Everything with dad, school, and that damn creep who keeps following me around at school. 

'Why doesn't he get the hint? I don't like you, leave me alone already!' I complained to myself as I thought about everything going on. 

Before I realized, I was standing in front of the house my brother was staying at.  

I didn't have to pick him up but I don't mind. If I don't then he'll come home late. 

I noticed the door was slightly open but I didn't do anything. 

Ding!

I rang the doorbell, waiting for a response. The sun felt nice on my skin, but I forgot to wear sunscreen. Probably shouldn't stay in the sun for too long I guess. 

Ding!

I rang it for the 2nd time, but no one answered again. I started to feel unnecessarily anxious. 

‘Are they not here…? Where else could he be?’

I started to feel anxious again. 

‘No… You couldn't have left too, right?’ I thought to myself as I felt more and more nervous. 

I rang it again, just in case. 

Ding! Ding!

I waited for a few moments. 

…

…

Suddenly, I heard a muffled scream coming from the house.

My heart sunk as I imagined the worst. Disregarding being polite, I flung open the door and headed towards where I heard the noise. 

As I hurried upstairs I could hear a voice. 

“Hahahehehe, hey, hey! Are youuuuu aaawakee~?? Darling~?” I could hear some sort of muffled mumbling on the other side of the hallway but couldn't male it out properly. 

“Hey! Are you there? Aki? Is that you?” I called out as I hurriedly walked over.

There was no response. 

Dead silence. 

My heart started beating faster and faster as I thought about what could be happening. Why is no one responding to me?

“Hello? I'm just here to pick up my brother, is anyone there?” 

…

No response. 

I walked towards where I heard the mumbling, the anxiety in my heart rising. 

Every door I walked by felt unnerving, as if someone was going to ambush me as I walked by. 

“Are you there? Hayat-”

Ahh…

I froze at the sight of his limp body on the floor, a small pool of blood forming under him. 

I started to scream out loud, I don't know what to do. 

I'm scared, confused. My hands shook as I stumbled towards his lifeless body. 

Falling to my knees before him, I started shouting out words I couldn't comprehend myself. 

Before I had even realized, tears trailed down my face, falling into my mouth. The salty taste of my own tears invaded my senses.

I started drowning in my own saliva, not being able to speak properly as I tried waking him up. 

‘I should've talked to him. Why didn't I talk to him? Why, why, why!?!? I should've spent time with him, I could've changed him. This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me. This is my fault. Why didn't I bring him with me? He would've had fun with me, right? He'd be alive. Smiling. With me. He'd be happy with me.’ I couldn't think straight. 

It felt unreal. My heart tightened as tears uncontrollably trailed down my cheeks, my eyeliner dripping onto the floor.

“I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Please come back. I won't do it again. I'll make sure it's right this time. Wake up. Please? Please wake up. I'll help you. Just give me a sign. Anything. Please. This can't be real. It can't. Come back. Just, please. Please…” I said outloud as I shook his body. 

Then, I saw it. His body twitched. His breathing was coarse. His body was still warm. Of course, why, why am I so stupid?

Trying to regain my clarity I stumbled for my phone, quickly checking my pockets. 

My vision blurred as I barely managed to type in my password, opening the phones’ home page. 

I tried opening the calling app but my long nails prevented me from doing it, causing one of them to break before I finally opened the app. 

Quickly typing in the number I called the ambulance, my heart racing as the phone rung.