𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓.

── .✦ 3

Y/n barely had any sanity left to function after what happened. Her mind was clouded with fear, replaying the events in the gymnasium like a never-ending nightmare. She couldn't focus in class where they were discussing something about Marxism or whatever. She couldn't even breathe right, couldn't even form a coherent thought about what to do next. It was so hard to focus on something to distract her from those event. So she did the only thing that felt possible—she avoided everyone.

When the final bell rang, Y/n bolted from school, as in headed straight for the door. She ignored the curious stares from classmates and slipped away before anyone, especially Taeko, could ask questions. She couldn't face her, couldn't face Osano's absence, or even think about Ayato without her stomach twisting into knots.

Y/n's phone went off as Taeko had tried texting, calling, even waiting by the school gate, but Y/n didn't respond. She couldn't. The weight of it all was too much. The gnawing dread inside her had become unbearable.

Walking home by herself, every step felt heavier. The feeling of being watched clung to her like a second skin. She kept glancing over her shoulder, the paranoid thought that Ayato might be lurking somewhere just out of sight haunting her. But each time she turned, there was no one. Just empty streets and the echo of her footsteps. Still, it felt like a shadow was following her, unseen but present.

'This is so mindfucking.'

By the time she reached her house, the familiar sight of her run-down front door brought her a sense of relief. Which was a first as this was the last place that should give her comfort and safety given the circumstance. Her hand trembled as she opened it, slipping inside as quietly as possible. The stench of alcohol lingered in the air, and sure enough, her mother was passed out on the couch, snoring softly. Y/n glanced at her for a second, but didn't have the energy to care. She'd grown used to this—her mom being too far gone to notice anything. And she isn't in the right headspace for a fight now too.

She headed straight for her room upstairs, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Leaning against it for a moment, Y/n closed her eyes, willing the panic to subside. She needed to do something—anything—to shake off the awful feeling that clung to her like a dark cloud.

A cold bath seemed like a good idea. 

Y/n opened her eyes and hummed. 

Y/n stripped off her clothes and put her things somewhere before she found herself standing under the freezing water, hoping it would jolt her back to reality, make her feel normal again. But it didn't work. No matter how much she scrubbed her skin or shivered beneath the icy stream, the weight in her chest remained. And her thoughts went back to that scene. Replaying it over and over again.

After drying off and throwing on a pair of pajamas, Y/n crawled into bed, her body curling in on itself beneath the blankets. But even there, in the safety of her own room, she felt restless. The sensation of Ayato's knife, the weight of his body pinning her down, the words he had spoken—they wouldn't stop replaying in her mind.

Sleep seemed impossible. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ayato's face, heard his warning, felt the cold blade against her skin. The way he dragged Osano Najimi's body. 

But exhaustion eventually won after staring at her ceiling for hours. Her body gave in, and Y/n drifted into a restless sleep. 

⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

The sun crept through Y/n's window, signaling the start of another day. She lay in bed for a few moments, staring blankly at the ceiling, trying to shake off the lingering unease from the day before. Eventually, she forced herself up, falling into the familiar routine. She washed up, brushed her hair, and slipped into her school uniform.