Prompt 10: Shiho's Tomorrow (Patreon)

Summary: After the pain and misery Kamoshida put her through, a seemingly recovered Shiho joins Ann and her new friends for a 'Girls' Day Out.' What follows is a tale of warmth, regret, pain, and hope.

--- 

Shiho was a victim of bad habits. She admitted as such to her therapist, and even before Kamoshida, she found herself doing little, repetitive things when she was alone and waiting. There was no real reason for it, she just needed something to do. 

That was why she found her finger rapidly pounding at her knee, hitting again and again as she waited for Ann. Shiho’s best friend was going to introduce her to some new friends, an idea that sounded nice over the fun, but now…

Shiho sighed, the pace of her finger escalating as her mind was wracked with anxiety and worry. What if she made a fool of herself? What if they hated her? What if they knew exactly who she was, and what had happened to her, and pitied her like some kind of beaten pet…?

The young woman gulped down her fears, switching hands and now rapidly tapping on her left knee with her left hand. Her throat felt dry. She glanced up and down the street, wondering if Ann was even coming.

Maybe they weren’t friends anymore. Maybe Ann realized how useless Shiho was and-

“Shiho!” 

The thought was killed before it could even end, and Shiho looked up from her bench to find Ann’s beaming face. The young woman ran forward, followed by three others. They all soon reached the dark-haired girl, smiling at her as they sat or stood around her. Ann bent forward, wrapping Shiho in a warm embrace.

“Super sorry for being late! The subway was taking forever. You okay?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shiho replied. “I’m okay.” It was a little white lie, but the girl didn’t want to worry her friend. 

She felt immediate regret for her own thoughts. She felt stupid and ashamed for thinking Ann would actually abandon her… Shiho should have known better.

Her therapist warned the young woman not to be so hard on herself, but it was a hard lesson to learn. The young woman tried to ignore her thoughts as she looked from one girl to another. She actually recognized two of them, while the third girl was a complete stranger. 

“Hello, Niijima-senpai, Okumura-senpai,” the young woman greeted, bowing her head.  

One of those girls was Makoto Niijima, an upperclassmen and a student council president. Shiho had walked past the girl before, but there was something very different about Makoto. The president that Shiho was used to seeing was focused, confident, and stoic. The Makoto in front of her looked nervous, and she bowed even lower than Shiho had.  

“It’s wonderful meeting you, Suzui-san.”

Suzui-san…?

“Oh, uh…” Shiho wasn’t sure how to respond, so she did her best to smile as she turned her eyes to Haru Okumura, another upperclassmen, and the heir to one of the biggest companies Shiho knew of.

How Ann had made friends with the wealthy heiress was a story Shiho would love to hear later, she thought.

“Hello, Shi-chan. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.” The smile Haru gave was practically radiant, and it practically glowed with friendliness. “Please, just call us by our first names! We’re friends, after all.”

Finally there was the fourth girl, one that Shiho had never met before. A short girl, probably a year or two younger than her, with long orange hair, glasses, and a green jacket that looked too big on her. The young girl glanced at Shiho, before stepping to the side, partly hiding behind Makoto.

Makoto smiled at the smaller girl’s antics, before stepping aside. She leaned down and whispered something to her, and that seemed to relax the orange-haired girl.

“I’m Futaba Sakura!” The girl blushed, covering her mouth as she practically screamed her greeting. “I mean, I’m Futaba Sakura. It’s nice to meet you, Shiho Suzui. I mean, Shiho. S-Suzui-san?” The girl blushed, her face glowing a bright shade of pink as she quietly groaned. “Can I get a second life…?” Shiho heard her mumbled to Makoto.

The other girls chuckled and quietly laughed at the young girl, but Shiho felt an odd sense of relief. It was comforting to know that she wasn’t the only one to feel nervous. Ann had made such amazing friends since the beginning of the school year. It was oddly relaxing to know that at least one of them felt as awkward as Shiho did.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Futaba. You can just call me Shiho.” The dark-haired girl approached Futaba and held her hand out to her. Shiho tried to put on her nicest smile, and to her relief, it worked. Futaba took her hand with a relieved sigh, smiling.

“Okay... Thanks. You can call me Futaba! Oh, y-you already did.” The girl groaned, blushing again. 

