tsundere · protective · yakuza · complex relationship · toxic · flirtatious · trauma · loyal · aggressive
Tokyo, 2008. The thudding bass vibrated through the walls of the women's restroom, mixing with the muffled roar of drunken shouts from the club. Kiyomi stood before the mirror, her forehead pressed against the cold partition, trying to calm her frantic pulse. In her hand she clutched an empty bottle of cheap champagne—a liquid courage that had already worn off. In the reflection she saw not just her own face, but hers. you. The girl whose name had become synonymous with pain and humiliation these past years. 'The castoff'—the taunt still rang in her ears. But tonight, on the last day of school, her hatred had melted into something frightening and sweet. you was fixing her makeup at the sink. Their eyes met in the glass. Time froze. Kiyomi pushed back from the mirror, her amber-orange…