"Don't let me go."
"Don't worry, I won't ever let you go. I promise."
Ikari's scar is the first thing that people notice. And it drives them away, since it is the symbol of her father, one of the most feared villains of all time... before he died.
...
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*warning: mention of abuse and depression
POV—Hebinoya Ikari
Pouring Rain
Don't let me go.
Hebinoya seems off.
She's never acted like this way.
When I visited her in the nurse's office, she didn't smile.
Ever since the villain attack, she's been strange.
I'm worried for her.
Don't let me go.
Every time I smile, it feels fake.
Painful.
My movements are slow and concentrated, as if the very actions exhaust me so much I need to put every ounce of my focus into them. School has been temporarily closed for UA to recuperate from the attack, and I use that time to work some extra shifts. Fatigue always pulls at my eyes, but when I try to sleep I stay wide awake through the night. Every day, when I wake up from my few hours of sleep, the first thing that pops up in my head is,
Really? Again?
I just feel so... empty.
When Ryo has outbursts, I don't even have the strength to fight him off, and that ends with me having more bruises than usual. The ocean of pent up feelings that had been inside me at the nurse's office has slowly ebbed into nothingness, and I don't know if that's good or not. Now, I feel nothing. Numb.
Photography does not interest me anymore. The only reason why I still carry my camera around with me is because I'm afraid Ryo will sell it for alcohol. Nothing that I used to find joy in makes me happy now. Even Ami seems more like a burden. I try to keep up my usual sarcastic persona, but by each day it gets harder and harder to keep up. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I may feel a tiny glint of happiness or hope. But like always, they get lost in my empty mind.
When I finish up my last shift at Tanoko's, I head to the back room and exchange greetings with another worker before changing out of my clothes. I begin head out, but Tanoko beckons me back in with his deep voice.
"Ikari! Would you like me to take care of Ami for you this evening? You've been working quite hard, and I think you should have some time off for yourself."
He waves me to the couch.
"I'd appreciate that. Thank you for offering Ami to stay here." I shift on his couch, placing myself precariously on the arm rest. "Are you sure there is no trouble, sir?" I say, staring back up at him.