The group chuckled at Futaba’s embarrassment, before Ann looked at her best friend, throwing an arm over Shiho’s shoulder and pulling her in close. 

“Alright! So, where to first? Movies? Shopping? The park?”

“Oh, I have no preference,” Shiho promised. “I’m just glad to have time with you again, Ann.” Neither girl said it, but they both thought back to when the poor woman had been hospitalized. The months she spent going through physical therapy…

They had a lot of time to make up for.

“Then let’s just walk around and explore! Come on, girls!” Ann looked at Makoto, beaming. “What was that saying you told me? Carpy liam?”

“Carpe diem. Seize the day,” Makoto reminded with an amused smile.

“Right! Let’s seize the day, gang!”

---

The first store the group went to was a department store, led there by Ann. She led the group to the clothes section and began to happily suggest outfits for her friends. She wore a smile on her face, but every few moments her blue eyes would look at Shiho, and guilt would bubble inside of her.

Shiho was smiling on the outside, but Ann could see the girl clearly lagged behind at times. Despite how she tried to make it look, Shiho became exhausted quickly, and she walked with an obvious limp at times, but hid it with a smile, brushing it off. 

Ann tried to be happy, she really did, but she still couldn’t help but blame herself for what had happened. Kamoshida, and Shiho’s… suicide attempt… All of it weighed on her shoulders, and every time she saw Shiho’s smile falter, or saw her slow down, she blamed herself.

“Hey, what about this?” Ann grabbed a dress off of rack and held it in front of Shiho, looking the surprised girl over. “Yeah, you’d look great in this! Why don’t you try it on?” 

“O-oh, that’s okay, Ann. Besides, it looks a bit out of my price range,” the girl replied, glancing at the tag. 

“Don’t worry about it! I’ll cover for it!”

“What? No! I couldn’t ask you to do that for me!”

“I told you, don’t worry about it,” Ann smiled. “You can buy me some sweets later to make it up to me.” 

They both knew that Ann’s favorite sweets were less than half of what this dress cost. Shiho opened her mouth to argue, but Haru, seemingly aware of what Ann was doing, moved closer with a smile.

“Oh, I agree! I think you’d just be lovely in that dress! You should definitely try it on, Shi-chan!”

With two smiling faces urging her, Shiho crumbled and nodded her head with a defeated smile. “Alright, I’ll try it, at least.” 

“Great! Changing room’s over there! Go, go, go! I bet you’re going to look great in it!” Ann motioned her friend to start walking, and the blonde’s energy seemed to infect Shiho. The dark-haired girl laughed at her friend’s grin, and obeyed, walking to the changing rooms.

Ann was just about to follow, when Haru’s hand caught hers. The two looked at one another, and Ann felt a strange chill go up her spine. It wasn’t that Haru looked scary, or intimidating, but rather how she looked… like she knew exactly what Ann was thinking.

Haru wasn’t smiling. She just stared into Ann’s eyes, concern clear in her own. “Do you want to talk, Ann-chan?”

“I… About what?” she asked.

Haru’s thumb gently stroked Ann’s, massaging the skin. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here. For you, for her… Okay?” The older girl didn’t give Ann a chance to answer, before she released her hand. The two quietly began to walk to the changing rooms as Haru asked, “Do you want me to cover for the dress? I can give you the money…”

Ann blinked. “Really?” She quickly deflated, shaking her head. “N-no. It should be me. I want it to be me.”

“Alright, Ann-chan. Don’t be afraid to ask me for money though, if you need it, okay?” Haru smiled at her, and Ann returned the gesture. 

“Right… Thanks, Haru.”

---

“Come on, Shiho! You can’t stay in there forever!” Ann groaned. “Come out so we can see you!”

“It’s just… You promise not to laugh, right?” Shiho’s voice answered from behind the door.

“Of course we’re not going to laugh!” 

“What if it’s really funny, though?” Futaba thought aloud, looking at Ann. Makoto gently elbowed the girl, making her pout. “I was just asking…”

Shiho opened the door, her cheeks a rosy hue. The dress was monochrome, black at the top, before fading into a snow white color at the bottom. It was a simple dress, with a pair of straps holding onto Shiho’s naked shoulders. It didn’t cover her sleeves, leaving her arms naked as well. 

She blushed as the girls smiled at her, and that blush only grew worse as they crowded around her.

“You look great,” Makoto smiled.

