𝘽𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙀𝙍𝙄𝙉𝘼'𝙎 𝙍𝙀𝘽𝙀𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙊𝙉 || 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐤𝐢

Chapter 8: I Need You

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#063024

Ayami woke up with a pounding headache and a body that ached all over. She slowly stood up, her back protesting with every movement. The events of the previous night were a blur, and she struggled to piece together what had happened.

Reaching for her phone, she saw a slew of missed calls and messages. She didn't have the energy to be afraid or anxious. Just as she was trying to collect her thoughts, her phone rang.

"Miss? Are you there?" came Mai's concerned voice.

"Yeah," Ayami croaked, her voice cracking from the strain of the night before.

Mai sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. But miss, your parents know that you didn't come home last night."

Ayami sighed deeply. "Fuck, I'll be there."

She stood up and walked over to wake Shin. "What?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

"I'm leaving," Ayami said softly.

"Again? Yesterday you left me, and now..." Shin joked, a sleepy smile tugging at his lips.

Ayami chuckled, despite the situation. "Sorry, but things have been messy. I gotta fix it."

"Money?" Shin teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Ayami laughed and kissed him softly. "Okay," she said with a smile. She quickly changed into her clothes and gathered her things.

Ayami entered her home with a sense of dread hanging over her. She barely had time to brace herself before a huge slap across her face sent her tumbling to the ground.

"Girl, didn't I tell you to stop being a disappointment?" her Kyo thundered, his voice echoing through the house.

"You embarrassed me in front of my partner, and this is what you do?" he continued, his rage palpable.

Ayami just sat there, holding her cheek. She was numb; she had stopped crying long ago because no matter how much she cried or begged, her father never listened.

"Are you listening to me?" Kyo shouted, his anger flaring even more when Ayami didn't respond.

Ayami glared at her father, and he laughed angrily. He grabbed her roughly and began kicking and punching her without mercy. Her mother stood by, doing nothing but staring at the scene with vacant eyes.

With heavy breaths and bruised knuckles, Kyo finally stopped. "Disrespect me one more time," he hissed before leaving the room.

Mai, tears streaming down her face, rushed to Ayami's side and helped her up. She quickly ran to the telephone to call a private doctor.

Ayami could do nothing but succumb to the darkness, her body and spirit battered.

When she woke up, Mai was by her side, her expression filled with worry and relief. "Miss?" Mai's voice was gentle.

"Water," Ayami croaked, her throat dry and painful.

Mai helped her sit up and handed her a glass of water. Ayami drank slowly, feeling the cool liquid soothe her parched throat.

"How many days?" Ayami asked weakly.

"Three days," Mai replied softly.

Ayami took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in her ribs. "Thank you, Mai," she whispered, feeling a surge of gratitude for her loyal friend.

Mai's eyes filled with tears again. "You need to leave this place, miss. It's not safe for you."

Ayami sighed deeply, the weight of her situation pressing down on her. "I can't just leave my siblings. It's not easy to leave," she said.