Emi returned to the house she once shared with her father, her footsteps heavy as she unlocked the door and pushed it open, only to be met immediately by the familiar stench of stale alcohol and rotting food that had been left untouched for far too long. The living room was in complete disarray, scattered with empty beer cans and takeaway containers that had never been thrown away since the day she left.
Her father was lying on the sofa, unkempt and half-asleep, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw her standing at the doorway. Without hesitation, he pushed himself up and approached her quickly, the stench of alcohol still lingering on his breath as he spoke.
"Emi? You're back?" he said, rubbing his eyes. "You've been gone so long. Do you have money?"
Emi's expression hardened immediately. "That's the first thing you say to me? Not even a hello?"
Her father waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, don't start. I've been in a tight spot lately. Just a little help, that's all I need. A few thousand yen. You must've been doing well if you were staying with that rich guy."
Emi's voice snapped, sharp and cold. "I'm not here to give you money."
He scowled, his tone turning bitter. "What, you think you're too good now? Living in some fancy place makes you better than your own father?"
"I came back because I have nowhere else to go," she said, her voice trembling with anger. "Not to be your personal bank. You haven't changed at all."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel, stormed down the hall, and slammed her bedroom door behind her. Leaning against it, she took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm, even as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She whispered to herself that this was her world, a world she could not escape, and no matter how painful it was, she had to face it head-on.
After spending a few hours trying to adjust back to the space she had once called home, Emi wasted no time and went around searching for part-time job opportunities. She attended several interviews at various places and finally managed to secure a job at a newly opened café not far from her university campus. It wasn't ideal, but it was something, and she told herself that anything that kept her moving forward would be enough for now.
That evening, she decided to visit Sora at her rental apartment. The moment the door opened and Sora saw her, she pulled Emi into a tight hug, tears falling freely down her cheeks before either of them said a word. Emi could see how shaken Sora still was, and she knew deep down that Sora had been blaming herself, just as much as Emi had been blaming herself.
"I'm sorry, Sora," Emi said, her voice low and filled with regret. "I dragged you into this. You got hurt because of me."
Sora pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, her face stern and emotional all at once. "Why are you so stupid?" she said, her voice breaking. "Why did you tell those guys to let me go and stay behind? Do you know what could've happened to you? If anything had happened, I would've never forgiven myself."
There was a long pause before Sora hesitated and asked the question that had clearly been weighing on her. "Did they… did they touch you?"
Emi nodded slowly, her voice barely audible. "They groped me, but that was all. Ren came just in time, before anything worse happened."
Sora exhaled, visibly shaken, but Emi could see the anger in her friend's eyes—anger not at her, but at the people who had dared to do this to her. Then, as if she had been holding it the whole time, Emi whispered the truth she had not told anyone else.
"I broke up with Ren."
Sora gasped, completely caught off guard. "What? Why would you do that?"
Emi's eyes welled with tears and her voice cracked as she tried to explain. "Because of that night. Because I realised just how weak I am. I couldn't protect myself, and I couldn't stop them from using me to get to him. I saw how devastated he was afterward, and it tore me apart. I don't want to be the reason he's in pain. I don't want him to suffer because of me. I thought… Maybe if I left, it would be better. Maybe if I'm gone, he'll be safe."
"But he didn't stop you?" Sora asked gently.
Emi shook her head. "No. He let me go. I think he knows it too. Maybe he's also thinking the same thing."
Sora looked at her, silent for a long moment, then finally said, "Maybe both of you just need time. Time to think it through."
There was a pause before she asked, "So what now? What's your plan?"
"I moved back in with my dad," Emi said, forcing a tired smile. "And I found a new part-time job near campus. So life's sort of back to normal. I'm just going to focus on surviving each day, finish my last year, and then hopefully find something full-time so I can move out on my own."
Sora frowned, then offered softly, "You know… if you don't mind squeezing into this small place with me, I'd be more than happy to let you stay."
Emi smiled warmly at her friend and shook her head. "Thank you, Sora. Really. But I'll be okay. I'll endure it. Just one more year, and I'll be out of there. I promise."
Sora gave her a long look but didn't press further. Instead, she reached over and gently took Emi's hand.
"I'm here for you, you know that, right?" she said.
"I know," Emi whispered, her grip tightening. "Thank you."