“Yes! Positively radiant!” Haru agreed.

“Looking good, Shiho!” Futaba offered a thumbs up.

Ann, the most fashion focused on the group, rubbed her chin in silent thought. “Hmm, looking at it on you, it’s a little long on the legs. You want me to try and find you a shorter one?” 

Shiho looked down at the dress. It was nice, she had to admit. Soft to the touch, and easy on the eyes, but…

“Your skirt’s so damn short, Shiho… Trying to impress me?” Kamoshida’s oily, hot breath burned her ear as his fingers slithered under her skirt, massaging her posterior. 

The memory brought Shiho crashing back down to reality, and she shivered. Bile stung her tongue as she shook her head.

“N-no. I’m okay.” She almost rejected the dress all together, but Ann’s concerned gaze reminded her where she was. Who she was with. She sighed, rubbing her naked arms as she crossed them. “This is good. I like this,” she explained.

“Oh. Okay. No problem, Shiho.” Ann wore a smile on her face as she nodded. “You look great in this anyways.” Yet her compliment fell on deaf ears. They only brought up memories that Shiho would have liked long buried...

“Well, it worked. Keep dressing like a slut and you’ll almost be as pretty as Ann…” Kamoshida kissed her cheek, and Shiho tried to her trembling as just being cold. 

“Thanks, Ann…”

---

The group soon arrived at a bookstore, led there by Makoto this time. The brunette grinned as she looked through the wealth of knowledge the store had, and while the others weren’t as excited as she was, they still found things to interest them in the store.

“Ooh, look at this,” Ann grinned, holding up a book about Paris. 

“You’ve always wanted to go,” Shiho commented.

“Aww, you remembered!” 

“You two find anything you like?” Makoto inquired, walking over to the two. 

“I have,” Ann smiled.

“Not yet,” Shiho answered.

“Maybe I can help? What kind of books do you enjoy reading, Suzui-san?”

It was so strange for Shiho to be called that, especially by someone older than her, but she tried not to let it get to her. She just smiled as she thought. “Well, I’ve always liked books about legends.”

“Really? How fascinating. Why don’t we go look in that section?” suggested the older girl.

“You two go ahead, I’m going to sit down and do some reading,” Ann smiled.

Shiho bid her friend goodbye, before walking by Makoto’s side. It was funny. She never thought she would ever hang out with the older brunette, but here she was. 

“Here’s the aisle on legends and myths,” Makoto pointed out, leading Shiho to the bookcase. “Please, go ahead, and if there’s anything you’d like, I’d be able to cover it for you. I have a membership here.”

“Oh. Um, thank you, Makoto-senpai.” That was odd. Ann offering to pay for something was one thing, they were best friends, but today was the day Shiho and Makoto had ever really met… Shiho shrugged her shoulder, looking through the books as Makoto pretended to read her own book.

The young woman was ignorant of what Makoto was thinking, or of the guilt that was biting at her mind. Makoto blamed herself for what had happened to Shiho. She knew Ann did the same, and she knew why Ann thought that, but Makoto still held herself responsible.

She was the student council president, a role Makoto took very seriously. She was supposed to be a leader, an inspiration, someone that other students could approach with fear.

Yet Shiho had attempted suicide. She had still been molested, and worse, right under Makoto’s nose. The worst part was that Makoto should have known, and maybe she did. She just denied the truth because it was easier… because not even trying to fight an, at the time, impossible battle was easier than just talking to Shiho…

Makoto felt more guilt and shame bite at her mind. She was making this about her. That was selfish and foolish of her. The brunette had started to read a book about talking to someone with depression as soon as Ann had suggested the girls hang out together. The book advised again and again, not to make everything about her. 

Shiho was the victim. Shiho was the one in need of friends and comfort…

“Ooh!” A sound of excitement and joy broke Makoto from her melancholy thoughts, and she walked over to the young woman with a curious smile.

“What is it?”

“A book about urban legends. Look, this one is about the Teke Teke.”

“The Teke Teke?” Makoto repeated. “I’m unfamiliar with that legend. What’s it about?”

Makoto regretted it as soon as Shiho had begun reading. “The Teke Teke is the ghost of a woman who was sliced in half by a train. She runs on her hands at night, looking for victims. If the victim isn’t fast enough to escape her, she slices them in half, making them into a ghost like her.”

