Chapter 48 Yumi’s Past (2)
Chapter 48 Yumi's Past (2)
The next day, Yumi felt a mix of nerves and excitement.
I’ll just tell him we can be friends—that’s all, she reassured herself.
Still, she couldn’t stop fidgeting in class. Thoughts swirled in her mind. I’ve never even hugged a guy before… what if he wants to hug me?
Her imagination spiraled into overthinking, making her even more anxious.
When lunchtime arrived, she decided to head to the restroom to check her appearance. She stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her glasses and smoothing her uniform.
Then, without warning—
Thud!
A force slammed into her from the side, shoving her hard against the wall.
“Ah—!” Yumi gasped, startled.
She spun around, clutching her shoulder in pain.
A girl stood behind her—a garyu girl.
Her arms were crossed, a cigarette balanced between her fingers, its tip glowing faintly. Her sharp eyes burned with rage.
“Listen here, you little shit,” she spat venomously, her voice dripping with hostility. “How dare you try to seduce my man?”
Yumi’s breath hitched.
“E-Eh?” she stammered, utterly confused and scared.
She had never fought anyone in her life—never even raised her voice at someone.
“I—I’m not—” she whimpered.
“I don’t want to hear your bullshit.” The girl stepped closer, her presence overwhelming. “Stay away from Hakuto-senpai. He’s mine.”
Yumi’s back pressed against the cold tile wall. Fear gripped her.
The girl exhaled a puff of smoke from her cigarette before narrowing her eyes.
“Go away, stupid cow. Next time I see you near him… you’ll regret ever being born.”
With that final threat, she turned and walked off, leaving Yumi standing there—shaken, frightened, and completely alone.
“Uuh… uhh… u-uh…”
Tears welled up in Yumi’s eyes as she clutched her aching shoulder. She stumbled out of the restroom, her legs unsteady, fear clinging to her like a shadow.
She didn’t see Hakuto after that—nor did she dare to. She didn’t go to class either. Instead, she hid for the rest of the day.
When the final bell rang, Yumi kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone as she slipped out of the school gates. She just wanted to go home—away from the stares, away from the threats, away from everything.
But as she stepped onto the sidewalk, a hand gently touched her shoulder. “Yumi.”
She flinched violently, jerking away from the touch with a sharp gasp.
“Agh—!” A jolt of pain shot through her bruised shoulder.
"Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you,” Hakuto said quickly, his voice laced with concern.
“I didn’t see you at lunch… I wanted to ask if you had an answer for me.” His voice wavered slightly, a mix of anticipation and nervousness in his tone.
Yumi froze. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Her eyes darted around, scanning the area, searching—was she watching? Her hands trembled. The garyu-girl’s threats echoed in her mind.
Stay away from Hakuto-senpai.
Tears threatened to spill over.
“I… I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “But… I can’t, please dont talk to me anymore.”
Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and hurried away, clutching her shoulder and gripping her school bag like a lifeline.
When Yumi arrived home, she found her grandmother outside at the food stand, serving a customer. “Oh, welcome home! How was your day?” her grandmother greeted warmly.
Yumi stretched her arms and forced a smile, pretending everything was fine.“It was a good day, Grandma,” she said cheerfully. With that, she hurried inside.
As soon as she shut her bedroom door, the facade crumbled. She clutched her aching shoulder, lowering herself to the floor in silence. Tears spilled over her cheeks—silent, suppressed sobs. She refused to make a sound, not wanting to worry her grandmother.
After showering, she examined herself in the mirror. A large, ugly bruise had formed on her shoulder. At least it’s just that, she thought bitterly.
Throwing herself onto the bed, she buried her face in her pillow.
"Why is it always me?" she whispered. "I didn’t choose to have this body..."
Hoping to distract herself, she turned on the TV.
An anime from her childhood played on the screen—a fantasy series about heroic warriors fighting against evil. Her favorite character was the archer, a tall, confident, and intelligent girl—everything she wished she could be. But as her gaze shifted to the main protagonist—a righteous, valiant hero devoted to protecting others—a thought crossed her mind.
Could Hakuto-senpai have been my hero…?
With that lingering thought, she drifted into sleep.
The next day, on the weekend, Yumi went to practice her archery. She headed to her usual spot—a distant park with designated areas for bow training and targets with bullseyes. It took her forty minutes by train to get there, but she didn’t mind.
She pulled out her bow and practice arrows, adjusted her glasses, nocked an arrow, and took a shot. The arrow struck the edge of the target.
“Mmm, darn,” she muttered, frowning in disappointment. As she moved her shoulder, a dull ache reminded her of where she had been hit before.
