𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐝 - s. ᴍᴀɴᴊɪʀᴏ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

𝟏𝟎𝟏: 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦

Naoto knocks urgently on the wooden door. Before Hina could voice a response, the door creaked as he opened it slightly.

"Sis?" He calls. Hina turns her head at her younger brother, "Hm?"

"Can you go check on your friend...?" Naoto asks her, his eyebrows strained in concern.

Hina gets up from her desk, turning off the small radio that was playing music. "[Y/N]?" She says confusedly, "Why? What's wrong?"

Naoto waves his hands, gesturing to follow him. As confused as she was, Hina knew it must've been serious.

The boy leads her out the front door, walking further ahead. Leaning slightly over the railing of the balcony. "You tell me..." He says, pointing down.

After seeing what you've been doing for god knows how long, Hinata rushes down the stairs. Going down as quickly as she could.

"[Y/N]!" She yells, sprinting at you.

You jump up and turn, instinctively in a ready position, as if you were brought into a fight.

"Oh—! It's just you, Hina..." You relax your posture, putting your fists down.

The girl walks over and grabs both your wrists, lifting them up. She looks closely at your hands. Looking at your bruised and bloodied knuckles.

Hina looks back up at you. "What are you doing punching a tree at this hour?!" She scolds. You were expecting her to scold you the moment she took your hands.

You open your mouth to respond but she keeps going. "What if this got infected! Look how many cuts you have on your hands already!" Hina continues.

Her chiding expression then turns concerned. "And where have you been?! I haven't seen you even after you've been discharged from the hospital..." Still holding your wrists, she lowers them but still in her grip.

"I... I'm sorry," you muttered almost instinctively. Unsure what to say when someone scolds you. You perfectly knew that Hina would be worried. And you felt a little guilty that you hadn't talked to the girl nearly the whole summer.

Hina drags you up to her place. You both sit on the floor as she rubs ointment on your knuckles before bandaging them up. You try not to show it, but even without making a sound, it was obvious that the ointment stung. Your hands were twitching as Hina held them.

"You wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't chosen to hurt yourself..." Hina continues to scold. You kept quiet, she was right but you didn't want to admit it out loud. "It didn't hurt that much..." You defend.

"At least I give you less work to do, compared to Takemichi," you joke, attempting to lighten the mood "Yet you both're still stubborn and get yourselves hurt," Hina replies seriously.

She looks up at you after securing the wrap on your hands. "[Y/N]... What happened?" She asks, her eyebrows curving upward. "I mean, I don't see you for weeks and suddenly you're outside punching a tree?"

Hina asks if you've even recovered from your last hospital visit. You confidently assure her you did. She asks you, yet again, what was wrong. You take a deep breath. You lean back into the couch. "I saw Mikey today..." Hina's eyes widened, "Mikey...?" She repeated in shock.

You tell Hina about your encounter with Mikey. Even admitting that a part of you did want to talk to him. To somehow get answers. But you were just left with more questions.

"He kissed YOU and tells YOU to stay away from him?!" Hina lets out, even more shocked. She lets out a sigh, calming herself down, "I get why you were punching your frustrations out... But wow..." Hina was still processing everything you said. Trying to comprehend Mikey's behaviour.