Miori stands at Aoshi’s doorstep.

She wears a long, elegant pink dress that flows all the way down to her ankles, while her loose hair is held in place by a gemstone-studded headband.

Seeing her like this, Aoshi can’t help but feel as though a princess from a fairy tale has appeared right before him.

"Good evening, Aoshi," she says, her voice sweet as honey.

"G-Good evening, Miori..."

What the hell does she still want from me? Did she come here just to mock me over what Renji did? He already destroyed me physically, and now she’s here to finish me off emotionally too? Honestly, knowing her, I wouldn’t even be surprised. And to think I once genuinely had feelings for her... God, I’m pathetic.

"If you came here just to mock me, then say whatever you came to say and leave."

"You mean... what that idiot Renji did to you?" Miori murmurs softly as she takes a step closer to him.

"I never gave you permission to come inside."

"I only came here to tell you that... um, Renji and I broke up. Actually, I’m the one who ended things."

"I don’t see what any of that has to do with me — or why I’m supposed to care."

"I broke up with him after he told me what he’d done," Miori says firmly, stepping even closer. "The moment he called me bragging about ambushing you on your way home from university, I... snapped. I was so furious that I made the difficult decision to end things with him once and for all."

"I see..." Aoshi murmurs, trying to sound indifferent even though, deep inside, a deep sense of satisfaction is quietly spreading through him.

That bastard Renji got exactly what he deserved! Maybe Miori isn’t a completely heartless bitch after all... maybe there’s still at least a little kindness left in her.

"If that’s all you came here to say, then you can leave now," Aoshi interrupts her, impatient to see her gone as soon as possible.

Despite her reassuring words, simply having her inside the house fills him with a suffocating sense of discomfort.

The anger and frustration he had suppressed after being betrayed and humiliated begin boiling back up from deep within him once again — scars left behind by that brief but intense one-sided love that had never truly healed.

"There’s something else I need to tell you — the reason Renji beat you up. It’s connected to what I did to you that afternoon, more than a month ago."

Hearing those words, Aoshi’s attention sharpens immediately. Noticing his reaction, Miori quietly closes the front door behind her.

"Aoshi... I know you won’t believe what I’m about to tell you, but... I really did love you."

"That’s enough! I don’t want to hear another word come out of your mouth! Get out of here. Right now!"

"Please, let me explain! I’ve been carrying this burden inside me ever since that afternoon, and I’ll lose my mind if I don’t tell you!"

"I’m not going to listen to a single one of your bullshit excuses! You have three seconds to get out of my house before I call the police! One, two—"

"Renji knew it! He knew I still loved you, that I never stopped — not even after breaking up with you! That’s why he took it out on you! I... I never wanted to leave you! He forced me to — he threatened me, blackmailed me, and... it hurts just thinking about it..." she sobs, her sapphire eyes trembling and glossy with tears, on the verge of breaking down completely.

As she slightly lifts the long hem of her pink dress, she reveals her legs up to mid-thigh.

Aoshi’s eyes widen in shock.

He can hardly believe what Miori is showing him — long, athletic, beautifully toned legs... covered in countless bruises, some fresh, others already faded — marks left behind by years and years of combat sports training.

"D-Don’t tell me that...?" Aoshi stammers, completely shaken.

"And this is nothing compared to what that violent bastard did to the rest of my body... I tried to resist him — to stay away from him — I really did, and for an entire month I even managed to succeed... but in the end, I gave in. He forced me to go back to him and say those horrible things to you. If I hadn’t left you, he really would’ve hurt me... but more than anything, he would’ve hurt you. I did it to protect you, Aoshi, but apparently even that wasn’t enough to satisfy his cruelty and selfishness..."

Tears begin rolling down her flushed cheeks.

"I came here only to tell you this. That’s all. I just wanted you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that I had nothing to do with what that monster did to you — and above all, to apologize to you in person for everything that happened. I know my words probably mean nothing to you, and they certainly won’t heal your wounds, but it was a burden I needed to get off my chest no matter what."

Aoshi cannot bring himself to say a single word, completely shaken by her confession.

Miori’s fake tears are horrifyingly convincing, and her words, so full of apparent pain and sincerity, leave absolutely no doubt in Aoshi’s mind that she is telling the truth.

I never would’ve imagined that Miori had been forced to endure something like this... poor girl. From the outside, they truly looked like the perfect couple, and during that month they were together I never once suspected anything like this. But I suppose, considering how serious the situation was, she did everything she could to hide it. After all, I’m sure that for a woman, suffering that kind of abuse must feel like the most humiliating and degrading thing imaginable — something you’d be far too ashamed to ever talk about...

That’s why, when we were together, I was convinced she truly loved me — because she did. The sudden, cold, and cruel way she left me, without the slightest hint of what she had been going through... and then Renji’s senseless violence, the absurdly jealous things he screamed at me while beating me — he’s nothing but a violent bastard, and she’s just a victim trapped in his cruelty.

It’s not fair! If only there were something I could do to help her...

"I’m sorry for suddenly showing up at your house like this, but this is the only moment when I’m able to talk to you. Renji keeps me under control every hour of the day, except late at night when he goes out to have fun with who knows who behind my back... while I’m not even allowed to go to the gym alone because he thinks I might flirt with someone... Isn’t that ridiculous?"

Miori lets out a faint, bitter laugh.

"No... actually, the ridiculous one is me — weak and pathetic... If only I’d been a little stronger, a little braver, I never would’ve allowed myself to become trapped in this hell with no way out. And who knows... maybe you and I would still be together. But the past is the past. The only comfort I have in all of this is knowing that at least now you have a beautiful and kind girl by your side — someone who’s surely managed to erase all the pain I caused you. I don’t expect you to forgive me — that’s not why I came here. I only wanted you to know the truth. That’s all. Please, Aoshi... take care of yourself and get some rest. I’m sorry. Goodnight."

After saying that, Miori suddenly turns around, showing Aoshi her back. She reaches for the doorknob, but—

"W-Wait..." Aoshi murmurs.

"I’ve already been out for too long, and Renji could get back to my house at any moment. It would be a complete disaster if he didn’t find me there, and I don’t want to make him angry..."

Miori’s fingers tighten around the doorknob, but once again Aoshi’s voice stops her.

"F-For a while, at this hour, I’ll be home alone... Eliss would probably be really angry if she found out you came here — naturally, since you’re my ex — but after everything you’ve told me, I... I just can’t pretend nothing’s wrong. Knowing what Renji puts you through every single day... if you ever need someone to talk to, someone to share that pain with... well, you know where I live..."

Miori turns back toward him with a happy smile filled with gratitude. Or at least, that’s how Aoshi perceives it.

"Thank you so much. You really are a boy with a heart of gold. Then... I’ll see you tomorrow, Aoshi."