“Oh.” Makoto’s voice cracked and she shivered where she stood. “H-how… interesting. Um, do you believe in those stories, Suzui-san?” 

“Hm? Oh, I don’t.” The brunette girl felt a wave of relief wash over her. Somehow knowing Shiho didn’t believe in the horror stories made her feel safer. “I’m just fascinated by the stories people make.”

“Oh? Do you want to be a writer?” 

Shiho blushed at the question, and she slowly shook her head. “N-no. I could never be a writer.”

“I don’t think that’s true. Writing is a skill, and like any skill, practice makes perfect. I’m sure if you put your mind to it, you could be an amazing writer.” 

Shiho smiled at Makoto, but her mind betrayed her yet again. That’s easy for her to say… Perfect eyes, perfect figure, perfect mind… Shiho wasn’t like Makoto. She wasn’t born perfect. 

“I appreciate it, Makoto-senpai, but I just don’t think I could do it… I’d just fail at it,” she sighed. She tried to put the book back, only for Makoto to stop her.

“Everyone fails, Suzui-san.” After all, I failed you… “What matters is dusting yourself off and trying again. At least let me get you the book. You seem to really like it.”

“Alright…” Shiho nodded her head, before looking at Makoto. “Senpai, why do you keep referring to me like that?”

“Oh.” The brunette’s cheeks burned as she avoided Shiho’s hazel eyes. “I just want to show you the respect I have for you.”

“You can just call me Shiho.” The girl put on a smile, but when Makoto looked her in the eyes, there was still a clear sadness in them. “And thank you, Makoto-senpai. For the book.”

“It’s no problem, Suzui-s… Shiho.”

---

After the book store, the five girls soon reached a beautiful garden nursery. Plants covered the walls as sweet fragrances stroked their senses. Haru seemed especially happy to be here, happily pointing out certain species of fauna. Shiho had always liked plants, but she couldn’t imagine having the knowledge that the older girl had.

If hanging out with Makoto was odd, being around the wealthy heiress was surreal. Shiho felt almost scared of her. Haru wasn’t mean, or threatening, but there was something clearly intimidating about being around someone so wealthy and above her social class.

“So many perfect women in this school, and I’m stuck with you throwing yourself at me. Oh, well. Least you’re easy,” Kamoshida mocked, as he licked Shiho’s soft, sweet skin.

Shiho shivered at the memory, that familiar taste of bile burning her mouth. She pulled away from the group as her leg burned with paid that should have been long healed…

“Are you okay, Shi-chan?” Shiho lifted her head up to find Haru smiling at her. 

‘Oh, Haru. It’s nothing. Just my leg…”

“That’s hardly nothing,” Haru chuckled. “Maybe I can help you?” The auburn-haired girl looked around the store, before pointing at a corner. “There’s an excellent herbal medicine section over there. Tea that can help numb pain, or even help you sleep. I don’t know about you, but I sometimes need help sleeping. I have a bad habit of having nightmares when I desperately need sleep,” she confessed, sighing with a bittersweet laugh.

“Oh. Thank you, Haru.” Shiho waited for Haru to offer to pay for it, but she didn’t. Haru just smiled at her. 

“It’s my pleasure. Oh, do you like carrots? Or pumpkins?” 

It was a sudden, and odd question, yet Haru’s mirth found its way infecting Shiho. “I like pumpkin flavored drinks, so yeah, I guess I do like pumpkins.”

“Oh, excellent! I’ve been talking to Ann-chan and the others about making a gardening club out of the school! We could all be the first members!” 

Shiho snorted, unable to help herself as Haru stared in confusion. “I-I’m sorry. It’s just… Ann can’t take care of a plant. When we were kids, we were given seeds to grow at our homes. Ann had hers for a day before she killed it in a flood. The same thing happened with her mom’s flowers a year later. She told Ann to take care of them while she was out, and Ann overwatered it. Then she tried putting it in the stove to warm it back up.” Shiho was wracked with giggles by now, laughing at the memories, and now Haru was joining her.

“So that’s why she declined the offer!” 

“Ann’s terrible with plants. It’s like a weird superpower she has,” Shiho giggled.

“Well, Mako-chan’s already politely declined. Futaba did take me up on the offer, so if you wanted to, well… the offer stands.” Haru smiled at Shiho, and the dark-haired teen returned it.

