𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 | ᴋᴜᴢᴜʀʏᴜ ꜰᴜʏᴜʜɪᴋᴏ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

~𝟏𝟕~

At the café, Mahiru's soft laughter filled the cozy atmosphere as she leaned across the table, resting her chin in her hand. "He what?" she asked, her tone incredulous but amused.

Hannah rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, stirring her drink lazily with the straw. "He completely flipped out!" she said, still clearly annoyed by the whole thing. "Like, full-on meltdown. You should've seen him, he was furious about me coming here to hang out with you. And get this, he even threatened to kill me."

Mahiru's eyes widened in surprise, though a small, disbelieving smile tugged at her lips. "Wait, are you serious? He actually said that?"

Hannah nodded, slouching back into her chair. "Oh, not just that. He pointed a gun at me, Mahiru! Like he was really gonna intimidate me into staying at the manor."

Mahiru burst into laughter, shaking her head in disbelief. "He didn't!"

"Oh, he absolutely did." Hannah grumbled, crossing her arms. "Like that's supposed to scare me at this point. I know Fuyuhiko, he's all bark, no bite when it comes to me. But still, the audacity! All because I wanted to come hang out with you for a few hours."

Mahiru continued laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. "That sounds exactly like him. You'd think after everything, he'd be used to you doing what you want by now."

"Right?" Hannah agreed, throwing her hands up in mock defeat. "I swear, the guy's got some kind of control complex. Thinks he can boss me around just because he's... Fuyuhiko. But I'm not some pushover."

Mahiru leaned forward, her expression playful but with a hint of something more serious behind it. "Honestly Hannah, you don't even need him. I don't know why you let Fuyuhiko boss you around like that. You could easily just go back home to your mansion. You're a Togami, for crying out loud."

Hannah raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by Mahiru's sudden turn in tone. "What do you mean? It's not like I let him boss me around. He just... gets under my skin sometimes."

Mahiru chuckled, shaking her head. "But you know what I'm saying, right? You don't have to deal with all that Kuzuryu nonsense. Fuyuhiko acts like he runs your life, but you could walk away from all that anytime. You don't need him, Hannah."

Hannah shifted in her seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "It's not that simple," she muttered, stirring her drink absently. "Besides, the Kuzuryus have done a lot for me. It's not just Fuyuhiko, it's his whole family."

Mahiru's expression softened, but there was a glint in her eyes as she pressed on. "Yeah, but is it worth all the stress? Think about it. He's always controlling, always in your business. Like today, for example. Pulling a gun on you over something so stupid. You shouldn't have to deal with that."

Hannah frowned, the thought gnawing at her as she considered Mahiru's words. It was true, Fuyuhiko could be overbearing, and their constant clashes weren't exactly healthy. But leaving wasn't that easy. The Kuzuryu family had been like a second home to her, even with Fuyuhiko's intense personality.

Mahiru's voice softened, becoming more persuasive. "I just think you'd be happier if you went back to your own life. Why stay with people who clearly don't trust you to make your own decisions? I mean, you've got a place at home where you don't have to constantly prove yourself, right?"

Hannah let out a small sigh, her fingers playing with the edge of her cup. "It's not that I don't think about it. But it's complicated."

"Is it really, though?" Mahiru pressed, her gaze unwavering. "I mean, come on, Hannah. You're strong, independent. You don't need someone like Fuyuhiko hovering over you, pretending to be your protector when he's just suffocating you."