𝑂𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑖 𝑁𝑜 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉 | 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒔

𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒊

"Come on. Roll it up."

Shinya directed while you remained firm, your eyes cold and lifeless, looking the other way, utterly dismissing his demand. Shinya gives you a dejected expression before forcefully drawing you towards him and yanking up your sleeves, prompting you to sigh. "What did I say, Y/n?"

"Not to abuse oneself and always ask for help."

"And what did you do?" He grimaced as he saw the red and purple blotches on both of your arms, as well as the wounds you'd incurred from relentlessly scraping, torturing, and straining yourself beyond your breaking point in order not to ever depict any indication of weakness.

"...Abuse myself."

"Exactly. You can't keep doing this, my sweetest sister. If you need me, I'm here." He adds as you give him a short glance before shrugging, "You know how I was reared; I can't just discard all I've acquired."

"Look. I'm not sure what they did to you back then, but it's all in the past. That is not how you should identify yourself since doing so would only cause you more anguish." He replies carefully lifting your battered arms before your office door taps to a knocking sound as you and Shinya turn to it, as the door opens disclosing Shinoa, she discreetly closes the door behind her as her hands are locked behind her back.

"Just as I expected." Shinoa sighed sadly, gazing at the bruises with Shinya, as she handed him a first aid kit with bandages and alcohol. "Shinoa. How was the prior training? Is that raven-haired fool finally getting it?" You spoke straightforwardly, implying the guy called Yuichiro Hyakuya.

"Hmmm. You can't really change him, he's very childish and immature." She shrugged.

Shinoa saw her elder step-brother clean your wounds and wrap your arms in bandage wraps as he placed an ice pack on the bruises to reduce swelling as he looked back at you. "Listen, there are other methods in...No, that's not right. Okay, let me rephrase it. If you expose a sliver of humility, you have nothing to be humiliated of."

"Yes, as a soldier in the Japanese Imperial Demon Army, if you are perceived as weak, you will be disregarded by many." You retorted angrily as Shinya removed the ice pack and slipped protective arm sleeves on your arms as he drew down your uniform sleeves and adjusted your gloves. "Does it still hurt?" He asks.

"I feel you are forgetting something. Big brother, I have a high pain threshold." You answered. "I was aware of the fact that it had never been normal, to begin with. But if you could, please do it for me. Stop using this coping strategy; you are a human, not a callous entity. Stop being ashamed of expressing feelings." He and Shinoa traded winces as they both regarded you, hoping for a favorable answer.

"I cannot guarantee that."

Shinoa and Shinya exchanged sad looks as Shinya's shoulders sagged; he thought that the same circumstance that happened to him as a child wouldn't affect you the same way, but you, Shinya's younger sister, did.

Shinya was intended to be Mahiru's fiancée, but she went for a scumbag like Ichinose, while you negotiated a marriage with the other Hiiragi sibling.

Seishiro Hiiragi.

He was given the contract to sign at the age of nineteen for you and his marriage to be married off when you were still fourteen years old. The age difference bothered several people, including your brother, but it was the Hiiragi Clan, and no one could violate the rules.

You had no sympathy for the brother since all he wanted to do was compel you to accept his love, even at the risk of being harassed every night and getting away with it.

The man named Seishiro was nothing more than an inept worthless coward who, although seeming strong and vicious, had never been on the front lines, forcing both of them to display total hatred and no regard for him. To your luck, the marriage was annulled following Mahiru's infidelity, and you treated him like a stranger since to you, getting married off to a wretched fool like him wasn't worth it.