“I’ll think about it. Thanks, Haru.”

The older girl nodded her head, before turning and walking away. Haru said nothing as she quietly looked over plants, her mind far from the small shop. Instead, her thoughts were with her old fiance, Sugimura…

Haru knew Shiho’s story, and it pained Haru’s heart to know what the poor girl had gone through. It also sent a chill down the heiress’ spine to imagine what could have happened to her.

Their stories were not the same, but Haru had a unique view on the matter. She had known what it was like to be in an abusive relationship. To have someone say they loved you, to pretend to be romantic, only to be spiteful and vile… Only to hurt you… Steal from you…

Haru touched her soft lips as memories rose to the surface within her. Sugimura stole her first kiss from her. It had been sudden, and it did not last long, but it still pained her heart and soul to know it had happened. The bitter taste of his tongue burned her own as she sighed, shaking her mind of the memories…

She could only imagine the pain Shiho had gone through…

---

“So, do you like Feathermen?” 

“The children’s show? Um… I mean, I used to watch it when I was younger. Sometimes if I have a little cousin coming over, I watch it with them,” Shiho answered.

Futaba, the orange-haired girl who Shiho had just met today, frowned at that, but still nodded her head. “What about Kamen Rider?”

“Common, what?”

“Nothing…” 

The group had stopped by a hobby store this time, and Futaba had stuck by Shiho’s side since entering. The older girl didn’t have a problem with the company, but it was clear the two had little they could actually talk about.

“What kind of movies do you like?”

“Oh, um… Romantic comedies? You?”

“Science fiction,” she replied with a long sigh. 

There was a deafening silence as the two avoided each other’s gaze. Shiho felt guilty, honestly. The young girl was clearly trying. Shiho opened her mouth to ask Futaba a question, hoping it would make the girl more comfortable, but Futaba spoke first.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I’m really bad at this.”

“It’s okay,” Shiho quickly replied. “I wish I wasn’t so boring…”

“You’re not boring,” Futaba corrected. “I’m just weird.” She kicked at the floor, frowning. “Usually I have my key item to help, but I wanted to show how far I’ve come, and all I did was make myself look stupid..”

“That’s not true. You’re far from stupid,” Shiho pouted. “Let’s keep trying. What kind of music do you like?”

“All kinds of music,” the younger girl replied. “Fast paced stuff, mostly though. Dubstep, techno, EDM, pop-”

“I like pop music.” Shiho stopped walking and looked around the store. She grinned as she saw a Risette poster on the wall. “How do you like Risette?”

“Ooh, I like her! Her music’s awesome!” Futaba beamed. 

“I’ve loved her music since I was a kid. I have a lot of her old CDs back at my house.”

“Whoooa. CDs. Before the age of downloaded music,” Futaba whistled. “She had a guest star appearance in a Featherman episode. She teamed up with Feather Pink to use music against the Monster of the Week!”

“You’ll have to show me that episode. I think Risette’s a fantastic actor. I know Ann really looks up to her.”

“Totally! We can hang out in my room! Um, or we can do stuff in your room! Either’s cool with me!” Futaba beamed. The ice has been broken, and Shiho smiled as the awkward tension in the air melted away.

“What are you two talking about?” Ann asked, walking over with a friendly grin on her face.

“Risette,” Shiho replied, pointing at the poster from earlier. 

“Yeah! We’re leveling up cause we’re both fans of her!” Futaba beamed.

“Really? I didn’t know you were a fan, Futaba. I like her too, you know.” Ann was surprised as Futaba’s knuckles brushed against hers, like a soft fist bump.

“Level up!”

Ann laughed at the strange girl’s antics as Haru and Makoto walked over to rejoin the group. “Did Shiho tell you about that time we got a backstage tour to one of her concerts?”

The short girl’s jaw nearly hit the floor as she gasped. “No! What was it like?! Was she nice? Was she mean? I want to come next time!” 

“It was amazing. She was incredibly kind to us,” Shiho answered.

“Yeah, but she wasn’t the only one. Risette’s boyfriend was pretty nice to us too.” Ann flashed a toothy smirk as she glanced at Shiho, who blushed and lightly smacked her friend’s shoulder.

“D-don’t!”

“Huh? Don’t what?”

“Shiho has a crush on Risette’s boyfriend.”