She nocked another arrow, but as she focused on the target, her vision blurred slightly. Ignoring it, she released the arrow—but this time, it missed completely.
Frustrated, she groaned, kicked the ground, and checked her glasses. “What the heck...?” she mumbled. Something wasn’t right.
Is my sight getting worse? she wondered.
She sighed. I probably need a new prescription...
But then, another thought crept in.
I don’t want to burden Grandma with more expenses... I can still see up close, so it should be fine.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips as a sense of defeat settled over her. With slumped shoulders, she packed up her things and headed home.
On Monday, Yumi went to class as usual, but she kept her distance from everyone, doing her best to stay unnoticed. She avoided both Hakuto and the gyaru girl, keeping her head down—just trying to survive high school.
Luckily, as the days passed, the gyaru girl seemed to lose interest and stopped bothering her.
Time passed, and soon, the school year came to an end. It was the last day of school—the day the seniors would graduate.
As the final bell rang, the halls buzzed with emotion. Students exchanged their goodbyes, some tearing up, others laughing. Some even found the courage to confess their feelings, hoping for a last chance before parting ways.
Yumi just left quietly.
She walked home alone, her mind adrift in thought, when suddenly, someone stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
“Ah—!” Her eyes widened in shock.
It was her.
The gyaru girl stood before her, her piercing eyes filled with fury. Her makeup was smudged, her expression twisted with pain and rage—she had been crying.
“This is all your fault, you stupid cow,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom.
Yumi stiffened.
“If you hadn’t been flaunting your stupid body, Hakuto would have been mine!”
Earlier that day…
Rio Tanaka, the gyaru, had finally mustered the courage to confess to Hakuto, her childhood friend and next-door neighbor.
With her heart pounding, she had poured everything into her words.
"I’ve loved you since we were little," she had said, her voice shaking with emotion.
But his response shattered her world.
"I’m sorry, Rio... but I love someone else. I only see you as a little sister."
Those words crushed her.
Blinded by heartbreak, Rio wandered aimlessly, emotions spiraling. And then—by pure chance—she saw her.
Yumi.
And just like that, all her pain turned to blame.
Rio stepped toward Yumi.
she trembled, paralyzed in fear.
Luckily—a group of students passed by, momentarily distracting Rio. Yumi saw her chance. Without thinking, she turned and bolted.
She ran.
Her heart pounded, her breath came in ragged gasps. She didn’t stop until she reached home.
“Agh... aghh...” she panted, trying to catch her breath.
As soon as she stepped inside, she rushed to her room, shut the door, and slid to the floor.
Her hands trembled. Her heart still raced. But at least she was safe. For now.
Fortunately for her, the school break had just begun. She wouldn’t have to see Rio for a while.
When Yumi entered her second year of high school, she was wary.
She did everything she could to avoid Rio. The few times she spotted her from afar, she immediately hid or changed direction. She avoided empty hallways and secluded areas.
But it was impossible for her to go completely unnoticed—her presence always drew attention, whether she wanted it or not.
Then, the subtle harassment began.
Her belongings started disappearing.
She once found her schoolbag dumped in the trash.
Curses were scrawled across her desk in permanent ink.
One day, as Yumi walked through the hallway, she noticed a gyaru girl and two delinquent boys approaching. Her stomach twisted—but it wasn’t Rio.
Still, instinct told her to turn around and walk the other way.
But the moment she did, she froze. Rio stood there, watching her with piercing, vengeful eyes.
Trapped.
Yumi’s breath hitched as Rio stepped closer, a smirk tugging at her lips. “I told you—you’re going to regret messing with me.”
Before anything else could happen, a passing teacher called out, “It’s time for class. Move along.”
Rio clicked her tongue in irritation, and her clique was forced to back off.
As they walked away, one of the delinquent boys leaned in and whispered darkly, “Don’t worry, Rio. We’ve got plenty of time.”
Yumi didn’t wait to hear more. She turned and ran.
That year was hell.
The bullying never turned physical, but the constant harassment chipped away at her.
Rio and her friends made sure she was never at peace, slowly wearing her down, making her feel like nothing.
More than once, Yumi thought about quitting school altogether.
But, she endured.
When the school year finally ended, she felt a small sense of relief.
During the break, she helped her grandmother at the food stand. Archery became a thing of the past—her skills had shown no improvement, and she no longer had the energy to keep trying. In the end, she gave up.
Most of her free time was spent at home, mindlessly watching TV or browsing the internet.
She had become a hikikomori.