By the time Oshiro arrived, you were already laying in Minoru's bed, on top of all the covers to allow you to feel a little less constrained. She leaned against the doorway for a while and just stared at you. You tried to ignore her, pretend you were anywhere other than where you were.

The room was quiet without Minoru's constant dove-like cooing. You could hear when Oshiro finally pushed herself away from the doorframe and started to walk towards the bed.

You stiffened and turned over onto your side to watch her approach. You'd been conditioned to associate the sound of her footsteps with the impact of her fist. Your broken arm ached at the memory.

She gave you the same look she had the day you beat the shit out of Kimiko. Like you were a feral pet. She sat at the foot of Minoru's bed, just out of reach for both of your safeties, and propped her elbows up on her knees.

She repeatedly ran her hand through the long tuft of hair atop her head before finally sighing and saying, "Did you know that Minoru's family owns their own private hospital? Her dad's a CEO and her mom's a doctor. That's where she gets all her drugs. If she has an ache or a sniffle or an inconvenient emotion one minute, she has a script for the strongest medicine available the next."

She was silent for a while after that. You shifted down the bed just far enough to kick her. If you're gonna say something, say it. Then leave me the hell alone.

She grunted at the force of your kick but continued, "When I was eight, just a small thing, I got into a really bad car accident. A truck t-boned us. I got out with a few cuts and bruises, but my dad was on the side of the car that got hit... He went to sleep and just never woke up."

There was a quiver in her voice as she said, "Now, my family is the exact opposite of Minoru's. We have a lot of love but not a lot of money. And long-term hospitalization is expensive. Minoru's family is paying for now. But the moment I'm not in their daughter's good graces, their charity could dry up and they could pull the plug on my dad."

Big, fat tears trickled down her cheeks before she roughly rubbed them away with her sleeves.

"Why are you telling me this?" You asked at last.

"I thought... I thought it might make you understand what I'm doing. Why I'm doing it."

"Oshiro, it's been ten years," you reasoned, bone-tired but trying to get through to her. "You're taking care of a corpse. How many more girls are you going to sacrifice on Minoru's altar? Do you think your dad would have wanted this for you or your 'friends?'"

Oshiro stood up abruptly and advanced on you like she was getting ready to knock your lights out. You scrambled to the far side of the bed and took a deep breath in, getting ready to scream for Minoru.

"Don't you say that!" She bellowed in a low, threatening voice. "Don't you dare say that about my dad! He's going to wake up! It's not too late!"

Then she completely broke down, fell to her knees and started bawling like a baby. "I'm sorry, okay?! I'm so goddamn sorry... You're the last one, though. That's what she told me. You're Minoru's favorite. I think she can be satisfied with just one, so long as that one is you. I'm so sorry..."

"I'll never be able to forgive you," you whispered, just loud enough to be heard over her sobbing. "I couldn't even if I tried."

She wailed even louder, cried even harder if that was even possible. "I... I know."

...

Minoru came back with a mug of what smelled like jasmine tea. You refused it at first, but then she motioned to Oshiro, the threat implicit, and you took it. You weren't going to give her the satisfaction of pouring it down your throat.

She put enough sugar in it that it had the consistency of simple syrup, but it still couldn't mask the taste of the drugs. Especially at the end. You saw a bit of fine white powder settled at the bottom of the mug before she set it on the nightstand.

"Good girl," she purred, "Now lay down."

You followed her instructions, laid on your side in the middle of the bed, petulantly facing away from her. It was better than her having Oshiro pin you to the bed for disobedience. Just barely.

You weren't expecting her to slide into bed behind you, wrap an arm around your waist, and pull you back into a little-spoon position. Her knees were tucked behind your own, her chest pressed against your back so you could feel every breath she took.

"Baby, baby, baby," she whispered on repeat. "I love you."

You said nothing.

"You know that, right?"

Still nothing.

This was only temporary, you told yourself, trying to rein in your disgust with her and with yourself for submitting to her. In two weeks, you'd be in a new school. Far away from these crazy girls and everything that happened at Haruki High.

"Look on the bright side, sweetness. You don't have to change schools anymore!"

How in the hell does she know about that?

You tensed even further, before carefully turning over onto your other side, now facing her. Minoru lifted her arm just long enough for you to get settled before resting it back on your waist again. Then she nudged one of her knees between your own, entwining your legs with hers.

The whole time she hummed, wore the warmest, sweetest smile you'd ever seen on her.

"Didn't he tell you? Your father visited my house the other day. He got down on his hands and knees and begged me to do something about the bullying, so you didn't have to leave Haruki High."

"You're lying," you said through gritted teeth, just barely holding back your tears. Aina's father was such a proud man. He would never kneel before a child.

"When have I ever lied to you?" She laughed like she couldn't believe it herself. "I'm just happy that you're back where you belong. With me." You belong to me went unsaid, but you shivered at its implication.

I don't belong to anyone. And the last place I should be is with you, you thought with a scowl. Her grin did not falter under your death stare. If anything, it got wider.

"I like your father," she continued, "I'd hate for anything to happen to him, or your mother for that matter. Why, you'd be left destitute!"

"Now you're threatening my parents?"

"Threatening? No, no, I'm just stating facts. Have I upset you?"

She had and she knew it. You couldn't hold it in any longer. You began to cry in earnest.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I forgot how sensitive you were!" Minoru held your face in her hands, wiping away your tears with her thumbs before laying kisses on both your eyes. "It's okay. Nothing bad will happen as long as I'm around. I promise."

You looked over her shoulder at Oshiro watching like a voyeur as Minoru kissed and cuddled you.

I need to get out of this abusive relationship. Before I or someone I know gets hurt. The only question is how?