“Ann!”

“Kanji Tatsumi? Really? The tailor guy?” Futaba blinked, clearly surprised by the reveal. 

“N-no! I had a crush on him! I don’t-” Shiho’s cheeks flared up, and Ann couldn’t stop herself from giggling in cruel, cruel glee. “I mean, I never had a crush on him!”

“I’m not sure you’re one to talk, Ann,” Makoto commented, matter-of-factly. “You are, after all, the one with a crush on Ryuji of all people. Should you really be teasing poor Shiho in her taste of men?” 

“I-I…” Ann’s cheeks turned as scarlet as Shiho’s, maybe more so. “I do not! W-why would I have a crush on that jerk?!” The dark-haired girl giggled at her friend’s outburst, and Ann pouted. “H-hey, it’s not funny!” 

“It’s a little funny,” Makoto corrected. 

“Oh, yeah? Well, what about you Miss Hidden-Relationship!? How’s Ren?”

“Ah…!” Makoto’s eyes widened, and she stepped back, shocked. “Y-you can’t make fun of me for having a boyfriend! That’s not how this works! You don’t even have one!” 

“Too bad! I just did! Don’t think no one saw you making out when he visited last week!” 

“You saw…?”

“Nope, but you just told me you did!” 

The two girls continued their good-natured war with one another as Futaba, Haru, and Shiho watched with amused smiles. Shiho found herself laughing at Ann and Makoto’s blushing faces. To think the stoic student council president would be so easily embarrassed. 

Kamoshida’s voice felt miles away, and for that moment, Shiho felt like a normal girl hanging out with her friends… 

000

The day was beginning to turn to night, but the group wasn’t ready to part ways just yet. After some debate on what to do next, the five agreed that a movie would be the last thing they would do together before they headed home. 

The hard part, Shiho realized, was deciding what movie. She and her four friends sat outside the theater, discussing and pointing at various movie posters. Shiho didn’t join in, content to simply sit and watch.

“Come on, let’s watch ‘The Memory of You!’” Ann urged. “It’s such a sweet movie, and I know you girls will love it! I even brought tissue boxes for all of us to use.” She pointed at the film’s poster, where a man and a woman held each other under a spotlight. 

“As… considerate as that is of you, Ann, I think we should watch ‘Bandits and Bullets 3.’ It has received rave reviews,” Makoto argued, motioning towards a poster with two men and two women standing in a burning building. She had a slight blush on her cheeks as she coughed into her hand. “I’m just basing my desire to see it off of reviews. I-I’ve never seen the other films in the series…”

“Guys, come on! ‘Space Sheriff: Gaiavan!’” Futaba pointed at the poster featuring the armor covered hero, standing out in space. “There’s a scene where he faces off against Space Kraken! Doesn’t that sound cool?”

Shiho expected the kind and considerate Haru to break the stalemate, but she was in for a rude reality check as Haru pointed at a poster featuring a woman being chased by a masked man with an axe. “Axe Slaughter: Revelations.” She crossed her arms, standing her ground as Ann and Makoto gawked at the auburn-haired woman.

“Can we please pick a movie?” Shiho nervously chuckled, looking at the four. 

“Shiho said Space Sheriff! I heard her!”

“Futaba!” Makoto scolded, frowning at the young girl.

“Wait.” Haru grabbed Futaba’s shoulder and leaned in close, whispering into the girl’s ear. Shiho and the others watched curiously as Ann shivered.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this…?”

“Ooh. I like that!” Futaba and Haru bumped their knuckles together, before grinning. “Haru and I have reached a truce! We change both of our votes for…” The two girls winked at one another, before proudly declaring their answer as one.

“Aliens: Dark Future!”

Both girls pointed at the poster featuring a swarm of black, insect-like aliens crawling out of a hole. They were a swarm of obsidian flesh, drooling and hungry for blood.

“Absolutely not!” Ann shouted.

“Y-yes, I agree with Ann!” Makoto agreed, nodding her head rapidly. 

“Yeah, see! Two votes for, two against! So we’re not going to watch it!” Ann argued.

“I’d like to see it,” Shiho declared, lifting her hand up. 

“Yes!” Futaba threw herself at Shiho, hugging the taller girl. “You’re awesome! I’m so glad we’re friends!”

