A New Chance of Life

7

Yuta went out on a mission so you're under the care of Maki, Panda, and Inumaki.

In the dining room, you tried eating with your three temporary caretakers but you felt so intimidated. Their conversation wasn't something you understood so you were left out because you didn't know the lingo. You didn't want to eat with them, but it was Panda who dragged you out. Thus, you were forced into this uncomfortable situation where you had nothing to speak about.

"Hey y/n, did you know..." That's when Panda brought you into the conversation once he noticed your quiet behavior. He didn't want you to feel left out when it's their job to watch over you and make you feel comfortable enough to talk.

Regardless, you did your best at keeping the topic going, but you barely understood their talk about sorcery. Only small words or agreements came out of your mouth, yet it didn't fill up the void in your chest as you're not close with them. Having all of them together in one room with you felt so pressurizing since you had no bonds between any of them.

Then the subject changed to them talking about what they're going to do with their free time. The topic there was something you really couldn't relate to. You didn't live a free life like them to understand what it meant to live with your own will and desires. You knew your circumstances were too different and dark. Who in the world would ever have any connections with you and your horrendous past? Nobody.

Casting your eyes down, you mustered the courage to leave first. "Excuse me. I'm going to get cleaned up," you didn't make eye contact with any of them as your head hung low. You left fast before they could interject and stop you.

The crew watched you go, wondering to themselves why you left so abruptly.

"Maki, I think you scared her," Panda playfully pushed the blame into her since her haughty attitude can rub people off the wrong way.

A tick mark grew on her forehead, feeling irritated and insulted as she knew she didn't do anything to trigger you. Her eyes narrowed at Panda. "Whaaat?! I didn't even say anything! I was talking normally like everyone else was. I don't know what you're on!"

"Tuna tuna!" Inumaki said.

/////

Back inside your room, you threw your clothes into the woven laundry basket and stepped inside the steamy bathroom. The water ran hot as it hit your body, soaking it to cleanse the impurities you carried. Beads of water dripped from your face while you stared at your feet, wondering why the scorching hot water wasn't melting off your skin or hairs. It felt like nothing to you.

"Damn, I guess I'm still numb to heat. Throw me into boiling water, I think I'll survive that too."

Then you proceeded to wash yourself, cleaning your hair and body by what the school provided in each room. Generic or luxury brand items didn't matter to you as much. None of those things had significance to you more than trying to survive.

The bubbles slid down the drain until it disappeared while your hands moved up and down your limbs until your brows furrowed from your unwanted memory. Similar to a slide show, images of your followers and uncle violating you—hitting you and cutting you open like food—caused you to grunt in disgust and quickly end your shower.

You couldn't be at peace when their faces lingered in your mind. You wished you could turn it off.

Afterwards, you stood in front of a full-length mirror and dropped your towel on the floor, revealing your horrendous body in front of your disgusted eyes. A scowl painted your face as your voice cracked. "Gosh, I'm ugly... I'm not beautiful or likable. Who would ever like me once they hear about the torment I've been through? They're fools if they believe otherwise..." You grabbed all the meat on your stomach, hips, arms, and legs to see a distorted version of yourself. In the mirror, you saw your body covered in bruises, marks, broken bones, blood, and many more. But the bigger thing was seeing your uncle holding his hands around your neck to kill you over and over again.