𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 | ᴋᴜᴢᴜʀʏᴜ ꜰᴜʏᴜʜɪᴋᴏ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

~𝟗~

Hannah sat behind the school, hidden from the prying eyes of her classmates. Her wrist throbbed painfully beneath the makeshift bandage she had wrapped around it. She lit a cigarette, hoping the smoke would somehow calm the storm of emotions churning within her. She exhaled slowly, watching the smoke dissipate into the cool air, wishing she could disappear just as easily.

Last night's fight replayed in her mind, the taunts, the punches, and most importantly Peko's intervention. The shame of needing help, especially from Fuyuhiko's bodyguard, gnawed at her. She felt humiliated, her pride bruised worse than her body. The pain in her wrist was a constant reminder of her failure, a throbbing pulse that wouldn't let her forget.

She took another drag, lost in thought, when she suddenly noticed two familiar figures approaching from the corner of her eye. Fuyuhiko and Peko were heading straight towards her, their expressions unreadable. Her heart sank. She had been avoiding them all day. Hannah cursed under her breath, knowing that she'd already made eye contact with them and therefore couldn't just simply walk away.

Fuyuhiko reached her first, his usual smirk playing on his lips. "Thought we might find you here." he teased, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm as he stopped in front of her. "Smoking behind the school? How rebellious of you, Togami."

Hannah took another drag, blowing the smoke out slowly before responding. "What do you want, Kuzuryu?" she asked, her tone cold and defensive.

Peko's eyes softened with concern as she approached. "How's your wrist?" she asked gently.

Before Hannah could respond, Fuyuhiko smirked and said, "Probably hurts just as much as her pride, considering she needed rescuing."

Hannah's eyes flashed with anger. "Shut up, Kuzuryu! You don't know anything about what happened."

Fuyuhiko chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Oh, I know plenty. Like how a Togami should be able to handle herself better. It's kind of embarrassing, don't you think?"

Hannah's face turned red with fury. "You think this is funny? You think this is a joke?" She stood up, her body tense with rage.

Peko stepped forward, trying to mediate. "Hannah, please. We're just trying to help."

But Fuyuhiko continued, his tone mocking. "Help? She clearly doesn't want help. She prefers to wallow in her own weaknesses instead."

That was the last straw. Hannah swung her arm down in anger, but it harshly collided with the wall behind her. She let out a grunt of pain, the cigarette falling from her lips as she cradled her wrist, now throbbing even more intensely.

Peko rushed to her side. "Hannah, you need to stop. You're only making it worse."

Fuyuhiko's smirk faded slightly as he saw the genuine pain in her eyes. "You're just being reckless now," he said, a bit more seriously.

Hannah glared at him, tears of pain and frustration welling up in her eyes. "You don't get to tell me what to do. Neither of you do."

Peko placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Hannah, please. Let us take you to a doctor. This isn't about being strong or weak. It's about taking care of yourself."

Hannah looked between Peko and Fuyuhiko, feeling a mix of anger and humiliation. Her body tensed as Peko's hand rested gently on her shoulder. She quickly shook it off, taking a step back. "I don't need your help," she snapped, her voice brittle with defiance. "I can take care of myself."

Fuyuhiko raised an eyebrow, his smirk reappearing. "Really? Because it looks like you're doing a bang-up job so far."

Hannah's eyes flashed with anger. "Go to hell Fuyuhiko!"

"Hannah you need to go to the nurse."

Hannah's anger flared as Peko and Fuyuhiko suggested taking her to the nurse. The embarrassment of being seen as weak gnawed at her, and she was determined to maintain her pride.

"No, I don't need your help." she snapped, her voice sharp. "I can take care of myself."

She turned on her heel and stormed away from Fuyuhiko and Peko, her anger propelling her forward despite the pain shooting through her wrist. She navigated the crowded hallways with single-minded determination, ignoring the curious glances of her classmates. She didn't stop until she reached the girls' restroom. Bursting through the door, she headed straight for a stall and locked herself inside.

The harsh, fluorescent lights of the bathroom made her feel exposed and vulnerable. She leaned against the cool, tiled wall, her breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as she fought to hold back her tears. With trembling hands, she began to unravel the makeshift bandage on her wrist, biting down on her jumper sleeve to stifle any sounds of pain that threatened to escape.

As the bandage came off, the full extent of her injury was revealed. Her wrist was a tapestry of bruises, an ugly mix of purples, greens, and yellows spreading out from the point of impact. Swollen and angry, it throbbed with each beat of her heart. The skin was broken in several places, the cuts oozing a mixture of blood and clear fluid. She shuddered at the sight, a wave of nausea washing over her as she realized just how bad it was.

Despite the pain, Hannah forced herself to move. She rummaged through her school bag with her good hand, fingers fumbling until she found a fresh roll of bandages. She unrolled a length of the bandage and began to wrap it around her wrist, each pass causing her to wince and bite down harder on her sleeve to muffle her whimpers.

She worked methodically, but it was slow going. Every movement sent fresh waves of agony through her wrist, and she had to stop several times to breathe through the pain. Tears of frustration and pain welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them away, refusing to let them fall.

As she wrapped the bandage around her wrist, she couldn't help but replay the events of the day in her mind. The fight, Peko stepping in to help her, Fuyuhiko's mocking laughter, it all felt like a whirlwind of humiliation and anger. She was supposed to be strong, capable of handling herself, yet here she was, hiding in a bathroom stall, barely able to tend to her own injury.

Finally, she finished wrapping her wrist. She secured the bandage and took a moment to catch her breath, leaning heavily against the wall. The pain was still there, a dull, constant throb, but at least it was hidden once more.

Hannah took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She couldn't stay in the bathroom forever. Eventually, she would have to face Fuyuhiko and Peko again. But for now, she allowed herself a moment of quiet, a brief respite from the chaos that had become her life.