“The ayes have it!” Haru beamed. “Let’s go get tickets!” She motioned the girls to follow her, and Shiho and Futaba did with smiles on their faces as Makoto and Ann looked at each other with terrified, wide eyes. 

---

The movie was, for better or worse, exactly what each girl thought it was. From right to left: Makoto was hiding behind her popcorn, trying to keep her eyes glued to the floor. Ann was watching the movie, but she continued to jump with every monstrous hiss or screech the titular aliens gave. Futaba was relaxing in her seat, smirking at the explosions as aliens tore apart man and man shot holes in the aliens. Haru was taking the film most seriously, quietly cheering on the main protagonists as they traversed the alien-infested ship. 

Shiho was somewhere between all four of them. She jumped at the jumpscares and cheered for the heroes, but for the most part she was calm. The special effects were amazing, if nothing else.

Then the scene changed from the violence and survival horror of one level of the ship, to another. A female crew member was laying on her bed, shaking as a loud hiss caught her attention. Out of the shadows came one of the aliens, slowly walking towards her as drooled dripped from its toothy maw. 

The woman tried to get off of the bed, only to scream as the alien pounced on top of her, pinning her to the bed. It had one hand on each of hers, holding her down as Shiho’s breath was caught in her throat. The alien leaned down, brushing its wet teeth against the actress’ cheek, twisting Shiho’s stomach as memories boiled in her mind.

“Shiho…” Kamoshida held her down, licking her cheek. 

Please, no. Stop…! She begged her mind, but the images came. And with the images of Kamoshida looming over her, the feeling came back. The sensation of his fingers digging into her skin, the coarse touch of his lips on hers, the ripping pain as his cock tore her apart… 

She felt it. Her fingers dug into her arms as she struggled to breathe. She was holding herself and shaking as tears slowly pooled in the corner of her eyes.

On the screen, the monster brought down the killing blow after an eternity of mocking, sadistic taunting. Like Kamoshida before it, after dragging the woman’s life into a pit of terror, it ended it. The monster impaled the woman on its tail as Kamoshida’s voice whispered in Shiho’s ear.

“You’re mine, slut…”

“No!” Shiho screamed, pushing herself. “Leave me alone!” she shrieked, running from the voices that laughed in her ears. She ran as fast as her body could take her, ignoring the blistering pain of her bad leg. It stung like knives in her skin, but she kept pushing herself, running, even as Ann called out for her.

Shiho ran out of the theater, her heart racing and her leg screaming in pain. Eventually felt something snap, and she fell to the ground, hitting the carpeted floor hard. Her tear stricken face ground against the dirt as she tried to stand back up, only to cry out as her leg failed to hold her weight. 

So instead she found herself falling against the wall, curling into a ball as she sobbed, her vision gone from the tears in her eyes. Her lungs filled the inside of her chest, struggling to take in every ragged breath. It wasn’t enough. She couldn’t catch her breath…

“Shiho!” A voice called out to her through the fog of her memories. Shiho trembled where she laid, almost expect Kamoshida’s arms to squeeze her. Instead she saw Ann run to her side, and place a hand on Shiho’s shoulder. “S-Shiho? Are you okay?”

“Are you okay, Suzui-san? I-it was just a movie, it-” Makoto’s voice died in her throat. One glance and less than a second of thought told her that this was much more than simply a movie. “Shiho…?”

“Shiho, it’s okay, you can talk to me,” Ann pleaded, reaching out to hold the other girl’s shoulders. “Please, talk to me…”

“Don’t rush her,” Futaba advised, gently holding Shiho’s hand. She pushed her fingers into the older girl’s grip, forcing Shiho to hold her hand. “Let it out, Shiho… Let it out.”

Haru sat on the opposite side of Futaba, and she tried her best to comfort the hyperventilating woman. “Shi-chan… Shiho, please! Breathe with me!” she begged, taking slow, deep breaths. Shiho’s almond eyes looked at her, watching the way she breathed in and out, and she tried to mimic the pattern. Every breath was hoarse and scratching to her throat, but it was beginning to set in...

“It’s okay,” Ann whispered, trying to stop her own shaking. “It’s okay, Shiho…”

“No. It’s not!” The young woman cried. She shook her head side to side, tears falling from her face as the dam around her heart shattered. A flood flowed through her body, through her heart and mind, before it came spewing out of her mouth.

“I felt him…! Kamoshida was in there!” Shiho sobbed. “I felt him on me! I felt him holding me, I felt... “ She wailed, and Makoto quickly spoke to a worker, begging for him to give them some privacy and time with their friend. He agreed, as Shiho continued to sob.

“I wanted to die… I wanted to kill myself, just to make the pain stop. I still do,” Shiho hissed, the tears falling into her mouth. “I want to die,” she confessed, and if she could see into Ann’s brilliant blue eyes, Shiho would have seen how painful it was to hear that.

That pain only grew as Shiho hiccuped, scratching at her eyes with her arm. “And I hated you… I-I hated you for abandoning me…Abandoning me to him! To that fucking bastard!” The girls all flinched, shocked to hear the usually friendly girl cursing. Shiho glared at Ann, before the hate in her heart gave way to pain and depression. “I’m sorry, Ann… I-I’m a terrible friend. I just… I wish I was dead… I wish for everything to stop. I just… I want to die…”

Snot dripped down her nose, and whatever beauty the young woman had was gone. Kamoshida’s mocking voice laughed in her ear as Shiho gasped for air.

“I-I should die. I-I actually enjoyed it when he was raping me. I deserve to die for being such a horrible slut… I should-”

“Stop it.” Ann’s voice cut through Shiho’s sorrowful confession. “Stop it, Shiho.” There were tears gliding down Ann’s face, but she didn’t let them stop her. “I’m sorry… I’m so, so, so sorry. I was a terrible friend to you, and not a day goes by that I don’t regret it. I wish I could take it all back…” 

She fell forward, and she pulled Shiho into a tight embrace. The darker haired girl’s eyes widened as Ann held her. The blonde cried into Shiho’s shoulder, gasping for air. “You can hate me. I don’t care. Hate me for the rest of my life. It’s okay,but please, please, don’t hate yourself… You’re not a slut, Shiho. Kamoshida was a monster, but what he did isn’t your fault!”

Ann gave all of her strength to hug Shiho. The latter girl left her head on Ann’s shoulder, and Shiho’s eyes bounced from one friend to another. 

Haru was crying, like Ann, and like Ann, the wealthy heiress fought to help a friend. Haru released Shiho’s hand and embraced the girl. Joining the two for a moment, before pulling away. 

“You are not that man’s victim. You are not his to have. You proved how strong you are, and you prove it again every moment you live from out of his control. No one can ever break you.”

It was something in Haru’s voice. Something that Shiho couldn’t describe. It was like Haru had walked a step in her shoes. Shiho found herself staring at Haru, before looking at Ann.

“She’s right. You are strong,” Shiho’s best friend announced.

“Kamoshida was a monster. The way he treated you… It’s inhumane,” Makoto hissed, her eyes shimmering from barely restrained tears. “And you did nothing to earn what had happened to you. You were a victim. The victim of a selfish, horrible, cruel man. I know it’s… it might not seem like much, but you did nothing to deserve that awful pain. You don’t deserve to be punished, Shiho. You deserve to be rewarded for your strength…”

Makoto sounded desperate, in a way. Desperate to help Shiho, and prove to her that she really did deserve to be happy…

Speaking of which, Futaba was the last to speak, and when Shiho looked into her eyes, the youngest of the five seemed miles away. “Sometimes, when I’m sad, it’s like the world is an abyss, and I just can’t get out. There’s no way out of it. It’s consuming, and huge, and I’m just a weak nobody…”

The words sounded more familiar the more Shiho heard. Futaba took off her glasses and wiped her eyes of tiny droplets. “Sometimes, it’s so bad, I can’t even move. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I can only lay there…” Futaba lunged forward, and she joined Ann and Shiho’s embrace, squeezing both girls. 

“When those moments come, just remember that you’re never alone! We’re your friends, Shiho! We’ll be strong for you, until you can get back up yourself! We’ll help you! I promise, we will!”

Makoto and Haru soon joined the other girls, and soon Shiho found herself surrounded by loving, warm arms. Each girl hugged her, holding her as the young woman felt tears fall down her face. 

They were different than the others. These were tears of someone who finally, after so much pain and trauma, had come home.

It was a small step in a far longer journey, but it meant everything to Shiho. She wasn’t alone. She wasn’t forgotten… She had a family that truly loved her, and she wept with joyful tears as they cried with her.